Case Study: Synology NAS Data Recovery – Multiple Hard Drive Failures in RAID
The Problem
A client using a Synology NAS device for business data storage experienced a major RAID failure due to:
- Multiple hard drive failures in the RAID array, making the NAS unbootable and inaccessible.
- The Synology NAS system was not detecting the RAID volume, preventing access to critical files.
- The NAS contained business-critical data, including financial documents, project files, and customer databases.
- No recent backup was available, requiring an urgent forensic-level RAID recovery solution.
Since RAID failure can cause severe data loss, a specialised data recovery approach was necessary.
Our Expertise in Synology NAS & RAID Data Recovery
With 25 years of experience, Birmingham Data Recovery specializes in:
✔ Recovering RAID arrays after multiple hard drive failures
✔ Reconstructing RAID structures from damaged Synology NAS systems
Diagnosis & Recovery Process
Upon receiving the Synology NAS and damaged hard drives, our engineers conducted a comprehensive forensic assessment. The key findings included:
- Two out of four drives had mechanical failure, making RAID reconstruction impossible through standard means.
- RAID metadata corruption prevented the NAS from recognizing the RAID volume.
- No automatic rebuild option was available, requiring a manual RAID recovery approach.
To successfully recover the client’s business data, we implemented a multi-step forensic RAID recovery strategy:
Step 1: Hard Drive Repair & Cloning
- Opened the damaged hard drives to prevent further degradation.
- Repaired faulty read/write heads and recovered stuck platters in the failing drives.
- Created sector-by-sector forensic clones of all available drives to preserve recoverable data.
Step 2: RAID Reconstruction & Metadata Repair
- Analysed the Synology RAID configuration, including RAID 5/6 striping and parity data.
- Used specialized RAID recovery software to manually reconstruct the array.
- Recovered lost RAID metadata, allowing the NAS volume to be simulated in a controlled recovery environment.
Step 3: File System Recovery & Data Extraction
- Repaired EXT4/Btrfs file system corruption, restoring access to shared folders.
- Extracted business files, financial records, and project data with minimal loss.
Step 4: Data Integrity Verification & Secure Transfer
- Conducted data validation checks to ensure file integrity.
- Successfully transferred all recovered files to a new external storage system for the client.
The Result
We successfully recovered 99.5% of the client’s critical business data, including:
✅ Financial reports, contracts, and business documents
✅ Project files, client databases, and company backups
✅ Archived emails, marketing materials, and operational data
The client was able to resume operations without data loss, ensuring business continuity.
Why Choose Birmingham Data Recovery for Synology NAS & RAID Recovery?
✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in multi-drive RAID failure recovery.
✅ Advanced RAID Reconstruction – Rebuilding failed RAID arrays after multiple disk crashes.
✅ Fast & Secure Process – Ensuring minimal downtime and 100% data confidentiality.
If your Synology NAS has failed due to multiple hard drive crashes or RAID corruption, contact Birmingham Data Recovery today for professional assistance!
