ZFS Removing hanging zpools ...

Alain De Vos · 2026-03-11T07:37:01+0000

zpool import

Code:

  pool: XXX
    id: 2236206737834695129
 state: UNAVAIL
status: One or more devices are missing from the system.
action: The pool cannot be imported. Attach the missing
    devices and try again.
   see: https://openzfs.github.io/openzfs-docs/msg/ZFS-8000-3C
config:

    XXX         UNAVAIL  insufficient replicas
      nda0      UNAVAIL  cannot open

  pool: ZT2
    id: 17034093544277358579
 state: UNAVAIL
status: One or more devices are missing from the system.
action: The pool cannot be imported. Attach the missing
    devices and try again.
   see: https://openzfs.github.io/openzfs-docs/msg/ZFS-8000-3C
config:

    ZT2          UNAVAIL  insufficient replicas
      ada0p1     UNAVAIL  cannot open
root@myfreebsd:/home/x # cd

I want to remove this without using labelclear which is too dangerous.

VladiBG · 2026-03-11T08:33:45+0000

Destruction
zpool-destroy(8)
Destroys the given pool, freeing up any devices for other use.

zpool-labelclear(8)
Removes ZFS label information from the specified device.

Alain De Vos · 2026-03-11T08:48:01+0000

Labelclear seems too dangerous for me.
You can only destroy zpools which you can import. & the zpools are not importable.

atax1a · 2026-03-11T17:14:08+0000

we would first try exporting it forcibly, then if that doesn't help, we would delete /etc/zfs/zpool.cache

Alain De Vos · 2026-03-11T17:16:00+0000

yeah will try remove zpool.cache

Alain De Vos · 2026-03-11T17:35:06+0000

Error remained. I'm very afraid to use labelclear , i know you can use zdb & delete stuff but this is too deep for me. It"s currently more an annoyance then an error.

rootbert · 2026-03-11T21:43:49+0000

what exactly is your problem with labelclear?

Alain De Vos · 2026-03-11T21:47:06+0000

I dont dear to use it. I have important pools. Better safe then sorry.

mer · 2026-03-11T21:52:04+0000

Do you actually care about any data that may be on ada0p1? If not I would assume combinations of gpart and dd to clear things would work.

cracauer@ · 2026-03-11T22:02:45+0000

I don't think it will allow you to use labelclear on a device with a mounted pool.

Alain De Vos · 2026-03-11T22:04:49+0000

Due to "history" my main zpool is mixed, NVME,SSD. But in the past i ditched partitions belonging to zpools. And now there is something hanging. I had to delete zpools afterwards partitions. I did not do. I deleted partitions first.
Dear Craceur, Occodring to analysis i can use zdb.
Cannot import.