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Forum Discussion
Help needed: ReadyNAS NVX (RNDX4000) Restore to RAIDiator 4.2 - Empty /boot_flash
Hi everyone, I’m reaching out because I made a major mistake while attempting to upgrade my ReadyNAS NVX (RNDX4000) from v4.2 to OS6. The upgrade failed, and now I'm trying to restore the unit ba...
First off, your NVX cannot be converted to OS6, It's a 32-bit unit, and OS6 is 64-bit. There are plenty of warnings in the forum and elsewhere that trying to do so can brick your unit. So it wasn't something you did wrong in the process, it's that you attempted it at all that caused your issue. So if you get this sorted out, don't try again.
Second off, the directory boot_flash is not your actual boot flash unless you have manually mounted the flash device to that directory. Unless you manually deleted it's contents, it should currently contain the non-bootable (by your NVX) OS6 image. It's been a long time since I used an OS4.2.x system, but I think that's where it temporarily stores the flash content before re-booting and installing it on the actual flash.
While the warning is that this can brick your unit, typically it does not and all that's needed is a USB recovery with OS4.2.31. If it really is empty, that will not restore your vpd file, so it still won't boot. But that's the first step. The vpd is an encrypted file that contains more than just your serial number, and there is no way to create your own.
I can't edit, but I realized I may not have been clear. The actual boot flash should still contain an OS6 image and your vpd while boot_flash is where the image is temporarily stored for an OS update.
Thank you very much for taking the time and giving attention to my issue — I truly appreciate it.
Unfortunately, the boot_flash is indeed empty. Mounting this directory confirmed that it does not contain any files.
Using RAIDiator 4.2 USB Flash Recovery, I install version 4.2.31. The NAS boots successfully and is able to perform both an OS update and a factory reset. RAIDar for Windows detects the running device without any issues.
At the moment, the only problem is that the administration panel is empty and shows only the graphical layout. All control buttons in the left frame of the web interface are missing. At the same time, the /shares/ web interface is displayed correctly.
My first assumption was a problem related to the certificate and SSL 1.0. However, I was unable to get a proper administrative interface even when using Windows XP with IE6, or Windows 7 with Firefox ESR 54. Even after disabling the HTTP→HTTPS redirect, the administrative interface still does not load correctly over HTTP.
My next thought was to look into the error during update: '/boot_flash/vpd': No such file or directory. This error appears in the serial console, which is connected to my computer via an ESP32. By the way, I came up with this bridge solution due to the lack of a dedicated cable, and it works reliably in both directions.
I suspect that the absence of files in boot_flash is preventing the administrative interface from loading its active content correctly.
I am also confused as to why USB Flash Recovery is unable to mount boot_flash, while I can successfully mount it in Tech Support mode using the root password you kindly provided in your article “Backup and restore of VPD file.” I am able to read from and write to the mounted boot_flash partition without any issues.
At this point, my (possibly incorrect) understanding is that the problem lies in the inability to mount boot_flash during the USB Flash Recovery process, and that some parts of the administrative interface may actually be stored there.
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