RAID and NAS data recovery

A NAS showing a degraded or crashed volume, a server array that will not mount, or a rebuild that stopped halfway. The data is spread across several disks and has to be put back together correctly.

Ask about data recovery Call 020 7237 6805

Why arrays fail

RAID protects against one disk failing, and sometimes two. It does not protect against a second disk failing during the rebuild, a controller fault, a firmware update that goes wrong or someone initialising the wrong volume. Disks in an array are usually the same age and model, so when one fails the others are often close behind.

A rebuild is the riskiest moment. It reads every sector of every remaining disk, and a marginal disk that was coping until then can fail under the load.

How we recover an array

Copy every disk. Each disk is imaged separately, including any that have failed, using PC-3000 for the ones with faults.
Work out the layout. Disk order, block size, parity rotation and offsets are established from the copies.
Rebuild virtually. The array is assembled from the images, never on the original disks.
Extract the data. Files, shares and virtual machines are copied out and checked.

Recovery starts with a professional evaluation, charged at £94.80. It tells you what has failed and what can be recovered, and you then receive a fixed price for the recovery itself.

What to do now

Do not start or restart a rebuild, and do not initialise or recreate the volume.
Do not swap disks between bays to see whether it helps.
Power the unit down. Label each disk with its bay number before removing anything.
Send every disk from the array, including the ones marked as failed.
Tell us the RAID level, the NAS model and what happened, in order.

We collect drives and devices by insured courier from anywhere in the UK, or you can post yours tracked and insured, or bring it to the workshop in London SE1. See how to send a drive safely.

Common questions

Do you need the NAS itself or just the disks?

Usually just the disks, clearly labelled with their bay positions. We will tell you if the unit is needed.

Two disks failed in my RAID 5. Is the data lost?

Not necessarily. If one of the failed disks can be read, even partly, the array can often be rebuilt from the copies. A failed rebuild is recoverable more often than people expect, provided nothing has been reinitialised.

Get a price from a technician

Tell us the make, the model and what has gone wrong. A technician replies with a price and the quickest way to get your laptop to us – normally the same working day.

020 7237 6805

Creative IT workshop
Unit 1, 80 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SY
Monday to Saturday, 9am–6pm