Unclean shutdowns

An unclean shutdown happens when Unraid detects that the array was not properly stopped before the system powered off. This situation can trigger an automatic parity check during the next boot to ensure data integrity.

Recommendations to prevent unclean shutdowns

Taking some proactive steps can help you avoid or identify unclean shutdowns:

• Use a UPS: Keep your server connected to an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and set it up to initiate a controlled shutdown when battery power runs low.
• Attempt a graceful shutdown: If your server is unresponsive, briefly press the power button to trigger a safe shutdown. Do not hold the button down, as this will force a hard power off and lead to an unclean shutdown.
• Enable persistent logging: Go to Settings → Syslog Server to activate logging that persists after a reboot. See Persistent logs (Syslog server) for more details.
• Attach diagnostics for support: If an unclean shutdown occurs, Unraid will attempt to save diagnostics to /log/diagnostics.zip on your flash device. Attach this file to forum posts when you seek help.

UPS configuration best practices

A well-configured UPS is your best defense against unclean shutdowns caused by power loss.

• Connect the UPS via USB to your Unraid server.
• Enable UPS support in Settings → UPS Settings.
• Configure shutdown timeouts: Set the UPS to trigger a controlled shutdown before the battery runs low. Adjust the "Battery runtime left" or "Battery charge level" thresholds to provide enough time for Unraid to stop the array and power down safely.
• Test your configuration: Simulate a power loss to ensure the UPS and Unraid respond correctly.

Look into the NUT plugin for broader compatibility with more advanced UPS models or unsupported hardware.

Events That Cause Unclean Shutdowns

Understanding the main triggers for unclean shutdowns helps you prevent them. Explore the tabs below for details on each scenario.

Unexpected power loss

Power interruptions are one of the main reasons for unclean shutdowns. Protect your system with a properly configured UPS that can automatically shut down Unraid before the battery runs out.

note

Unraid supports most UPS units using the apcupsd Protocol protocol (APC and CyberPower are usually compatible). If your UPS isn't supported, consider using the Network UPS Tools (NUT) plugin from Community Applications.

Flash drive failure

The array status is stored on your USB flash device. If the flash drive becomes unavailable or enters a read-only state, Unraid cannot update the shutdown status, even if the array stops correctly. This results in an unclean shutdown being detected at the next boot.

Open terminal sessions

Unraid waits for all open terminal or SSH sessions to close during shutdown. If these sessions remain active and the shutdown timer expires, a forced shutdown occurs.

tip

The Dynamix Stop Shell plugin can automatically close lingering bash or SSH sessions, helping ensure a graceful shutdown. However, be cautious if there are ongoing write operations to the array.

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Configuring shutdown timeouts

Properly configuring shutdown timeouts is essential to ensure your Unraid server can stop all services effectively, preventing unclean shutdowns, particularly during power loss or maintenance. Each component of your system - VMs, Docker containers, and the overall array - has its own timeout setting that can be adjusted.

Recommended timeout settings

Setting	Default	Recommended minimum	Where to configure
VM shutdown timeout	60s	300s (5 min)	Settings → VM Manager → VM Shutdown (Advanced)
Docker container stop timeout	10s	30–60s	Settings → Docker (Advanced)
General shutdown timeout	90s	3 × VM timeout + Docker timeout + 15–30s	Settings → Disk Settings → Shutdown time-out

Virtual machines timeout

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Unraid first shuts down all configured virtual machines (VMs) before stopping Docker containers or the array itself. The VM Shutdown Timeout determines how long Unraid waits for each VM to shut down gracefully.

Where to set

• Settings → VM Manager → VM Shutdown (enable Advanced view)

Consider

• Windows VMs may take longer to shut down, especially if updates are pending or the VM is in sleep/hibernation.
• If the timeout is too short, VMs will be force-stopped, risking data loss or corruption.

Best practice

Set the timeout to at least 300 seconds (5 minutes) for Windows VMs. Schedule updates to run at boot, not shutdown, to avoid delays.

Docker containers timeout

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After VMs, Unraid stops all running Docker containers. The Docker Container Stop Timeout controls how long Unraid waits for each container to exit cleanly.

Where to set

• Settings → Docker (enable Advanced view)

Consider

• Containers are stopped in parallel.
• Complex containers, or those with large databases, may need more than the default 10 seconds to shut down safely.
• If the timer expires, containers are force-stopped.

Best practice

Increase the timeout to 30–60 seconds if you run Docker containers that require additional shutdown time.

General shutdown timer

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The overall Shutdown time-out is the maximum time Unraid allows for all shutdown processes - VMs, Docker, and disk operations - before forcing a shutdown.

Where to set

• Settings → Disk Settings → Shutdown time-out

How to calculate

Add up your VM and Docker timeouts, then add 15–30 seconds for disk unmounting and other processes.

• Example: 3 × ***VM Shutdown timeout*** + ***Docker stop timeout*** + 15–30 seconds

Best practice

Set this timer high enough to cover your slowest shutdown scenario, especially if you have many drives or a large array.

UPS battery life

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Your UPS must provide enough runtime to allow all shutdown timers to expire before the server loses power.

Where to set

• Settings → UPS Settings (see Runtime left with all disks spun up)

Consider

• The UPS should trigger a shutdown early enough to allow the full shutdown sequence to complete.
• If the battery runs out before shutdown completes, you risk an unclean shutdown and possible data loss.

Best practice

Test your UPS by simulating a power outage and confirming that Unraid shuts down cleanly with time to spare.