Kernel Panic - Not Syncing: VPF: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block [SOLVED]


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I moved the server from a room to another, and now it won't boot because of kernel panic.

I checked all the connection, and they seem in place.

Never had this before so I am unsure what to do next.

Any help appreciated. Screenshot of the screen attached

20200825_150937.jpg

Edited by gnollo
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Using Rufus, I created a syslinux 6.04 bootable flash with it, on a 32 Gig Sandisk key making sure I ticked compatibility with old motherboards.

Then I copied the unraid files for a brand new installation from the zip install file.

This time it has done it, so it looks like some of the files on the flash that I was using are corrupted.

What do I copy across to get the server back up and running?

I plan to follow the same process on the flash which is registered, so I can copy across the key for a start.

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  • 5 months later...

Again Kernel panic upon reboot. On the flash I built last time. Also received the followin message last week

Event: USB flash drive failure
Subject: Alert [TOWER] - USB drive is not read-write
Description: UDisk (sda)
Importance: alert

Back to square 1

Edited by gnollo
more info
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Rufus needs to be set to FAT not FAT 32 to work. Loading a plain version of the server boots fine. Copying over the config files I backed up today after the key failed brings on kernel panic. So I tried the copy of the config folder I saved last August. Bingo, back online. 
Question: is it normal for flashes to corrupt so often? 6 months is not really a long time...
Second question: is there a way to automatically back up the key weekly to another PC on the network?

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  • 4 months later...

Just like Bilbo Baggins: "There and back again".

These days I am actually scared of turning off my server, in case the flash drive gets corrupted and I am back to the kernel panic stage.

I had some electricians doing some work so I turned off the server, but I forgot to copy the flash contents before I did it and low and behold, I am back to the same problem.

So I did the usual, as I still have the same copy of config folder as before

- used rufus to reformat the flash

- loaded the plain unraid server files 

- added the backed up config files on top

Server boots, we are good to go? No. I forgot I replaced a drive since the last backup of the config files.

Drive 4 is missing (my old 2Tb drive) and my new 10Tb drive is showing in the dropdown). Once I select that, the systems indicate "All existing data on this device will be OVERWRITTEN when array is Started".

Obviously, I don't want to do that as I know that all the drives are fine and so is parity.

How can I create a new configuration manually, I have the list of the drives from my daily email alerts I set up?

I don't want to start with a blank server installation as I have an emby docker, and don't want to lose the library and have to start that part from scratch.

 

THank you all for your help!

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Thank you! That worked.

Now why is the flash getting corrupted so often? It didn't use to happen to me before, what am I doing wrong?

I will make sure that I take regular backups of the flash, ideally automate that with a script from my windows PC.

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On 6/19/2021 at 10:29 AM, JorgeB said:

Long time ago I also had a couple of PQI flash drives that would get corrupt after every shutdown, replaced them with Kingstons and never had anymore issues.

Thanks JorgeB, I purchased a Kingston flash, so I can use it as main and use my current flash as backup.

In 2006 I purchased the unraid license and I must have received two pro keys, for two different flash drives. I searched through my emails but I cannot actually find the keys, so my guess is that I must have had to download them from a web interface.

I have one pro key in the flash that is currently in use. Any ideas on how I can get the other pro-key, as I have lost my second flash drive? I have the GUID, woudl that be enough to obtain the original pro key I received in 2006? 

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  • 1 year later...

And as before, I am back to kernel panic, after a powerdown.

I tried rufus again on the flash, and a fresh copy of unraid, following the same steps as above, on the same flash and it stops booting after the PCI devices lising.

I also tried a differend flash, a 32 GB Kingston, and this also has had problems in booting, from FAILED TO LOAD LDLINUX.C32, to CHSBoot error.

I tried to use two laptops, disabled AVAST shields, run Boot Disk Demo, HP USB DIsk, nothing worked. The own utility from unraid to format the flash never worked for me, with the message "the proceduer entry point SystemParametersInfoForDPI could not be located in the dynamic library. I also run these apps as administrator just in case.

I am lost, don't know what else to do.

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