(SOLVED) Kernel panic after moving setup to new hardware

Update/solution(?): I ran the memtestx86 utility and it came back with thousands of errors - tested the sticks one by one and only one is defective, so it appears to be an issue with the RAM, as it boots successfully with the one passing stick installed

Hi, I recently bought all new hardware to move from a Dell R510 to a "home pc" style setup. Been running Unraid for years without issue, up to version 6.9.2. I have 1 cache SSD and 5 HDDs.

This is the new hardware setup:

- Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 
- CORSAIR VENGEANCE DDR5 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 4800MHz CL40
- MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI
- Corsair RM750x PSU

First thing I did was update the BIOS to the latest version E7E06IMS.AF0

After putting together the new system, booting into "Unraid OS" from the USB results in the following error:

floppy0: no floppy controllers found
/dev/root: Can't open blockdev
VFS: Cannot open root device "(null)" or unknown-block(0,0): error -6
Please append a correct "root=" boot option: here are the available partitions:
0800	15148608 sda
  driver: sd
    0801	15147008 sda1 93111914-01

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)
CPU: 12 PID: 1 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 6.1.126-Unraid #1
Hardware name: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MS-7E06/PRO Z790-P WIFI (MS-7E066), BIOS A.F0 09/27/2024
Call Trace:
  <TASK>
  dump_stack_lvl+0x44/0x5c
  panic+0x10e/0x290
  mount_block_root+0x1de/0x1f1
  ? rest_init+0xcb/0xcb
  prepare_namespace+0x136/0x165
  ? rest_init+0xcb/0xcb
  kernel_init+0x16/0x123
  ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30
  </TASK>
Kernel Offset: disabled
---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0) ]---

The first thing I did was copy all files from the USB to a folder on my home PC. I then tried:

* Unraid 6.9.2 on old flash drive (using USB creator tool)
* Unraid 6.9.2 on new flash drive (using USB creator tool) - with old config folder copied over
* Unraid 6.9.2 on new flash drive (using USB creator tool) - clean install
* Unraid 7.0.1 on new flash drive (using USB creator tool) - clean install
* Unraid 6.12.15 on new flash drive (using USB creator tool) - clean install
 

I have run CHKDSK on both flash drives on my home PC, with no errors reported.

I have been able to successfully boot to both flash drives on my home PC, with Unraid starting up without issue

I have also tried editing syslinux/syslinux.cfg file, changing "append initrd=/bzroot" to "append initrd=/bzroot root=sda", this resulted in not getting past the blue menu where you select which option of Unraid to boot to.

I've tried booting with all SATA drives removed, and get the same error

All of these were following suggestions from posts on this forum, but all result in the same kernel panic error - and I'm out of things to try now

Update: I put Win11 installation media on a USB and tried to boot that on the same system (all drives disconnected still) and it wouldn't boot, saying "Your PC/Device needs to be repaired" - "the operating system couldn't be loaded because a critical system driver is missing or contains errors. File: \windows\System32\drivers\Ntfs.sys". Maybe an issue with the system/hardware in general? 

Edited March 2, 20251 yr by roo0o0o