Diagnosis firstFailure type confirmed before intervention
NAS / NETWORK STORAGE
Recover the volume—not just the appliance.
A NAS combines disks, RAID metadata, filesystems, snapshots and appliance configuration. DriveDiggers evaluates those layers separately to restore the most reliable view of the stored data.
Protect the source mediaDo not reset, factory-initialise, update firmware or accept a storage-pool repair prompt. Record bay order and shut the appliance down safely.
Diagnostic workspaceReady
MODE
Evidence-firstACCESS
Read-onlySTATUS
Awaiting intake
Evidence-firstACCESS
Read-onlySTATUS
Awaiting intake
Controlled handlingCase access limited to approved work
Approval checkpointRecovery route explained before work
Priority intakeUrgent incidents assessed by impact
Failure signals
Recognise the warning. Avoid the second failure.
A recovery case often becomes harder after an automatic repair, rebuild or repeated restart. These symptoms mean the source should be preserved before the next decision.
Storage pool degraded
One or more members fail and the appliance warns that the pool or volume is at risk.
Shares disappeared
The NAS is online but expected volumes, shared folders, snapshots or iSCSI targets are missing.
Appliance will not boot
Power, DOM, firmware or system-partition problems prevent the management interface from loading.
Filesystem damage
Btrfs, ext, ZFS or vendor volume structures report corruption or remain read-only.
Recovery capability
A workflow matched to the failure layer.
Technology changes, but the rule stays the same: protect the source, prove the reconstruction and validate priority data before return.
NAS.01Appliance-independent imaging
Members are acquired outside the original NAS when the appliance is unsafe or unreliable.
NAS.02RAID and volume reconstruction
Member metadata, array geometry and filesystem structures are correlated.
NAS.03Share-level validation
Recovered folders, permissions context and priority datasets are checked before return.
Case workflow
Four checkpoints from incident to validated data.
Capture the incident
Device, symptoms, urgency and previous actions are recorded.
Protect and assess
The source is stabilised and the failure layer is identified.
Review the recovery plan
Scope, timing and quotation are confirmed before recovery proceeds.
Verify and return
Recovered priority data is checked and returned through an agreed method.
Faster intake
Bring the evidence that reduces guesswork.
- NAS manufacturer, model and bay count
- Disk positions, serials and storage-pool layout
- Filesystem, snapshots and encryption settings
- Screenshots of every alert and action already attempted
Incident protocolA factory reset is not a repair.
Vendor reset and reinitialisation options may recreate metadata. Preserve the original members and configuration before any corrective action.
Start the evaluationTechnical questions
Before you power it on again.
Every incident is different. These answers explain the safest general starting point.
Can you recover Synology or QNAP NAS systems?
Yes, depending on member condition, RAID layout, filesystem and encryption. The complete appliance history and all original drives should be preserved.
Should we replace the failed disk?
Only after evidence-preserving images exist or a reviewed recovery plan approves it. An automatic rebuild writes throughout the pool.
Can snapshots be recovered?
Sometimes. Snapshot recovery depends on filesystem metadata and how later writes or repairs changed the volume.
What if the NAS uses encryption?
The encryption keys, recovery key or passphrase must be available after the storage pool has been reconstructed.
Start with the evidence
Tell us what failed and what matters most.
Submit the symptoms, media details and urgency. No recovery work begins without approval.