The first thing you need to do is run a parity check to ensure everything is good (i.e. NO zeroes in the error column and NO sync errors).  If the parity check results in any sync errors being corrected, then do it again until you get the "all zeroes" result.

 

Then you need to Stop the array and change the parity drive assignment to one of your new 3TB drives.  Then Start the array and let parity be rebuilt on the 3TB drive.

 

THEN you can add your other drives, up to the 5 data drive limit of the Plus license.  The Plus license supports 7 drives total -- parity, cache, plus 5 data drives.

 

I really appreciate your help.

I did as you instructed and also purchased an upgrade from Plus to Pro.

While I am waiting for my new license to arrive I replaced my 1.5TB parity drive with a 3TB drive but the array won't start.

It says "Stopped. Upgrading parity"

The message seems appropriate but nothing else seems to happen.

I don't know if it is really doing it.

And I cannot start the array, not even the Maintenance mode.

Any means of checking what is going on?

 

What you SHOULD have done at this point was check the "Yes, I want to do this" box and then click on Start.

 

HOWEVER ... it seems you went beyond that and have apparently lost the ability to simply upgrade your parity drive.

 

Not sure what you did ... but since all of your disks are okay, I would simply do a "New Config" (on the Utils tab on the stock Web GUI), being CERTAIN that you assign the correct disks as data disks and one of your 3TB drives as parity;  then Start the array and let it do the initial parity sync.  The outcome will be the same as if you'd simply upgraded the parity disk originally.

 

 

That's right. When my old 1.5TB drive is parity then all drives are green, parity checks ok, and 0 errors.

I would like to opt for a parity swap, but how do you go about it?

Any instructions?

 

Gary, obviously the array is still OK.

 

I tried all kind of permutations,

 

1- Just choosing a bigger drive for Parity

2- Choosing a bigger drive for parity and assigning another drive to the array

3- Just choosing a bigger drive for Parity and assigning the old parity drive to the array

4- trying to start in maintenance mode

5- trying after reboot

6- tried using the New Config solution and assigning manually all the drives, respecting the old position of the ones having data

 

No matter what I do, the array WON'T start. And it won't give any error either, not on screen, and not in the log file.

 

Going back to the old setting disregarding the new drives sets everything right. The array starts ok and the Parity is valid with 0 errors.

 

What is going on?

 

Are you checking the box that says "Yes, I want to do this" ??

 

Just looked closer at your list ... #6 "tried using the New Config ..."

 

Are you saying that if you go to the Utils tab; click on New Config; and then assign your data drives to the array and one of the 3TB drives as parity (with NO other changes), that you still can't Start the array !!??    [Are you checking the appropriate box that confirms that what you want to do ??]

 

 

Just looked closer at your list ... #6 "tried using the New Config ..."

 

Are you saying that if you go to the Utils tab; click on New Config; and then assign your data drives to the array and one of the 3TB drives as parity (with NO other changes), that you still can't Start the array !!??    [Are you checking the appropriate box that confirms that what you want to do ??]

Yes (of course)

And yes

I suspect something isn't right in your UnRAID config on the flash drive.

 

I'd reformat your flash drive; then copy the UnRAID distribution files to it and rerun MakeBootable.

 

BEFORE you do that, be SURE you have your Pro key safely saved on your PC (as you always should).

 

Then boot to that; and add ONLY your data drives to the initial configuration.

 

Confirm you can Start the array okay and access both the Web GUI and the disk shares.

 

THEN Stop the array; assign a parity drive (one of your 3TB drives) ... and then Start it and let it do a parity sync.

 

 

I suspect something isn't right in your UnRAID config on the flash drive.

 

I'd reformat your flash drive; then copy the UnRAID distribution files to it and rerun MakeBootable.

 

BEFORE you do that, be SURE you have your Pro key safely saved on your PC (as you always should).

 

Then boot to that; and add ONLY your data drives to the initial configuration.

 

Confirm you can Start the array okay and access both the Web GUI and the disk shares.

 

THEN Stop the array; assign a parity drive (one of your 3TB drives) ... and then Start it and let it do a parity sync.

 

I could do that but I have a few applications installed (AirVideo, Sabnzbd, iStat, etc...)

I don't mind reinstalling them but can I at least save their configurations and reinsert them afterwards?

 

Probably one of those plugins is interfering...

Gary, can the changes be done in safe mode?

(boot to safe mode and change the parity drive etc.)

 

Probably one of those plugins is interfering...

Gary, can the changes be done in safe mode?

(boot to safe mode and change the parity drive etc.)

 

Safe mode?

I didn't know there was such a thing.

How do you start into safe mode?

Don't remember if it's called exactly "safe mode".

When unRAID boots from your thumbdrive you can select to boot "normal" or "safe/backup" or do

memory testing.

It boots without plugins then.

(you need a monitor and a keyboard to see/select it)

But I'm not sure if it's OK to modify the array in that mode - I assume it is.

 

I suspect something isn't right in your UnRAID config on the flash drive.

 

I'd reformat your flash drive; then copy the UnRAID distribution files to it and rerun MakeBootable.

 

BEFORE you do that, be SURE you have your Pro key safely saved on your PC (as you always should).

 

Then boot to that; and add ONLY your data drives to the initial configuration.

 

Confirm you can Start the array okay and access both the Web GUI and the disk shares.

 

THEN Stop the array; assign a parity drive (one of your 3TB drives) ... and then Start it and let it do a parity sync.

 

Ok. It took some courage since there was 7TB of data on it already but I did it.

I formatted the flash drive, loaded Unraid v.6 (!) on it, and then selected the drives in the right order.

Now all is working nicely. Parity is rebuilding slowly.

So... your hunch was dead on!

 

Now I just hope I will be able to run Unmenu and Sabnzbd which are the most used plugins for me.

 

Thanks for your help, again ;-))

Good to hear you made it!

But be careful with v6!!! It is still beta!

 

Well ... glad you got it all working well -- HOWEVER ... I'd do it again !! 

 

... except this time do it with v5.0.5 (the latest stable release).  The 64-bit v6 release is still Beta, and many of the plugins/addons aren't yet v6 compatible, or at least not stable under v6.

 

Your choice - you can experiment and see if your specific set will work okay; but I'd stay with the stable release.    If you want to try v6, I'd buy a 2nd Pro key for $30 (an offer Tom is holding open as long as v6 is in Beta) ... and use a 2nd flash drive to boot v6 and try your configuration on that.

 

Hello again, sadly for me...

Yesterday while everything to seem to work fine and Parity building was already at 40% Unraid crashed, I guess since it was not available on the network anymore.

Tried a reboot, and another, tried recreating the flash drive, with V.6 first, then with the stable v.5.

Nothing!

Then I hauled my server back from the basement to where I could hook it with a screen and a keyboard and, yeah, it is stuck at "Loading operating system..."

No matter what and which version.

If I press F12 while loading I can get the Unraid menu.

I f I choose the first option, Load OS, it loads but somewhat cannot connect to the network.

I am not savvy with Linux so I don't know where to go from here.

Just point me in the right direction and I will investigate.

 

Thanks

Hello again, sadly for me...

Yesterday while everything to seem to work fine and Parity building was already at 40% Unraid crashed, I guess since it was not available on the network anymore.

Tried a reboot, and another, tried recreating the flash drive, with V.6 first, then with the stable v.5.

Nothing!

Then I hauled my server back from the basement to where I could hook it with a screen and a keyboard and, yeah, it is stuck at "Loading operating system..."

No matter what and which version.

If I press F12 while loading I can get the Unraid menu.

I f I choose the first option, Load OS, it loads but somewhat cannot connect to the network.

I am not savvy with Linux so I don't know where to go from here.

Just point me in the right direction and I will investigate.

 

Thanks

Sounds like your USB stick may be corrupt.  Have you run check disk on it?