Question My Win 2012 R2 Essentials server -- may have gone south . . .

[BonzaiDuck]

At this point, my main concern is to restore the Stablebit drivepool that has all my important document archives, spreadsheets and other items. If I had a TB of DVR movie/TV captures on the server, I may be able to get those back.

But I'm inclined to decommission my server now. I had been planning to do it since three household users gave way to only one -- ME. I have become very used to having a file server in the mix. I need a new strategy without the server.

Something happened the other day to cause the server to restart or reboot. It was unable to read the boot drive. I don't have the means to restore that boot drive. The Drive Pool should be "intact". I should be able to install Stablebit on any Win 10 system that I have, then move the controller card and the drives for the drive pool to that system, and stablebit should recognize the drive pool and configure it to the system. Once done, I can pull all of my important (and up-to-date) files -- document archives etc -- and store it all locally on a workstatiion with good backup until I can decide whether to replace the server with a NAS device, or simply implement file-sharing between my workstations.

I was really a bit stupid about this all along. I should've cloned the server boot disk, or otherwise made some backup arrangement for it. SYNCBACK SE was used to back up important folders on the drive pool -- so -- there's "that". But I need to install Syncback on one of my systems and follow the program's instructions to restore the files.

It would just seem the easiest and most direct way to restore the drive pool on the spare Win 10 system. Once I get all my files back, I will decide whether to have a NAS or a new server. But I don't think I need (or want) to do this -- with the server -- anymore.

For all I know, this might just be some problem with a CMOS battery. It all might come back if I just reset the BIOS. I frankly don't understand how a Crucial SSD 250GB boot-system disk could go south by itself. With the Win 2012 OS on that disk, it mostly would just read system files. It would never have had any major "workout" that would cause the disk to fail. There were no "temperature" or other issues in the server box. I don't have the time to do this hobbyist troubleshooting as I once did.

What a pain.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I frankly don't understand how a Crucial SSD 250GB boot-system disk could go south by itself.

Is it some really cheap QLC model? If not, put the drive in a free system and update its firmware. That might revive it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Is it some really cheap QLC model? If not, put the drive in a free system and update its firmware. That might revive it.

Thanks, Igor. I just remember the boot disk SSD as something like a Crucial MX-100 250GB. I entertain the possibility that this all came about because of a dying or dead CMOS battery. The first thing I noticed on an attempt to boot the server system was the appearance of the ASUS "Logo" on the screen, when I always disable the logos for all my systems. The boot options in the BIOS seem fouled up. So -- today's exercise -- will be to reset the BIOS with the CLRTC jumper, replace the CMOS battery, start up and enter BIOS, and see what happens from there. The most drastic approach will involve my moving the four pool disks and their Super-Micro controller card to the HTPC which I was planning to remove from my network. That's "a lotta drives", and I have to fit them into that box, if only for temporary access.

I was lazy and stupid for not creating a better backup system for the server OS and for relying too much on the drive-pool "duplication" redundancy. There should've been a regular backup for the the important files -- to a single hot-swap disk.

IF I can resurrect the existing hardware and get it to boot again, I'll continue to run the server until I've decided how I will live without it. Otherwise, I can hopefully use the old Win 10 system to share and access my files.

Ultimately, it may be time to buy some new computers. Maybe a couple Dell Precisions. I hate OEM products, though . . . You wonder what other people do, or if they share their data across multiple systems, or what they do for backups. My two "good" workstation systems back up through Macrium to local drives, and they were also backing up nightly to the server with AOMEI. But my working data files are on the damn server. I could've addressed this even a couple years ago, but I was too confident the server wouldn't fail. I was actually thinking about the risk when I took that manual backup a year ago.

OK . . . Reset CLRTC . . . Replace the CR2032 wafer battery . . . . that's today's main project.

Another thing -- I should have embraced things like Cloud backup. That would've eliminated all this panic and worry, now, wouldn't it?

 

[Tech Junky]

The easiest test / recovery would be a Linux USB boot. It should be able to boot / recover all files unless the AIC died as well.

Why anyone runs Windows for a server baffles me though unless it's part of a business requirement. Even in the biz realm they're mostly virtual at this point unless they're running legacy setups.

I suppose the 2nd half regarding the CMOS could be a potential issue as well but, moving away from MSFT makes more sense in the long run.

The other consideration would be the drive and going with something a bit more robust for the sake of sanity knowing it's not going to foul up and die. A cheap option that works well is the WD SN770. 1TB drives can be had under $100. Than again you probably have other drives laying around in a box somewhere knowing your stockpile from other posts.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Ultimately, it may be time to buy some new computers. Maybe a couple Dell Precisions.

Dell Optiplex is pretty decent too. Don't recall any showstopping issues with them, other than if you get the smaller form factors, sourcing the PSU of an older system can be problematic. And those smaller PSUs tend to fail if the airflow is inadequate.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Well, gents -- one thing at a time. I brought the server box downstairs for my convenience, and there are ethernet hookups here. I reset the CLRTC jumper and replaced the CR2032 battery, so I just need to pull my HTPC machine away from my desk, plug in the server and see if I can get it to boot.

After that? It it either quickly resurrect-able, of I need to move the drives and controller to the HTPC Win 10 system. As long as I can raise up the drive pool under either the Win 2012 or the Win 10, I can grab my files and move forward with whatever results.

In the meantime, if I cannot resurrect the win 2012 server as-is, then I'm still inclined toward some sort of NAS in the house. Somehow I think the need for two or three PCs or PCs with a laptop (also needs attention today) are "necessary" for me.

In a sort of casual desperation, I went looking at NewEgg for options, and found this:

Synology DS1522

Any other ideas? I'm inclined to hope for something requiring little maintenance. The item description speaks to a storage capacity like 72 TB, but I only need about 12 TB or even half that much.

To answer Tech Junky -- when I retired from my two careers, I was fiddling with some sort of file server at home or at the school. I had "computers-getting-older", so if I replaced a tower workstation with something newer, I'd use the old hardware to be a file server on a LAN. At first, I think I had an academic license for Win NT server. I set it all up so it benefited my Moms and my brother, who were living here. Since I always had at least two computer workstations running downstairs (here where I sit now), a simple server seemed to be just dandy.

Then I moved up to "Windows Home Server 2011" -- I think that was it -- and I eventually had to get an upgrade to the OS -- or I THOUGHT I should get an upgrade. So I snagged a Win 2012 R2 Essentials and put together the existing box maybe six to eight years ago. It just "evolved" this way. I wasn't accommodating myself with eagerness to the mobile technology. I only could imagine how people manage their personal business with a single cell-phone, but I felt more comfortable with desktops and shared storage. My knowledge wasn't expanding into "NAS" and other areas, so I just continued with the 2012 Essentials and the existing hardware.

I don't have as much a desire to putter, experiment, and build systems anymore. But I have to stay "connected", manage my files -- all sorts of things, really. Some upgrades are in order. First -- perhaps -- I could build another "K" system with a 12th gen processor and mobo. OR -- I could buy a DELL, as I mentioned -- and distance myself from big hardware projects.

Before I go forward with anything, and that would include a Synology purchase, I need to get my files back. To do that, I just need a bootable OS (Win 10 or the 2012 Essentials, depending on whether I can get the server to boot again), a slot for the SuperMicro controller card, and room in a case for the four Hitachi 3.5" HDDs.

 

[manly]

Synology is pretty good. If the DS1522+ is overkill, the similar DS923+ will do nicely. Compare:

Synology Inc.

Centralize data storage and backup, streamline file collaboration, optimize video management, and secure network deployment to facilitate data management.

www.synology.com

Synology's Hyper Backup utility will conveniently backup the NAS data to a USB hard drive. You can also backup to a variety of cloud options, but you'll be paying for terabytes of storage. If you're creative, you can target Backblaze's unlimited $70 per year personal backup service. You won't be able to do this natively as only PC and Mac are supported. Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I appreciate respondent attention to my prolix posts. Very grateful!

I'm starting to pull apart the rats' nest under my desk here. Disconnected the old HTPC, to make room for the server box temporarily to get past "Phase I" to either restore or get access to my data.

What amazes me is the lapse of time since I built the server. I had purchased the case for it -- a Corsair Vengeance C70 -- in late 2016. The SuperMicro 8-port controller was obtained also that summer. I think I had the whole enchilada built by mid- to end 2017. So it has been running non-stop for six years!

2017 was also the year my Moms had her first accident, and she has replaced all my computer projects for use of my time. My newest desktop workstation system was built a year ago, from parts released around 2017 -- another story I've told here about a static-charge episode to my original Skylake system and the acquisition (in panic) of parts to fix it. I had the static charge accident in 2021; acquired spare parts; finally built the twin system last spring or a year ago. That was just about 3 months after my brother died in Jan 2022.

I should really start acquiring some new hardware, and simplify my life in this info-tech respect as much as possible. Looking at the Precision and Optiplex lines, a new workstation. Shared storage -- synology or whatever -- the second part of this.

I need to stop hoarding dated computers to re-deploy as "servers" or anything else. And I should get rid of half the contents of my parts lockers.

Do you know any 75-year-old farts who carry these burdens? What happens in five years? If I'm still alive without the onset of dementia, I still need the technology, my files, the internet connection . . . . What do all the other 75-year-olds do?

I'm almost . . . scared . . .

 

[Tech Junky]

Any other ideas?

Skip the Synology and just put Linux on the old server. I run it on mine as more than just a NAS and it's on 24/7. Once it's setup it's forgettable unless you want to upgrade the kernel weekly like I do and perform a reboot. Otherwise I have a raid check scheduled weekly and can monitor it from a browser if need be.

At this point though I stripped out all of the GUI junk and just manage it from CLI through SSH or the webmin app through a browser. Debian based systems have the best HW compatibility and thus I put Ubuntu on it from the start. I also run it as the WAN router / switch / FW / Plex and have room to grow if I find myself itching to make life difficult testing something new out.

Your old box could be an all in one setup or just relegated to a NAS function by using samba for network files. That's the beauty of Linux is you can keep it simple or make it complicated but, everything network based is running it already anyway. Once you strip back the pretty eye candy you'll find Linux running. Even a Mac is technically Linux. The odd ball out is MSFT but, they've added WSL to the mix which gives you a Linux VM of sorts within Windows w/o needing an app to do it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Well -- first thing is to clear all the extra no-longer-used cables and dust-bunnies from under my desk, hook up the server box and see where things are, then move forward from there as necessary.

But I need to give a complete makeover or renewal to my hardware. With the two workstations I have plus the LG laptop, no hurry -- but I should attempt to find something like an i7-12700-based system -- like Dell, maybe Acer -- "pre-built". I haven't bought an OEM computer since 1994, but I don't have time for this "computer-building" anymore. I should also save a pile of bucks, no longer opting for high-end graphics, K processors, second-tier motherboards and "Titanium" PSUs. Either way -- plenty of time to decide what to do.

The "shared storage" -- a NAS or server -- is still a desirable item. Once I get rid of the most-dated hardware, it should all be simple . . .

My dentist -- a friend -- has also dabbled in putting together his own hardware. Some time ago, he opted for buying recycled "corporate asset" systems -- Dell Xeons for instance. He's convinced -- it's the way to go.

My brother and sister-in-law think they're just fine with their laptops, and they don't have any "shared storage" -- no desktop with file-sharing. They're happy with that.

Maybe I'm making too much of my little "server crisis", but I need to get "back on track". Then, watch some TEE-VEE, keep up with some e-mails, schedule my online bill-pays . . .

 

[BonzaiDuck]

OK! O-O-O-Kay! AFter replacing the CMOS and resetting BIOS, I was able to get to system post, went into BIOS to configure.

There had been two Crucial SSDs in that box: one as the boot drive with Win 2012 R2 Essentials; the other as a caching drive for the server version of PrimoCache. This had all been working just great for the six years up until now.

I went into the Boot menu, and attempted to set the "Option 1" boot disk. At that time, both the MX100 250GB and a BX100 240GB were visible. I apparently selected the proper boot disk at first attempt. It would then post, throw up the blue-flag Windows logo, and the little circle was going around and around. It would never proceed beyond that point.

Then I attempted to enter BIOS again, and this time, the Crucial boot drive was no longer listed as an option. So apparently that SSD boot drive has died. Now -- I suppose I could yank it out of the system, or attempt to "do special things" with some sort of disk utility, but I think this is the end of it.

So, now, the only avenue left for me is to install StableBit on the system I'd designated for HTPC. Both the server and the HTPC have identical motherboards. On the one hand, I can move the mobo-RAM-CPU assembly into the server box, which might make less trouble than moving the four HDDs and the controller card into the HTPC. Or, I can do the latter. Before I do that, I should raise up the HTPC Windows 10 and install StableBit on it.

Given the way I built my most recent workstations, this is the best option because I didn't build the workstations to accommodate four 3.5" hard disks easily. The HTPC case -- a CoolerMaster HAF mid-tower -- would make less work for me. Or, as I said, I can install StableBit, then move the mobo-RAM-CPU into the Corsair Vengeance case of the malfunctioning server.

But this Windows 2012 R2 Essentials configuration has died. Best thing is to use an existing Win 10 system to access the drive pool, and then see what I want to do after that. I could use this Win 10 system -- the HTPC -- as a server on my network until I sort out what I want to do for new hardware. But -- server or HTPC -- this is all fairly old hardware, at risk of some kind of failure and more trouble. Main thing is to get my files off of it and arrange for backing it up. Or, maybe -- retrieve my files, live without a server or shared NAS storage for a while, and figure out what I'm going to do next. Another thing I can do is to grab the spare Z170 motherboard I have with a "non-K" i7-6700 processor (new -- never used) and known good RAM, and then install Win 10 on it to use as a file server with the Stablebit drive-pool.

It looks as though I have a short-term solution, but I'll want to get some sort of NAS replacement sooner than later.

ANOTHER QUESTION. I suppose it is always POSSIBLE that the intel controller on the motherboard is somehow damaged, so I might try putting the SSD boot drive on a different controller. But I am pretty much inclined to get rid of the server and its hardware anyway. Win 2012 R2 Essentials is a tad old with waning support. I'm wondering if I want to take the time to fiddle with the boot SSD . . . The main thing is to get my files off the drive pool. StableBit seems fairly confident -- you should just be able to put the pool into another computer with Stablebit installed -- Windows 10, for instance -- and grab those files.

Maybe I'll just pull the two Crucial drives and put them into a plug-in docking-station disk adapter, like this one: StarTech dual-bay -- That will tell me something. Maybe it's the onboard Intel controller, and not the drive that's gone bad. I should probably take the time to do that . . .

 

[igor_kavinski]

TBH, the MX100 and BX100 are cheap drives. Nothing I would trust with anything too important. At the time you got those, I think Crucial had the MX300. I have the 750GB model of that in my work PC since 2017. They now have the MX500 but in terms of longevity, it is inferior to the discontinued MX300 due to using TLC NAND.

If you put your drives in the dock, first thing you should do is load up CrystalDiskInfo and see how much percentage life is left on these drives. Another weird thing is, the Primocache drive should have gotten write exhausted first. Maybe Primocache was doing more writes to the boot drive for some reason?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

TBH, the MX100 and BX100 are cheap drives. Nothing I would trust with anything too important. At the time you got those, I think Crucial had the MX300. I have the 750GB model of that in my work PC since 2017. They now have the MX500 but in terms of longevity, it is inferior to the discontinued MX300 due to using TLC NAND.

If you put your drives in the dock, first thing you should do is load up CrystalDiskInfo and see how much percentage life is left on these drives. Another weird thing is, the Primocache drive should have gotten write exhausted first. Maybe Primocache was doing more writes to the boot drive for some reason?

Good ideas and insights. Honestly, I didn't consider those quality or longevity issues when I put that box together six years ago, but I might have had more wisdom to do so.

I have to moderate my eagerness to access my files. Even if I want to follow the same approach, I should dump the old hardware starting with the mobo, RAM and CPU. But more up-to-date hardware should be cheap, and a simple NAS device could even be cheaper. So rather than attempting to solve my problem with "server-NAS replacement", I should just get my files first and worry about new hardware later.

And those Hitachi 3.5" spinners that have been running in the server are no less candidates for discard than anything else. Running for six years! At this point, I'm getting weary of the clutter of midtowers under my desk, but I certainly need at least one. I feel more positive about building one than buying one, but I can't afford the time for it any more. At least, the desktops have mostly new hardware, and they are backed up individually with Macrium. I can save the workstation-replacement problem for later.

I need to scale down my thinking about my "very important data" so that I never lose it, but if I have more than one workstation (or laptop), I want easy access to that data from the same storage source all the way around. Right now, the priority is to get the data off those disks in the server drive pool. I want an insightful response from the COve-cube Stablebit people before I proceed with that, but I may just pull one of those pool drives, put it in the StarTech dock, and see what I can get from it a drive at a time.

I can troubleshoot the server hardware, like the boot and caching SSDs, but I think it's time to just replace all that hardware. It is all six years old. I want to take my time with the replacement. The data comes first.

But as I tried to say already -- It's been 23 years since I stopped teaching computer-related topics, and about 25 years since I was the info-tech guy in a finance office. When I retired, I continued with my "big scheme" approach, and my family and household played into that -- justifying it. Last year, when my brother died, I got rid of two computers -- Bro's and Moms'. Moms stopped using hers in 2017. I still have three of my own (with a laptop), and what's left of the server box. Time to scale back. I just want to prevent the sort of disruption I had this time. What is it -- that "Law"? "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong." I never figured the server boot disk would die. I could've refined the backups that I was getting with the server to include itself.

 

[igor_kavinski]

What is it -- that "Law"? "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong." I never figured the server boot disk would die. I could've refined the backups that I was getting with the server to include itself.

Murphy's law. Funny thing is, when you plan for disaster, you rarely face the worst case scenario. Our company server's been running since end of 2014. While now it's in EOL mode (everything migrated to Azure cloud), the physical hardware is still running, probably coz the rackspace is paid for the whole year in the third party data center where it's located. It has three 200GB SLC SSDs in RAID 5 for the DB and a 4th one is hot spare. We never needed it during all these years and I think it's an awful waste of a $2000 SSD that's just sitting there all the time, never doing a bloody thing. But I'm sure if it wasn't there, the RAID 5 would have gotten degraded thanks to Murphy's law.

 

[aigomorla]

I decommissioned all my windows servers boxes.
Unless you really need them for what they are good at, its more of a hassle over a TrueNAS / UnRaid + Jails/Dockers.

RTFS is also garbage of a file system over ZFS.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I decommissioned all my windows servers boxes.
Unless you really need them for what they are good at, its more of a hassle over a TrueNAS / UnRaid + Jails/Dockers.

RTFS is also garbage of a file system over ZFS.

Something for me to take plenty of time to examine, as I test the resilience of peer-to-peer file-sharing or Cloud storage.

 

[igor_kavinski]

peer-to-peer file-sharing

What for? Not sure what your use case for that is, unless you are sharing all your files with a LOT of family members. Also unsure if torrent allows encryption to prevent strangers from getting your files.

 

[Tech Junky]

What for? Not sure what your use case for that is, unless you are sharing all your files with a LOT of family members. Also unsure if torrent allows encryption to prevent strangers from getting your files.

I think he's just referring to lan sharing not torrent the use case has changed though form several to himself from the threads I've seen.

 

[aigomorla]

I only cloud things as last line of backup.
I have way too much data to cloud.. were talking about 60+ TB on my NAS.
I have what i hope is enough redundancy to save me from several hardware failures... but im still knocking on wood that statement never get contested.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

What for? Not sure what your use case for that is, unless you are sharing all your files with a LOT of family members. Also unsure if torrent allows encryption to prevent strangers from getting your files.

Igor -- perfectly good comment. When I fully retired, I came West with about three computers -- all on a LAN from my teaching practice. We had a file server here since 2000, useful for myself, Moms and my brother -- plus media server. It became a security blanket for me. It defined my digital lifestyle, while most other people -- novices and mainstreamers -- were moving in other directions. Until Moms was unable to use her PC and until my brother died last year, we had more than one workstation and I used the server to back them up -- including all my brother's stuff.

Suddenly, I'm at a crossroads. I don't NEED three computers and a server. On the other hand, I need to keep my data, I need to use certain software. I need to stay connected to the internet, do the online banking, work with my spreadsheets and accounting software, manage e-mails, create documents for dealing with Veterans Administration and other entities -- do my taxes . . . all of that.

For the time being, if I have two PCs and a laptop, I want the file-sharing in lieu of any server on my LAN. Nothing special about that. It's a standard Windows feature.

But I must scale back on the hardware while continuing my habits and usage in my "digital" life. But I need to assure that my data is safe, up-to-date, etc. I'm trying to wrap my brain around living as a "mainstreamer", but with my well-disciplined practice of digitizing all my documents with paper for only essential things like property deeds/titles, titles to vehicles, birth certificates -- those sorts of things. Anything that comes in the USPS mail of any consequence gets scanned into my DMS archives. I have local backups in hot-swap bays in case there's a fire or earthquake and I must evacuate with nothing but my laptop.

Certainly you can see that this is a "wake-up call" for me. I can't deal with all the hardware and maintenance anymore. But I can't go back to pencil and paper, file cabinets, checkbooks and checkbook registers -- the list goes on. Other people I know live their lives differently, but this is me.

So there has to be a simpler approach for me so that the routine aspects of my life continue -- just on a smaller hardware scale.

 

[aigomorla]

NAS do not need to be big... they can be small.
NAS can all be run headless.
Infact they are more designed to be run headless.

NTFS, and all windows file systems are garbage, I like the ZFS file format, but people are gonna get into an argument with me saying the source is NTFS, so the data is already rotted to begin with, which i sort of agree.

NAS OS is far more easier to maintain then a windows server platform, because, windows server is not forgiving, and one wrong config will give you a bunch of critical alerts.

But the hardest thing on a NAS is the ACL.
But once you get that all setup with right permissions on the pool, then its a set and forget it thing.

Depending on the amount of data stored and the NAS OS, you can also get away with half the ram typically required for windows server.

In short unless i absolutely NEED a domain server with Active Directory, i do not touch windows server.
And if someone tells me they NEED a Active Directly i throw the keyboard at them, and tell them to hire someone professional, as i do not do work for charity and they should not expect me to do it for free, even if your my in-laws or imediate family members, because its really my way or the high way, or YOU PAY someone that will say "Yes Sir/Ma'am." instead of me which says, "Why are trying to sound like you know IT when you don't know how to setup a printer".

 

[BonzaiDuck]

NAS do not need to be big... they can be small.
NAS can all be run headless.
Infact they are more designed to be run headless.

NTFS, and all windows file systems are garbage, I like the ZFS file format, but people are gonna get into an argument with me saying the source is NTFS, so the data is already rotted to begin with, which i sort of agree.

NAS OS is far more easier to maintain then a windows server platform, because, windows server is not forgiving, and one wrong config will give you a bunch of critical alerts.

But the hardest thing on a NAS is the ACL.
But once you get that all setup with right permissions on the pool, then its a set and forget it thing.

Depending on the amount of data stored and the NAS OS, you can also get away with half the ram typically required for windows server.

In short unless i absolutely NEED a domain server with Active Directory, i do not touch windows server.
And if someone tells me they NEED a Active Directly i throw the keyboard at them, and tell them to hire someone professional, as i do not do work for charity and they should not expect me to do it for free, even if your my in-laws or imediate family members, because its really my way or the high way, or YOU PAY someone that will say "Yes Sir/Ma'am." instead of me which says, "Why are trying to sound like you know IT when you don't know how to setup a printer".

You've always given good advice here. I never used "Active Directory", and I circumvented the "Domain Server" function with that well-known registry hack.

I am likely to get a NAS -- Synology, QNAP -- whatever is recommended. I don't think I would need more than 5TB of storage. But getting a NAS is at my end of the to-do list.

Again -- I have this "old" HTPC I was about to decommission and recycle. Since the server was working properly until last week, I hadn't made detailed plans to replace it. It was just something I planned to address eventually.

All my workstations had local accounts/passwords which were "administrator" accounts -- all replicated as "users" on the server as "administrators". My most pressing priority at the moment is to retrieve all my data from the Stablebit Drive-pool, which had four 3TB Hitachi drives on the server. Since I had hardware failure with the OS-boot-system disk -- an SSD -- either with the disk itself or the drive controller -- I'm not going to attempt reinstalling Win 2012 R2 or resurrecting that system. So the strategy I will follow is to simply install Stablebit on the Win 10 "HTPC" system, then move the HDDs and controller (still good) to that box. Stablebit SHOULD simply recognize the pool and make it available. Excluding the DVR/capture media files, I think I'm talking about 500GB of data. The MOST ESSENTIAL data to recover is probably less than 100GB. The very-most-important data -- first priority -- is about 50GB.

Looking forward, my biggest concern is the security and share information on the duplicated folders. But since ALL the user accts/passwords in the house have administrator status-- all administrators on the Win 2012 server, including the main user account on this HTPC, I cannot see how I would have access problems once the pool is mounted. [I hate bad surprises, especially if I have to get down on my knees, fiddle with hardware, etc. etc. -- even needing to catch my breath]. If there is some snag in this regard, there MUST be a fix for it, but I cannot see how that would be the case. JUst trying to anticipate trouble as I go forward. As I said, this all follows the "Workgroup" model -- no "domain members".

Then, with either a docking station or some other drive hookup, I'll copy my files to transfer to one of my good workstations. Then -- take the HTPC and Win 2012 server box apart for recycle and discard. I would think even the 3TB Hitachis should go to the recycle-center after I wipe them clean or put a hole in them with a gun.

Boot disk on the HTPC is an ADATA 500GB, and I just ran their disk utility on it -- showing 26 TBW written with plenty of life left. I'll disable all the caching and remove extra SSD and HDDs, then install the pool drives and their controller.

I have to go through all this because I was using "Syncback SE" to back up the server files, and I think it will be a bitch to recover it that way. Even so, it's another option, but I"d rather go through the hardware tedium first -- more effort, but simpler.

This is a crossroads in my life. I haven't kept up; I've had this hardware infrastructure in our household -- very comfortable with it. When the server failed last week, I had been playing a DVR movie to my TV, which I had paused so I could switch to a news channel. But now, I'm all alone -- except for Moms, who needs to be spoon-fed. So -- I'm it -- the only user. I need to scale back to "expert mainstreamer" or whatever, while preserving all those files and doing my daily business.

THEN -- I can grab some money from savings and buy a NAS after I read up about it some more. In FACT, it's time to acquire a new desktop-PC-workstation. Still debating whether to build or buy. Buying one will be cheaper, for sure, but I haven't bought an OEM system since 1994. My needs and wants are probably greater than your average mainstreamer.

My sense of immediate panic will disappear once I've got my important files on the workstation I built last year from spare (new) parts. It's a long story; I've told it here in threads over the last couple years. Right now, those two Z170 systems with Win 10 Pro are just fine, with local backups every morning with Macrium.

Worst case scenario -- I lose all my media files -- no problem there -- and I also lose the most recent year of document scans and PDFs accumulated from June 22, 2022 to the present. The 20 years of data before that is safe, but I need the most recent files.

Still waiting for the Stablebit tech-rep to get back to me, just to confirm my understanding of all this. But I'm going forward NOW with the Stablebit installation and transfer of the HDDs and controller to the old HTPC.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Just a note to my friends and members here. My posts are prolix -- TLTR -- I know . . . With all the stuff that occupies my time now, the current "crisis" has caused me to be panicky. I'm sure it will all work out. I just need to get from point A to point B, then figure out what I will do for scaling down my home "digital fortress".

These days, feeling the years of my age, the loss of energy, everything that happens to people my age -- I'm constantly trying to get folks to "hold my hand". I'm GOING to GET THROUGH THIS!

 

[manly]

Good luck with the data recovery.

SMB file sharing has been around for decades, I'm sure it's fine. The beauty of a NAS is ease of administration, and low power consumption. I don't agree with the advice for the OP to go learn TrueNAS/Linux. IMO he's trying to simplify his life in retirement, not acquire new skills where he's the only end user and nobody else gets to benefit from his new knowledge.

Under the hood, Synology is a highly-customized Linux but that's all abstracted away from you. With their Web interface, you don't have to login to a shell unless you really want to.

If you're buying a new pre-built PC, you might consider a laptop if mobility matters to you. Although the value of a laptop is usually worse, it's a pretty good time to be buying a PC. Sales have plummeted and there's fierce price-cutting going on.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Good luck with the data recovery.

SMB file sharing has been around for decades, I'm sure it's fine. The beauty of a NAS is ease of administration, and low power consumption. I don't agree with the advice for the OP to go learn TrueNAS/Linux. IMO he's trying to simplify his life in retirement, not acquire new skills where he's the only end user and nobody else gets to benefit from his new knowledge.

Under the hood, Synology is a highly-customized Linux but that's all abstracted away from you. With their Web interface, you don't have to login to a shell unless you really want to.

If you're buying a new pre-built PC, you might consider a laptop if mobility matters to you. Although the value of a laptop is usually worse, it's a pretty good time to be buying a PC. Sales have plummeted and there's fierce price-cutting going on.

Thank you for the encouragement.

Yesterday, I partly disassembled the target HTPC system to prepare for installation of my four server pool drives. I refuse to hurry with the physical work of rebuilding a "salvage machine". Everybody knows I have other routine eldercare duties and -- we all have to live our lives. But I think this should all be resolved before Friday.

I discovered that the tech-rep who helped me so much with Stablebit since I first started using it -- is still "the same guy" -- he's still "there." And he was reassuring. I was right, though, to expect some obstacle in Windows "permissions" created under the server. But it should be an easy fix, accessing the dialogs we all know and love to make the HTPC give accessibility to the pool's files and folders.

I think I could just use the old HTPC Windows 10 system as a "new server", but the hardware is relatively old. Another thing I could do: I still have a perfectly good, "new" Z170 motherboard and Skylake processor remaining since I went through my "static charge" disaster two years ago, and I have 32GB of perfectly good RAM for it. People had used Windows 10 for file servers all the time.

I have my fingers crossed -- to get my files back first. And keeping another computer running and drawing power goes against my desire to "scale down". I think I'm more likely to invest in a Synology box -- when I can find more time for it. That could be soon, but not something I want to rush.

But you understand perfectly my situation. I'm slowly "running out of steam", with the eldercare burden on my shoulders, and I need to reduce the clutter of computers and their maintenance.

It's amazing. My habits developed in the mid-1990s, and by then, I was already dependent on PCs. In fact, I was searching for all the possible ways to apply the technology just for my personal life. I vaguely remember what it was like to pay monthly bills by writing checks! Or a time when, if you wanted computer peripherals or just about anything else -- you would drive down to "CompUSA" or some other chain store.

I think for most of us, it would be absolutely unthinkable to "un-digitize" our lives and revert to 20th-century primitivism!!

Oh -- I DO have a laptop, and had long considered scaling back to using one. I've had a few of them come across my desk. I'd bought an Acer Nitro for my brother just before he passed away, so I sent it to my surviving brother. And I used my pandemic stimulus money to buy an LG Gram. I think it would be essential if one were travelling frequently. For me, though, nothing beats a 32" gaming monitor and a Logitech "LED" gaming keyboard. I'm mostly just weary of sharing my room with three or four mid-towers.