How to Rebuild FreeNAS and Save Content on Drives

[coolbreeze]

I have not been able to upgrade FreeNAS since version 9.3. Now the system is no longer working. What I would like to do is build a clean system using the latest release and then take my current FreeNAS drives that already have data on them and place them in the system. How can I do this without losing all of the data on my drives?

 

[SweetAndLow]

Save config, reinstall, upload config.

 

[danb35]

Save config, reinstall, upload config.

...and failing that (which is quite possible if, as OP says, "the system is no longer working"), install clean, import volume.

 

[Jailer]

You OS drive is separate from your data drives. Install the latest version and then import your pool and your data will be intact.

 

[Soundscape]

If you're a windows user and your NAS boots from a USB stick;

1. download the freenas build you want to install
2. install hashcalc and use it to calculate the SHA256 then make sure the checksum is the same as the one published with the freenas build you downloaded.
3. get a separate usb stick (you will be using and erasing) and plug it into your windows PC
4. install win32diskimager and use it to write the freenas .iso you downloaded to the usb stick
5. boot your nas with this usb stick and install or upgrade the freenas OS on the USB stick you boot your NAS with. Ensure you choose the right drive to install! It will most likely be the one with the lowest storage space. i.e it may be listed something like this - da1 Kingston 16gb.

p.s. if you have issues with trying to write the iso image (in step 4) to your usb stick then open CMD prompt as admin and run diskpart, make sure you select the correct drive that your USB stick is in and clean it. go back to step 4.

 

[Ericloewe]

install hashcalc and use it to calculate the SHA256 then make sure the checksum is the same as the one published with the freenas build you downloaded.

Protip: 7-Zip, which every Windows install should have, really, already includes the option to calculate popular hashes of files and folders (starting with relatively recent versions).