A NAS (network attached storage) contains both a small Linux computer as well as all the disks it monitors. Almost always when you lose access to the volume and/or you cannot see your shared folders or the status light is displaying a true red colour, this is a result of the computer failing and the most destructive thing you could do is tell it to keep trying. Data resides on the disks, but recovery takes place outside of them.
QNAP’s pool dismounts, Synology's "volume crashed", Buffalo's blinking error codes: essentially these terms represent similar body parts beneath their respective brands. Typically there will be an mdadm array, which may be under a layer of LVM and supporting either an ext4 or btrfs filesystem. Firmware attempts to assemble the mdadm array during the boot process. There is nothing wrong with most members of the group when one member becomes exhausted, there is a power loss while writing to disk or there was an attempt made to upgrade firmware that did not go as planned, but the assembly still fails. The files aren't gone; the boxes simply forget how they put the files together.
The steps required to recreate how to assemble the files back together from the disks can be determined from those disks alone; thus, the disks, not the box, are what we require.
Each NAS will have a method for resetting and each support script that exists will eventually suggest using one. Depending upon model/mood of device “reset” will mean re-initialise: create a brand new array, file system etc., right on top of the previous one. In addition to resets, the same applies to inserting disks into different positions in the disk stack and allowing the NAS to perform repairs. Lastly, performing a firmware reinstall can also quietly rebuild storage. If the data matters, don't press any buttons at all.
The "erase" button on your NAS device doesn't actually delete much off the disks themselves, as initialisation writes surprisingly little. So, even if you've erased everything on the NAS drives, we can still probably recover your files, but the odds are best when the box comes to us confused rather than convinced.
Two Synology-specific features work in your favour. Mixed-size SHR configurations become simple standard RAID when you can see through the layers: this is easily done on the bench. For the most part, btrfs snapshot configurations, where enabled, have survived major disasters to the live shares: a user deleting something by accident, a ransomware run, a failed synchronisation operation. Checking for these is part of every NAS job performed here prior to losing hope. Simply take the disk(s) from the NAS if you can and bring them in their respective bay(s) or bare, in no particular order; if you can't, simply bring the entire NAS as is, then let the images do the rest.
The price for multi-disk work starts at £500 + VAT and is quoted to the job, as each individual member disk will need to be imaged prior to touching the array. This means that the more disks you have, the longer and therefore more careful the time we spend on the job. All work begins with a free diagnostic, and all work will conclude as quoted; this means that you will receive written confirmation of the price quote before a single sector of your data is accessed. On most jobs, there is nothing to pay unless your data returns. We do not charge by the hour, nor do we assess an evaluation fee or take a percentage of what the files are worth.
This is not just a Glasgow-based service. Units arrive weekly via insured post from all over the UK. All of the work is done in-house: no unit is sent overseas or passed to another company. Want to read about the failure modes in plain English? Read the free articles on a NAS that won't give up its shares & how each RAID level dies. Only costs you time (ten minutes).
Rarely. This error indicates that the NAS box cannot build the RAID array at boot-up, not that the data was destroyed. Usually this is due to a weak drive or an incomplete write to metadata. We will use images of your drives, build your RAID/SHR array using those images and pull your files off the rebuild. Our most frequent NAS job and one of the most recoverable.
Not normally. Initialisation simply builds new, mostly empty structures and updates a small portion of the disk's surface. Much of the original file system remains intact and can be rebuilt from your disk images. What does happen after initialisation is important. Do not add new files to the box, do not perform additional setup, remove the disks and send them to us.
Yes, and stop all writes to the NAS now because a busy volume will recycle freed space quickly. If btrfs snapshot capabilities were activated on the folder it may be minutes before restoration is possible; but if not then deleted file recovery against the imaged volume is your only choice. In either case the sooner you can stop disks from being written to, the more data will come back.
The disks, if you can remove them: the recovery process needs only the disks and shipping drives with their caddies helps keep the drives safe. Number the bays with a marker if you have one; don't worry if you don't. If you are unable to remove them send the entire NAS unit but under no circumstances post anything with the drives loose inside of the chassis.
Yes, NAS drive data recovery services cover the United Kingdom by insured post as well as drop-off at Tay House once you have obtained a quote. Take out the drives if you can and label them by bay; if you cannot, removal is not necessary, just post the entire unit. Everything is done in-house and nothing leaves the UK.
Usually not. Most often a crashed volume indicates one member disk has failed while under degradation of an array, but the data still exists on the other disks until some form of repair or rebuild overwrites it. Power down the unit immediately and do not touch the repair button.
Please contact us by phone or with the form to receive a quote prior to posting/dropping off your NAS. The best option would be to remove the disks and label them individually according to their respective bays. If that's not feasible, we will accept the complete NAS. There are then two genuine options for delivery, without vans. Please hand deliver to Tay House, 300 Bath Street (located at Charing Cross, two minutes off the M8) and only on Monday to Friday, 9am–5:30pm (no need for an appointment). Alternatively, please use protective packaging and send using insured and trackable post from Paisley, Ayrshire, the Highlands or any other part of the United Kingdom. Regardless of which method you choose, all work will be performed by our own engineers within the premises of our facility with documentation of a chain-of-custody and your data never leaves the UK.
Distance does not affect anything; once you have a quotation, we will accept delivery of bare disks (if possible) or an entire unit (if not), insured for transport from anywhere in the UK as part of our UK-wide data recovery services: free diagnosis, a fixed written price & on most jobs no fee unless the volume returns.
Before the unit tries another fix or does anything else that could possibly make things worse, unplug it, get a quote, and get your disks to us either over the counter at our Charing Cross office or by insured post. We perform NAS data recovery for Glasgow (Synology, QNAP, Buffalo, Western Digital), recovered using images of the original volumes; we don't work on a "hope" basis.