# Unknown node - Flow does not start

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [3 March 2022 20:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329 "2022-03-03T20:15:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KevinT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@KevinT](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KevinT)\
**Post date:** [3 March 2022 20:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/1 "2022-03-03T20:15:03Z")

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Hi,  
I copied some flows from a friend to extract some functionalities.  
Unfortunately there are some unknown nodes included and Node-Red refuses to start.

I would love to have these copied flows being ignored by Node-Red - I just want to peek from time to time.  
Is there a way to do this?

I tried to delete the unknown nodes in the Konfiguration node, but unfortunately I seem not to find all unknown nodes. Deactivating the nodes does not help here.

My last idea is to set up a second server, but there has to be an easier way...

Kevin

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [3 March 2022 20:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/2 "2022-03-03T20:43:26Z")

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Welcome to the forum @KevinT

Once you have deleted all the unknown nodes in the flow there may be configuration nodes in the import. To find those look in the Menu for Configuration Nodes. Click Unused at the top of the list and it will show you if there are any of those. You can select and delete them.

I think that if you disable the flows containing the unknown nodes that that might allow it to run, but I am not certain. Again configuration nodes might be an issue. If you double click the flow tab then there is an Enabled status down the bottom that you can click to disable it.

Why don't you just install the nodes?

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**Author:** ![KevinT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@KevinT](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KevinT)\
**Post date:** [3 March 2022 21:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/3 "2022-03-03T21:32:14Z")

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@Colin  
thanks for the answer.  
Certainly ther are some unused nodes, but how do I identify the broken (or non-existing) ones?

Actually there are several flows and subflows. As I was not able to disable a subflows I just deleted all unknown nodes from all flows. That seems not to be sufficient / some nodes seem to be hiding...

Why not install the missing nodes?

1. I do not need them. That flow comes from a bigger system with a lot of different databases, user handling and multi-server support. I just want to copy some functionalities of the full system.
2. I do not know which are the missing ones. On deploy I get a warning about missing nodes (e.g. excel), but I do not find the nodes - neither in the node list, nor in the configuration nodes.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [3 March 2022 21:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/4 "2022-03-03T21:47:02Z")

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> [@KevinT](#):
>
> how do I identify the broken (or non-existing) ones?

I believe they show up as unknown type. Though you can delete any unused config nodes, unless there is a reason you want to keep them around. They are just using up resources to no good purpose.

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**Author:** ![KevinT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@KevinT](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KevinT)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 15:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/5 "2022-03-05T15:26:51Z")

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There are no unknown configuration nodes. And there are no unknown node in Any Flow. But still: Node red alerts some missing nodes on deploy and rejects Starting (After deploy)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 15:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/6 "2022-03-05T15:41:27Z")

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What missing node types is it complaining about?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KevinT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@KevinT](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KevinT)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 16:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/7 "2022-03-05T16:23:07Z")

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Don’t have them in front of me now, but it was an e-Mail node and an crypt node (qcrypt ?)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 16:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/8 "2022-03-05T16:37:56Z")

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Please stop node red and then start it again in a terminal and post the full terminal output here.

Depending on how you installed node-red you may be able to do that using  
`node-red-stop`  
`node-red-start`

When you paste it use the `</>` button at the top of the forum text entry window, which will stop the forum from messing with the format.

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**Author:** ![KevinT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@KevinT](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KevinT)\
**Post date:** [6 March 2022 09:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/9 "2022-03-06T09:41:18Z")

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I managed to find the remaining unknown nodes.

I used the search field in the info tab of node red and found the unknown nodes. After deleting them node red works perfect.

Thanks Colin for your support !

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [6 March 2022 09:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/10 "2022-03-06T09:52:11Z")

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Out of interest, why did you not see them before?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [6 March 2022 10:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/11 "2022-03-06T10:02:49Z")

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For future reference, you can search for `type:unknown`

![chrome_5JJjc7RQdf](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/4/c/4cb60ea17b299b7e3ab3488c971b8280422f7120.gif)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KevinT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@KevinT](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KevinT)\
**Post date:** [6 March 2022 15:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/12 "2022-03-06T15:56:55Z")

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I did not search the flows in the info tab, but in the workspace. I did not find the nodes there.  
They were not in the conficuration tab either.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [6 March 2022 16:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/13 "2022-03-06T16:25:38Z")

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When you did find them, where were they?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KevinT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@KevinT](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KevinT)\
**Post date:** [6 March 2022 19:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/14 "2022-03-06T19:46:13Z")

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They were in one of the inserted flows. I searched them thoroughly (in the workspace) and they did not show up there.  
So it seems they were not in use but still in the list... ? Or hidden behind a known node?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [5 May 2022 19:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/unknown-node-flow-does-not-start/59329/15 "2022-05-05T19:46:48Z")

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