Anyway to reformat USB without loosing files in HD?

I've been having bunch of issues with my server lately, and I wanted to start fresh. Is there anyway for me to reformat or use new USB but keeping all the files in HD? First time I did my server, I remember unraid "cleaned" the Hard Drives, so I thought I would ask if there's anyway to keep them considering the file system doesn't need any alteration.

If you are starting again then unRAID will recognise data disks that have been previously used by unRAID and will add them to a new array without formatting them and keep the data intact.  It is probably worth taking a screenshot before you start so you know which is your parity disk and which are the data drives.

Note that this only applies when setting up a new array, it does not apply when you add a drive to an existing array that has parity protection.  In such a case the drive would be cleared.  However this does not appear to be what you want to do.

I've been having bunch of issues with my server lately, and I wanted to start fresh. Is there anyway for me to reformat or use new USB but keeping all the files in HD? First time I did my server, I remember unraid "cleaned" the Hard Drives, so I thought I would ask if there's anyway to keep them considering the file system doesn't need any alteration.

You need to define a bit more clearly what you mean by "start fresh".  If you want to save all of the files that you saved to your unRAID array-- by that, I mean the 'data' files' --- the answer is yes.  First, thing you need to is print out a "Array Device' on the 'Main' tab, and the following page on the 'Settings' tab 'Network Settings' page.  You will need those to basically setup your server to present the present appearance on the network.

Than stop the array and backup the ENTIRE contents of the present setup to a safe place where you can easily find it.  Now install unRAID on your Flash Drive as a new install using LT's instructions.  Use the printouts to setup 'Network Settings' and to assign the data drives correctly.  After a REBOOT, You will have your "fresh start". 

If you start with a fresh install you will just have to reassign all your disks. Be sure you don't assign a data drive to the parity slot or it will get overwritten with parity. Then make any other settings you want in the webUI

Alternatively, keep a copy of the config/super.dat and you won't have to assign your drives. Also, you can copy any config/*.cfg files you want to keep the settings from and also the config/shares/*.cfg files you want to keep user share settings from.

Alternatively, keep a copy of the config/super.dat and you won't have to assign your drives. Also, you can copy any config/*.cfg files you want to keep the settings from and also the config/shares/*.cfg files you want to keep user share settings from.

Be careful about holding on to a super.dat file for too long, if you've changed your array or parity since you backed up that super.dat restoring it could result in data loss. This has mostly happened to people who moved a parity disk to the array after upgrading the parity disk. 

In this case it works fine because you aren't planning to make changes to your array just clean out the junk on your boot USB.

Also not sure anyone has said this year, back up your Key file. you are going to need it to register your copy again.

If you are starting again then unRAID will recognise data disks that have been previously used by unRAID and will add them to a new array without formatting them and keep the data intact.  It is probably worth taking a screenshot before you start so you know which is your parity disk and which are the data drives.

How is this possible if he formats the USB drive?

Following with these and reading @trurl what is the way to make a backup of the flash disk?

keep a copy of:

• config/super.dat        (and you won't have to assign your drives)( if you've changed your array or parity since you backed up that super.dat restoring it could result in data loss)
  
• config/*.cfg                (files you want to keep the settings from)
  
• config/shares/*.cfg    (files you want to keep user share settings from)
  

Anything else?

Thankyou

Gus

If you are starting again then unRAID will recognise data disks that have been previously used by unRAID and will add them to a new array without formatting them and keep the data intact.  It is probably worth taking a screenshot before you start so you know which is your parity disk and which are the data drives.

 

How is this possible if he formats the USB drive?

 

Following with these and reading @trurl what is the way to make a backup of the flash disk?

 

keep a copy of:

 

• config/super.dat        (and you won't have to assign your drives)( if you've changed your array or parity since you backed up that super.dat restoring it could result in data loss)
  
• config/*.cfg                (files you want to keep the settings from)
  
• config/shares/*.cfg    (files you want to keep user share settings from)
  

 

Anything else?

 

Thankyou

Gus

If you are starting again then unRAID will recognise data disks that have been previously used by unRAID and will let you add them to a new array without formatting them and keep the data intact.  It is probably worth taking a screenshot before you start so you know which is your parity disk and which are the data drives.

I usually backup my flash to my PC over the network. super.dat that I mentioned also tracks whether the array is started or stopped. You don't want to restore a copy of that file that was taken while the array was running or unRAID will think you are booting from an unclean shutdown. The flash share can still be accessed even if the array is stopped, so stop the array and then make the backup.

And as others mentioned, you definitely don't want to restore super.dat that doesn't have your current drive configuration.

 

How is this possible if he formats the USB drive?

 

Following with these and reading @trurl what is the way to make a backup of the flash disk?

 

trurl gave a bit more clarity, but I believe that even if you don't have the super.dat file unRAID will see them as properly formatted and let you add them without formatting them.

A backup of your USB isn't really required (other then the key) to restore your array from a clean start.

At least that's the impression I've been given, if this is wrong I'd really like to know because it would mean I need to change a few things.

 

How is this possible if he formats the USB drive?

 

Following with these and reading @trurl what is the way to make a backup of the flash disk?

 

 

 

A backup of your USB isn't really required (other then the key) to restore your array from a clean start.

 

 

This is true if nothing goes wrong!!!!      But a full backup of original Flash Drive (with the array STOPPED) is perhaps that BEST insurance that all will go smoothly! 

 

This is true if nothing goes wrong!!!!      But a full backup of original Flash Drive (with the array STOPPED) is perhaps that BEST insurance that all will go smoothly! 

Agreed.

Just don't want people to think that if they didn't do a full backup or any backup of the flash drive that they would lose all there data.

I've created a wiki page to help with this ->  Files on v6 boot drive  (it's brand new, probably has mistakes)

It includes a list of files and folders from the boot drive, and what they're for.  I've added notes and warnings based on comments from this thread, so thank you all!  I've now added a new section called Starting Over, designed to help users wanting to 'start over', restart their unRAID server afresh but not necessarily lose all assignments or settings.  I'd really appreciate anyone willing to take the time to proofread it, tell me what's missing or needs correction, especially because there's quite a bit of detail and a large part (files and folders) must be 100% typo-free.

I'm curious, if the worst should happen and the usb dies assuming you have a copy of your usb drive stored away how do you make the new usb drive bootable with those file on it ?

Just to be clear, the USB flash drive has NOTHING to do with the data on the hard drives.

The only important file you do NOT want to lose from your flash drive is your UnRAID key ... which is tied to that flash unit.  You should always have that saved somewhere.

You can then freely format the flash drive; install a newly downloaded UnRAID version to it; run the MakeBootable script; copy your key file to it; and then boot your UnRAID server with that flash drive.

You then simply assign your drives & when you Start the array it will, if there's a parity drive assigned, do a parity sync.

THAT is where you need to be VERY careful.    You do NOT want to assign the wrong drive as parity, or it will overwrite all of the data on the disk.

One SAFE way to be sure you don't make that mistake is to assign all of your data drives first, but do NOT assign a parity drive.    Then Start the array and confirm that it doesn't show any "unformatted" drives [if so, the "unformatted" drive was probably your parity drive before] and that you can "see" all of your data with no problem.

THEN you can Stop the array; assign your parity drive; and then Start the array and let it do the parity sync.

r.e. the last question ...

I'm curious, if the worst should happen and the usb dies assuming you have a copy of your usb drive stored away how do you make the new usb drive bootable with those file on it ?

No need to copy the previous files -- just do as I just outlined, copying the key file from the failed USB flash drive (which you have saved a copy of somewhere] to the new flash drive.    When you boot to UnRAID, you can select the option to move your key to a new USB flash drive, and the Limetech server will provide you with an updated key file for the new flash drive.

I'm curious, if the worst should happen and the usb dies assuming you have a copy of your usb drive stored away how do you make the new usb drive bootable with those file on it ?

I'm curious, if the worst should happen and the usb dies assuming you have a copy of your usb drive stored away how do you make the new usb drive bootable with those file on it ?

If you have read the rest of this thread and understand what is required to have a good, usable copy of your usb drive, then the only thing you need to do to make the new one bootable is run make_bootable just like when you created your original setup.

... and your key file 

I'm curious, if the worst should happen and the usb dies assuming you have a copy of your usb drive stored away how do you make the new usb drive bootable with those file on it ?

If you have read the rest of this thread and understand what is required to have a good, usable copy of your usb drive, then the only thing you need to do to make the new one bootable is run make_bootable just like when you created your original setup.

 

... and your key file 

Actually you DO put the original key file on your new USB drive => and then when you boot UnRAID there's a function that lets you replace your key with one for the new flash drive.    Very nice feature update.

On 5/27/2016 at 10:54 PM, RobJ said:

I've created a wiki page to help with this ->  Files on v6 boot drive  (it's brand new, probably has mistakes)

 

It includes a list of files and folders from the boot drive, and what they're for.  I've added notes and warnings based on comments from this thread, so thank you all!  I've now added a new section called Starting Over, designed to help users wanting to 'start over', restart their unRAID server afresh but not necessarily lose all assignments or settings.  I'd really appreciate anyone willing to take the time to proofread it, tell me what's missing or needs correction, especially because there's quite a bit of detail and a large part (files and folders) must be 100% typo-free.

Link seems does not work anymore

1 hour ago, Olivilo said:

Link seems does not work anymore

Probably because it's 7 years old and no longer relevant. The list of files has changed significantly in that time.

3 hours ago, Olivilo said:

Link seems does not work anymore

What are you trying to do?

7 hours ago, trurl said:

What are you trying to do?

Cause i Had a attack i was unsecure why all my Dockers and VMS didnt work anymore and i Still dont know if the Main Unraid system is compromidet.

Than i thought ppbly it solves my Problems if i Reinstall Unraid totaly but i dont wanna Loose mu Shares and Users or at least not the data i transfered to the discs allready.

After i couldnt find a solution  i was looking about Forward and reverse Proxy and still learning to have a secure layer over DuckDNS with reverse proxy to my Game Server Dockers or later nextcloud and others.

Frustration is still there but less high cause somehow all is still working and you try to help very helpfull.

am, i able with this reverse Proxies to handle multiple Dedicated server instances of a game on same Port ? Is this somehow a Virtualisation of the network on the backend side  or just a kind of Port rederiction ?
 

1 hour ago, Olivilo said:

Reinstall Unraid totaly

All of your configuration is on the flash drive, but all of your data is on your disks. Every setting you have made in the webUI is part of that configuration on flash.

If you start your configuration over, your data will still be there on each of your disks. Unless you make the mistake of assigning a data disk to a parity slot, which would cause it to be overwritten by parity.

And since user shares are just the top level folders on array and pools, you will still have user shares. But without their configuration from flash, they would all have default settings.

Dockers would still be there since they are on your disks, but without their configuration, you wouldn't be able to work with them from the webUI so you would have to reinstall them. And Previous Apps wouldn't be able to help reinstall them since it has to get their configuration from flash. But if you did get them reinstalled just as they were, their appdata (the working data of each container application) would be there since appdata is part of the data on your disks.

ok now my Sever is not connacable anymore over Web gui 

I will try a Better USB Stick and will need a Clean Install with docker as Directory and not img.

i made over Unraid connect a Flash backup

shall i download it and install it on a New UBS ? and then change the key to this new USB ?

Do i use Unraid Installer for The USB or something else to malka a bootable stick from that Iso ?

Do i need to maualy delet fiorst the docer IMG befor i reinstall unraid with a other docer configuration?

I cant connect over Web Gui anymore with my Unraid server😂

SO i do now to make a Hardshuttoff take the UBS out and install another USB stick ?