Unraid won't boot, faulty USB?

[Kezza]

I shut down my machine today and when I rebooted it I get a black screen with boot: prompt and message says "no configuration file found"

 

I have plugged the USB stick into windows machine and Win telling me something wrong with USB would I like to scan (I haven't yet as didn't want to risk making things worse)? I can see and open files on the USB but cannot copy the files off (copy/paste does nothing).

 

Any ideas would be very much appreciated.

[itimpi]

Let Windows try and fix it.  You might need to check when you put it back in the unRAID server that the bios is still set to try and boot off the USB stick.

 

If it will not boot after that you could try copying the bzimage and bzroot files and the syslinux folder (including contents) from the ZIP download of unRAID and rerun the makebootable.bat file.

[Kezza]

Let Windows try and fix it.  You might need to check when you put it back in the unRAID server that the bios is still set to try and boot off the USB stick.

 

If it will not boot after that you could try copying the bzimage and bzroot files and the syslinux folder (including contents) from the ZIP download of unRAID and rerun the makebootable.bat file.

 

Thanks! That seems to have the system working properly again, doesn't give me much faith in the USB stick

[itimpi]

Let Windows try and fix it.  You might need to check when you put it back in the unRAID server that the bios is still set to try and boot off the USB stick.

 

If it will not boot after that you could try copying the bzimage and bzroot files and the syslinux folder (including contents) from the ZIP download of unRAID and rerun the makebootable.bat file.

 

Thanks! That seems to have the system working properly again, doesn't give me much faith in the USB stick

Which bit did you have to do - just let windows fix the drive or re-copy some files?  However if you went through a tidy shutdown process neither should have been required.

 

unRAID v6 makes it easy via an automated process to move your license to another USB drive (once per year at least) if you decide you want to switch to another USB stick.

[Kezza]

Let Windows try and fix it.  You might need to check when you put it back in the unRAID server that the bios is still set to try and boot off the USB stick.

 

If it will not boot after that you could try copying the bzimage and bzroot files and the syslinux folder (including contents) from the ZIP download of unRAID and rerun the makebootable.bat file.

 

Thanks! That seems to have the system working properly again, doesn't give me much faith in the USB stick

Which bit did you have to do - just let windows fix the drive or re-copy some files?  However if you went through a tidy shutdown process neither should have been required.

 

unRAID v6 makes it easy via an automated process to move your license to another USB drive (once per year at least) if you decide you want to switch to another USB stick.

 

Just windows repair. I thought it had gone through a clean shutdown, stopped array and then shutdown all via WebGUI. It was off afterwards so I have no idea if something else went wrong.

 

Interestingly though after booting it up the array was on and doing a parity check, if memory serves me right the array is normally off when first booted up?

 

What would be great if could have 2 USB stick in server replicated so if one fails the 2nd can be used. I think this is what FreeNAS does. Just makes things bit more reliable and gives some piece of mind to users.

 

Good to know about changing keys, might look at getting one of the recommended USB sticks.

 

I've only been using it for a couple of weeks (although used it many years ago), so still getting up to speed.

[itimpi]

Interestingly though after booting it up the array was on and doing a parity check, if memory serves me right the array is normally off when first booted up?

You can specify whether you want the array to autostart or not in the Settings.

What would be great if could have 2 USB stick in server replicated so if one fails the 2nd can be used. I think this is what FreeNAS does. Just makes things bit more reliable and gives some piece of mind to users.

I can seeing this being problematical to manage since the license is tied to a particular USB stick.  However sine the transfer of the license to a new stick has been made so easy this is almost certainly sufficient when one takes into account that we see a very low incidence of people having their USB stick fail (although it does happen occsionally). At one point unRAID offered a very good deal if you bought two licenses together and I think a lot of people took advantage of this to get an extra license that could be used in a test server, or as a backup. 

 

There was also a special offer during most of the v6 beta cycle where existing users could buy an additional license for a vary good price ($30) to help with having an additional license for testing v6 while still running v5 on their main server.  Whether such an offer is ever likely to be repeated I have no idea but it might be worth keeping a lookout when the next beta cycle starts.

[Kezza]

What would be great if could have 2 USB stick in server replicated so if one fails the 2nd can be used. I think this is what FreeNAS does. Just makes things bit more reliable and gives some piece of mind to users.

I can seeing this being problematical to manage since the license is tied to a particular USB stick.  However sine the transfer of the license to a new stick has been made so easy this is almost certainly sufficient when one takes into account that we see a very low incidence of people having their USB stick fail (although it does happen occsionally). At one point unRAID offered a very good deal if you bought two licenses together and I think a lot of people took advantage of this to get an extra license that could be used in a test server, or as a backup. 

 

There was also a special offer during most of the v6 beta cycle where existing users could buy an additional license for a vary good price ($30) to help with having an additional license for testing v6 while still running v5 on their main server.  Whether such an offer is ever likely to be repeated I have no idea but it might be worth keeping a lookout when the next beta cycle starts.

 

I can see why with the current model it isn't ideal to buy a backup (both full price for home users and discounted version from Lime Tech's perspective). One possible way around that could be having a free 'backup' license with every license purchased which will work in a system that is licensed. Something like:

- Server is licensed with full version

- Backup USB is plugged in and key issued

- Backup is valid so long as it can see a licensed version installed on server in past x days

- Server can be booted to backup USB when primary fails but will stop working after x days unless  production USB found again

- User then has x days to get a replacement USB and key issued until backup USB stops or goes into restricted functionality

 

Something like above would keep everything legit $ wise while also allowing users to have a backup USB should primary fail. I guess from my perspective especially with V6 is that UnRaid is going to replace NAS, Desktop, HTPC etc and the USB could bring the household down to a standstill (yes first world problems lol).

 

Anyway just a suggestion in case it is something that is being considered. Fantastic system, loved using virtualisation for past 10 years but direct I/O in UnRaid has made me rethink how our house PC needs are handled.

[Squid]

 

I can see why with the current model it isn't ideal to buy a backup (both full price for home users and discounted version from Lime Tech's perspective). One possible way around that could be having a free 'backup' license with every license purchased which will work in a system that is licensed. Something like:

- Server is licensed with full version

- Backup USB is plugged in and key issued

- Backup is valid so long as it can see a licensed version installed on server in past x days

- Server can be booted to backup USB when primary fails but will stop working after x days unless  production USB found again

- User then has x days to get a replacement USB and key issued until backup USB stops or goes into restricted functionality

 

Something like above would keep everything legit $ wise while also allowing users to have a backup USB should primary fail. I guess from my perspective especially with V6 is that UnRaid is going to replace NAS, Desktop, HTPC etc and the USB could bring the household down to a standstill (yes first world problems lol).

Not really necessary because unRaid won't stop working (at least until a reboot) if the stick fails, and in that event it will take ~5 minutes to setup a replacement stick (find a stick, format it, copy your original .key file onto it, boot it up, and follow the prompts and wait for the email to arrive a minute later)