1 minute ago, cagemaster said:

Note, I copied the config folder to the new USB before booting. 

I thought perhaps you had gotten your old key from an email rather than from a config backup.

 

From all the other information you supplied in the thread I had assumed you couldn't read the config folder and had no backup. The advice you get will only be as good as the information you supply.

 

If you used a good backup of config then everything should just work as it was before.

58 minutes ago, cagemaster said:

Thanks, it's copied. Going to try with a new USB stick. Is there a recommended USB stick to use? 

OK I see you had copied it.

Just now, trurl said:

I thought perhaps you had gotten your old key from an email rather than from a config backup.

 

From all the other information you supplied in the thread I had assumed you couldn't read the config folder and had no backup. The advice you get will only be as good as the information you supply.

 

If you used a good backup of config then everything should just work as it was before.

Thank you. Realized that I should have calmed down and provided more information. It seems like everything's back to normal. I've super grateful for all your help! 

 

This community is a godsend. 

Good to hear that you are up and running again. 

 

BTW, make external (not on same server) backups of the stick regularly, especially after changing settings. I do it automatically every night using the Duplicati docker. Backing up /boot to OneDrive (and the appdata share). I also use the CA Backup plug in to backup flash to array every night. 

Edited March 9, 20197 yr by Niklas
Added "external backup" clarification.

Just now, Niklas said:

Good to hear that you are up and running again. 

 

BTW, make backups of the stick regularly, especially after changing settings. I do it every night using the Duplicati docker. Backing up /boot to OneDrive (and the appdata share). 

Thank you! Will get on that right away!

This kind of thing happens ridiculously often (search the board if you don't believe me).  

 

Why is unraid still relying on USB sticks for the OS like we're still in the 90's?  Time to catch up.  

Edited March 9, 20197 yr by oliver

Catch up to what? 

 

So the enterprise systems out there with os on sticks (or internal flash devices) mounted in internal usb-ports should also catch up? To what? Unraid runs from ram so why change a working concept? Sticks can go bad but that's the case with ALL storage solutions. The stick is only used to store settings, boot and load Unraid system in to ram. The reading and unpacking the system to ram happens very early in the boot process and after that, unraid continues to boot from ram only. Reading settings from the stick and that's it. 

 

Doing backups and in the worst case scenario, you will need to restore it to another stick. That's like 10 bucks for a good one? And you are up again. Easy and cheap to replace and most systems have good speed to ram. To work with all variety of systems, I see this solution as very good. A failed storage device could be costly. Also, moving the stick to another system will just work. 

Edited March 9, 20197 yr by Niklas

15 minutes ago, oliver said:

This kind of thing happens ridiculously often (search the board if you don't believe me).  

 

Why is unraid still relying on USB sticks for the OS like we're still in the 90's?  Time to catch up.  

This kind of question is asked ridiculously often (search the board if you don't believe me).

What people fail to understand is that Unraid runs in/from ram. It's not like installing and running Windows on your USB-stick as a daily driver (even if you can do that). 😉

 

Booting from flash devices are used because it works. Same reason it is used in many enterprise solutions. 

Edited March 9, 20197 yr by Niklas

27 minutes ago, Niklas said:

What people fail to understand is that Unraid runs in/from ram.

As I already explained in this same thread:

4 hours ago, trurl said:

Flash is used very little by Unraid. The OS actually runs in RAM. The Unraid OS is unpacked fresh from the archives on flash at boot and then the saved configurations from the webUI are applied. After boot, flash is mostly only accessed when saving changes from the webUI. So capacity and speed aren't required.

You can think of Unraid as an embedded system. Lots of NAS on the market can be thought of in the same way, as well as routers and other things that are running linux underneath. Those are typically loading the OS into RAM also. Nobody asks why their router doesn't install its OS on the latest and greatest storage device.