January 18, 200917 yr System running great for YEARS - using OLD Intel board. Tonight I upgraded to latest version of unRAID. Rebooted system and after awhile noted it hadn't come up. Worried I looked it over and noted the flash drive flashing weakly. Put a monitor on it and saw a series of "unable to enumerate USB device on port 7" errors. And some errors about not being able to find my network config file - no such file or directory. Pulled the flash, it's working on my Vista desktop fine so far as access. Tried again, same errors. It does begin to boot fine but most of the way through the boot when it's pulling up USB it goes a bit nutz ending with these errors. Pulled the flash again and overwrote the "new" software with the older software I'd been running - same issue. Going to try a different USB port but this isn't looking good! Thoughts? Going to keep messing with it but this has me a bit worried. Data is likely not at risk IMO but this is still stressful heh.
January 18, 200917 yr data are definitely not at risk 1) different USB ports 2) take to other machine and check if it tries to bott 3) insert in a windows machine and see if it shows anything 4) format and re-syslinux etc. if your mobo USB subsystem is dead (I've seen this happening more than once on old mobo), then you can delay buying a new mobo, but just adding an auto-config (oups Amiga terminology) PCI USB board and use that.
January 18, 200917 yr Author Okay, can access the drive all day long in Windows. Reformatted FAT32 the slow way so it covered all secotrs. Redid the Syslinux using the version of Syslinux Tom has linked, I note there's a MUCH newer version available but do not think this is an issue. Moved back old files, rebooted it, no go. Tail -f on the syslog shows a continuous stream of unable to enumerate errors on the flash, the flash is blinking steadily as this occurs. <sigh> Cannot tell if this is the USB port or if it's the flash - I suspect the motherboard. However it boots partially and obviously read the BZimage etc. just fine. It's only when it gets into the heart of the Linux boot that it pukes. Adding acpi=off nolapic noapic had no effect and I didn't expect it would. This board is over 3 years old and really wasn't looking to replace it <sigh> A PCI USB is an option I can try - I would love to hear if there are any particular ones I shoudl avoid or look for that will be supported. So much for getitng to bed "early" tonight! appreciate the response!
January 18, 200917 yr Most of them use the same chipset, so just get a cheap one and try. It must be the mobo.
January 19, 200917 yr Author How do I go about getting it to BOOT from the add-in USB card? The BIOS is clueless about the new hardware and wants to use a HDD... This is an OLD Intel board - the one Tom used originally. The BIOS lists nothing in the way of "other" for boot options, I think I may be hosed here. I have a board offsite I might be able to swap in, I need to check it's config though. these days finding a board with multiple IDE slots is near impossible and sadly I have three IDE drives on the internal connectors. I might be able to use another board with one IDE slot and simply pull the data from the odd-out drive though by mounting it on Linux. The spare board I have is older and may have the IDE I need, this might be a good time to begin angling this sytem for SATA status though I could probably cover most of the data on this system with 3 1.5TB Seagates but I'd like to see how the two I just purchased do in my other system first maybe.... Thoughts from the peanut gallery or best for a different thread? Edit: Hrm, I have been pondering BubbaQ's SUSE install. THAT would get this old hardware back to life for sure. I am just not sure that I am up for such a project with data at stake. Thoughts? Not afraid of Linux although i know about diddly with regards to SUSE. Swapping the kernels and whatnot makes me nervous having failed at that previously but it might be worth a shot and with the drives not hooked up during the work I wouldn't have to worry about the data I guess. Hrm!
January 19, 200917 yr How do I go about getting it to BOOT from the add-in USB card? The BIOS is clueless about the new hardware and wants to use a HDD... This is an OLD Intel board - the one Tom used originally. The BIOS lists nothing in the way of "other" for boot options, I think I may be hosed here. I have a board offsite I might be able to swap in, I need to check it's config though. these days finding a board with multiple IDE slots is near impossible and sadly I have three IDE drives on the internal connectors. I might be able to use another board with one IDE slot and simply pull the data from the odd-out drive though by mounting it on Linux. The spare board I have is older and may have the IDE I need, this might be a good time to begin angling this sytem for SATA status though I could probably cover most of the data on this system with 3 1.5TB Seagates but I'd like to see how the two I just purchased do in my other system first maybe.... Thoughts from the peanut gallery or best for a different thread? Edit: Hrm, I have been pondering BubbaQ's SUSE install. THAT would get this old hardware back to life for sure. I am just not sure that I am up for such a project with data at stake. Thoughts? Not afraid of Linux although i know about diddly with regards to SUSE. Swapping the kernels and whatnot makes me nervous having failed at that previously but it might be worth a shot and with the drives not hooked up during the work I wouldn't have to worry about the data I guess. Hrm! Here's an idea or two. Try putting a USB hub between the Motherboard and the flash drive. If it is power related, that might do it, especially if it is a powered hub. Another possibility... See if you can boot ANY other flash drive on your existing motherboard. But... and here's the kicker... do NOT label it "UNRAID" When you boot it it will only see three drives as it is not "registered" However, you might be able to have your existing flash drive also plugged in with the UNRAID label. It would then be the one mounted at /boot. The "boot" flash drive would be the one you choose in the bios to boot from. (that would be the new drive, not the old one with the UNRAID label) Then, leave your current flash drive in place (but not chosen as the boot drive). It might be possible to read it once booted. If it can be found with its existing UNRAID label you might be back in business. Lastly, I'm using a IDE-to-SATA converter on one of my drives to connect it to an SATA controller. The converter I have plugs into the back of the drive. It might be a pain if you have drive caddies, but it will get you back running on an all SATA motherboard. I purchased mine locally, but it looks identical to this http://shop1.frys.com/product/3864967;jsessionid=KI+4dlnyxCtS8-XV+Ts5AQ**.node1?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG or here at newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16822998001 Edit: just read the "reviews" on newegg of the adapter... Oh well... I have mine on an old 400Gig IDE drive and it seems to work for me. It was about $12, so I was not risking a lot of money to give it a try. I will be using it in my new SATA based server as the cache/swap drive. Joe L.
January 19, 200917 yr Author Wow, you got one of those IDE to SATA adapters to work? I tried a few, miserable disaster one and all for some reason. Hadn't thought of a hub, not sure how Frankenstein I want this thing to be in the end. Thinking about it even a SUSE install will want to see my license key so that not going to work either I think. I do not HAVE to get to this data right away as this was my older sort of step child IDE system but I liked having that storage! Looks like a new MB, might do a new P/S while I'm at it as I have two in there now and I think it's silly - this was back from when no one seemed to know jack about what could be supported. I may finally go whole hog and switch this over to something updated with some big drives to replace the dozen spindles in this <sigh> Will first look at this board I have stored away before I go nutz at Newegg Wish I knew for sure how well I could trust these 1.5TB drives from Seagate...
January 24, 200917 yr Author Looks liek it is indeed the FLASH! Argh! Just before swapping in the new hardware I recalled that there's USB ports on the BACK of the motherboard - duh! I tried one and sure enough SAME errors. Ouch, looks like I will be contacting Tom on this one, I shoudl have tried booting another stick but I was rerally interested in upgrading
January 24, 200917 yr Another possibility... See if you can boot ANY other flash drive on your existing motherboard. But... and here's the kicker... do NOT label it "UNRAID" When you boot it it will only see three drives as it is not "registered" However, you might be able to have your existing flash drive also plugged in with the UNRAID label. It would then be the one mounted at /boot. The "boot" flash drive would be the one you choose in the bios to boot from. (that would be the new drive, not the old one with the UNRAID label) Then, leave your current flash drive in place (but not chosen as the boot drive). It might be possible to read it once booted. If it can be found with its existing UNRAID label you might be back in business. Talk about thinking outside the box! Great idea. BLKMGK, did you try this?
January 24, 200917 yr Author No I didn't, might not be a bad idea though to begin transferring data while I wait for Tom's response to my e-mail...
January 25, 200917 yr Author Tried this, doesn't look viable. It gets towards the end of the boot sequence and the same error about enumerating my old USB flash starts showing up. Bought a pack of four Sandisk Cruzar Flash drives. One thing I notice RIGHT away is that it boots WAAAAAY faster than my old USB. The BZimage flies by and the rest of the boot is so fast I can barely read it till the end. These suckers are 4Gig units too so lots of room on them Now, if I can just get my key upgraded I'll be back in business! P.S. Anyone got a good way to pull the USB GUID in Vista 64? I see the silly thing as a USB device, a storage device, and as removable storage - GUIDS galore but most are longer than the 27 that Tom wants Device class GUID as Storage Device-> {4d36e967-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} Device class GUID as Portable device -> {eec5ad98-8080-425f-922a-dabf3de3f69a} Gaaah!
January 25, 200917 yr you need to uninstall U3. On the U3 control panel is a remove U3 option. (BACKUP your data First!)
January 25, 200917 yr Tried this, doesn't look viable. It gets towards the end of the boot sequence and the same error about enumerating my old USB flash starts showing up. Bought a pack of four Sandisk Cruzar Flash drives. One thing I notice RIGHT away is that it boots WAAAAAY faster than my old USB. The BZimage flies by and the rest of the boot is so fast I can barely read it till the end. These suckers are 4Gig units too so lots of room on them Now, if I can just get my key upgraded I'll be back in business! P.S. Anyone got a good way to pull the USB GUID in Vista 64? I see the silly thing as a USB device, a storage device, and as removable storage - GUIDS galore but most are longer than the 27 that Tom wants Device class GUID as Storage Device-> {4d36e967-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} Device class GUID as Portable device -> {eec5ad98-8080-425f-922a-dabf3de3f69a} Gaaah! and why don't you just install (free) unRAID on it and let it tell you itself what GUID it sees?
January 27, 200917 yr Author Back up and running! Tom was able to give me a key for the new Flash and the system is rolling again I am up on old hardware, once I have a few moments I will begin consolidating data so that I can swap hardware and reduce my drives from 12 to around 4 and go down to a single P/S too. Expecting bigtime power savings so long as these 1.5tb drives hold up...
February 6, 200917 yr Author Okay, new hardware installed! wish I had noticed there were NO IDE slots on this new board - that sucks! So, I pulled a total of 4 IDE out of my array and am running the others on Promise cards for the moment. The four drives I pulled were replaced with 1.5TB SATA drives and Parity rebuilt. I am slowly but surely reorganizing my old IDE drives onto the SATA drives, when done I will have no data on the remaining IDE, will remove them, will put the IDE I pulled back in, recalc parity, move THAT data, and be left with just SATA drives. I MIGHT leave a Promise card in so I can use an IDE for cache - I've not decided and dunno' if this would slow overall performance. Anyway, it's running again! If I get a chance I will install Bubba's software and maybe try a full distro install on an IDE drive as I'll have a "few" laying around
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