Hardware failure - How to get files out of a dead system

[viphone]

Hi

My FreeNAS is dead, no boot up, nothing on screen. I suppose that the motherboard has gone. I've sent it for repairing, but ASUS gave me another used board(different serial number).

Anyway, is there any chance that I can get files out of the system? It's ZFS upon 5 3TB drives and the latest system version.

Thanks.

 

[Spearfoot]

Hi

My FreeNAS is dead, no boot up, nothing on screen. I suppose that the motherboard has gone. I've sent it for repairing, but ASUS gave me another used board(different serial number).

Anyway, is there any chance that I can get files out of the system? It's ZFS upon 5 3TB drives and the latest system version.

Thanks.

Yes. As long as your pool wasn't destroyed when the motherboard failed, you can simply re-install FreeNAS and import your pool. Hopefully you have a copy of your FreeNAS configuration to use for the restore.

 

[cyberjock]

You should be able to reuse the old boot disk too. You may have to reconfigure your network settings a little, but it should bootup and "just work" otherwise.

 

[viphone]

Thanks, Spearfoot & Cyberjock.

The pool should be intact. The motherboard sent for repairing due to NIC faulty. The "supposed good one" ASUS gave me, though, excluded NIC issue, however, I felt there's something wrong with it. Just couldn't tell what it was. So, I get it off my workstation. I guess it's a bad move to use it in FreeNAS system.

So, all I need to do is find another PC, put on all my drives (3TB x5 + SSD FreeNAS system) and the machine will boot up?
My first priority is to get files back. Some of those are pictures of my kids. Then I'll figure out the new hardware profile.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

all I need to do is find another PC, put on all my drives (3TB x5 + SSD FreeNAS system) and the machine will boot up?

Yes, assuming the initial hardware failure didn't damage or corrupt the drives.

My first priority is to get files back.

Step 2 is to develop and implement a backup strategy. Redundant storage is not a substitute for backup.