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Primary NAS Recovery

Last Updated: 2026-07-22 Status: ⚠️ Scenario B (boot USB failure) ✅ tested 2026-07-22; Scenarios A & C still unverified Purpose: Restore the primary Unraid NAS after failure.

Before You Start

  • Confirm you have access to the Unraid licence key (stored in: )
  • Confirm backups are accessible on the backup NAS
  • Estimated time:

Scenario A — Software / Config Issue (Hardware OK)

Scenario B — Boot USB Failure

✅ Tested 2026-07-22 (real flash failure — see Lessons Learned).

First: DON'T reboot. Unraid runs from RAM — the array/Docker/VMs keep running even with a failing boot flash. Rebooting forces a read of the dying stick and may not come back. Secure a backup and prep the new stick before any shutdown.

  1. Confirm you have a current flash backup. The Appdata Backup plugin writes a daily verified flash zip to /mnt/user/backups/lotus/ab_*/lotus-*-boot-backup-*.zip. Copy the latest off-box (e.g. to Brabham) before touching anything.
  2. Image a new USB (≤32 GB, good brand) with the Unraid USB Flash Creator → Operating System → "Use custom" → browse to the flash-backup zip → Write. It formats + makes bootable automatically. (Stay on the current OS version — change only the hardware.)
  3. Swap (single downtime): shut down → remove the failed stick → insert the new one (native USB-A port preferred) → at POST enter BIOS, set the new stick first in boot order, confirm Secure Boot off.
  4. First boot — licensing:
  5. If you see "Multiple License Keys Present", the backup carried >1 .key — remove all but the one to keep (rm /boot/config/{Starter,Trial}.key), keep Unleashed.key.
  6. Tools → Registration → transfer/replace the licence onto this device. On TPM-2.0 hardware, bind it to the TPM (survives future USB changes). First transfer is free, then once/12 months.
  7. Before starting the array: Main tab → confirm every disk sits in its correct slot from super.dat (no blue "new" slots).
  8. Start the array. A correcting parity check runs automatically after an unclean stop — let it finish. Docker/VMs auto-start.

Scenario C — Full Hardware Replacement

  1. Obtain replacement hardware (see inventory.md for specs)
  2. Install Unraid on new USB drive
  3. Restore Flash Backup:
  4. Connect drives in same order as original
  5. Boot and verify parity
  6. Start Docker containers — verify all services come up
  7. Test access to all shares

Post-Recovery Checklist

  • [ ] Array started and parity valid
  • [ ] All shares accessible
  • [ ] All Docker containers running
  • [ ] Backup sync to backup NAS resumed
  • [ ] Monitoring showing healthy

Notes

⚠️ This procedure has not been tested. Test it before you need it.