The Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) server is a data storage system that lets you manage and protect your files, wherever you are, by connecting to it from home. The NAS operates via a home network and enables file transfer and backup to remote drives. But it can happen that your Synology-built NAS fails and you need to recover your data from your damaged hard drive. Can data loss be avoided? Unfortunately, these systems are not fault-free and often need to be handled by IT experts specialising in data storage. Here is some advice on repair.
How can I recover data from my Synology NAS?
Why are my files on the Synology NAS no longer accessible?
This may be a problem with the partitioning of your file systems. Partitioning a hard drive is actually the result of a physical format, ahead of a logical format. Partitions are delimited zones located on the drive that prevent data from mixing randomly. Several operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac) can be installed on the same hard drive, but on different partitions.
This type of formatting, such as switching to Linux, is sometimes the cause of file corruption on Synology-branded NAS servers.
Check your NAS’s power supply
As with many other devices, it is necessary to carry out a physical restart by powering off your Synology unit for a moment. Try removing your hard drives one by one and turning your server back on by powering it up again.
Recover your files via the USB port or by direct connection
Has your Synology home network broadcast by the NAS disappeared, so you can no longer transfer your files via a wireless connection to your storage device? In that case, first try plugging your hard drives into a tower or a computer to check whether your data can be recovered that way. Otherwise, you can try to retrieve your files using the USB port dedicated to transfer on your enclosure. If you find that neither of these two solutions is effective in accessing the data on your hard drives, a specialist company must be called in to help you.
Recovering files from Synology NAS units: an area of expertise
Examination and symptoms: anatomy of the Synology NAS
First, it must be determined whether one or several of your hard drives are damaged. To do this, a careful physical examination must be carried out. This involves testing the hardware to understand why the files are no longer detectable and what the source of the failure is. Experts are able to determine whether they can handle this problem and recover all or part of the NAS data.
Diagnostics and types of failure for data recovery
- Configuration issues: Your server may have been misconfigured at startup, or your NAS settings may have been changed.
- Physical issues: Your NAS enclosure may be experiencing a circuit-related problem, or the RAID controller may be corrupted through natural wear.
- Logical issues: A failure may point to a system formatting problem or an accidental reset on your part rather than the Synology unit itself.
Recovering your data using a spare drive
Fixing a data problem on a NAS requires advanced knowledge of storage systems, particularly Synology’s. Indeed, it all depends on the type of machine:
- If it consists of two or more drives (RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6 type, among others), check that your system has data protection. If you manage to connect to your NAS after the power-off steps, go to the Recover your data with your PC section.
- Please note, should your storage system be a RAID type without data protection (such as RAID 0 made up of a single drive, among others), you must make sure that one drive bay remains empty before moving on to the power-off step.
In any case, to proceed with the repair process, complex procedures must be considered by teams of experts to recover everything, if you are still unable to connect to the Synology server.