Hello everybody!
Watch this video to find out how to recover data from a RAID system based on a ZyXEL NAS
device, model NAS542.
How to build a RAID, how to create a shared folder, how to configure access over the network
and permissions, how to enable the network recycle bin, and how to recover files if you
remove them accidentally.
ZyXEL is a Taiwan-based company mostly known for its network solutions for home users and
small to medium businesses, but just in case you didn’t know, it also produces NAS devices.
Their NAS solutions are pretty reliable and are a good option for organizing a data storage
system.
However, even the most reliable NAS devices have a limited period of operating life, and
it doesn’t matter if they are produced by ZyXEL or any other well-known manufacturer.
I mean, after a few years of use all storage devices tend to fail, sooner or later.
Generally, most NAS systems remain usable for three to five years on average.
On the other hand, there are some factors that often cause the storage system to fail
long before its lifespan expires, and lose our precious data.
Why NAS data can be lost
A network-attached storage may break down after a power failure, voltage surges, accidental
formatting, reinstalling an operating system, damaging the file system (usually it affects
the journal or the superblock), and as a result of mechanical issues with the hard disks or
the RAID controller.
Very often, data can be lost from NAS devices when users decide to update their firmware.
To get your files back, you’ll need a specialized data recovery tool.
In today’s video, I’ll show you how to choose a good data recovery utility to use
with a NAS device.
How to create a RAID array on ZyXEL NAS542
For starters, let’s explore how to build a RAID system on this specific NAS device.
To create a RAID, open Storage Manager, expand the tab Internal Storage - choose Volume.
In this window, click “Create,” select the disks to use for building the new array,
choose the RAID type and click Next; you’ll see a notification saying that all the data
in the selected disk will be erased.
Hit Yes to confirm your choice.
Check the properties, and if everything is correct, click “Apply” and wait until
it’s done: it may take some time.
All right, now the new array is created and ready to use.
If you need to change the properties of an existing RAID, you’ll have to delete it
first - and it means all the data stored in this array will be erased too.
Select the volume you need to edit and click Delete.
To confirm this action, type DELETE in this pop-up window to make the “Delete” button
active.
Finally, click Delete to continue, and the volume will be removed.
How to create a shared folder
Now you can create a shared folder to provide access to the storage device.
Open Control Panel - Shared Folders.
By default, there is a predefined selection of shared folders.
If you want to add more items, click on the plus button above, assign a name for the folder,
select a directory, enable Recycle Bin and click Next.
Set access permissions - Read Only or Read/Write - and go on to the next page.
If you need to configure publishing settings, do it, and then click Next.
Check the properties and click “Apply.”
How to enable the Recycle Bin feature for a shared folder
If your NAS works all right and the network drive can be accessed, but you accidentally
deleted some data from the disk, you can try to recover it from the Recycle Bin.
To use this feature and recover files from the Bin, it has to be enabled.
To do it, open Control Panel - Shared Folders, select an item and click on Edit Share; in
the window that opens, check the box next to “Enable recycle bin for shared folder”
and click “Apply.”
How to recover accidentally deleted data from the Recycle Bin
Now, when files are deleted, they will be sent to the Recycle Bin and you’ll be able
to recover an accidentally removed file.
Go to the directory from where you deleted the file, open the Recycle Bin folder, find
that file and copy it to where you need it.
How to recover data from an inoperable NAS
If the network Recycle Bin was disabled at the time when files were removed, they can
only be restored with a specialized data recovery tool.
As the Recycle Bin was disabled in my case, it is impossible to recover data using the
Bin.
For such scenarios, all you need is a reliable piece of data recovery software to bring your
files back without erasing them in the process.
If data is removed by accident, a hard disk is formatted, the disk array is misconfigured,
or in other scenarios involving loss of data, loss of access to the network drive, or damage
to a RAID system, Hetman RAID Recovery is always there to help you restore important
information.
Most NAS devices are running on Linux-based operating systems, and their hard disks are
formatted for Ext file system, while RAID arrays are typically built with the use of
mdadm or LVM technology.
When such disk arrays are connected to a Windows computer directly, you can’t read their
contents without using third-party software.
However, Hetman RAID Recovery supports both technologies, and in most cases it can build
such RAID arrays automatically.
This is a comprehensive solution for NAS data recovery to help you restore your files in
a number of different scenarios.
This program supports most popular file systems including those used in RAID devices.
Take the disks out of the NAS device and connect them to a Windows computer.
If the operating system of the computer to which you have connected the disks asks you
to initialize or format them, don’t do that, because it will make recovery a lot more complicated.
Our utility features an advanced mechanism of automatic scanning designed to identify
and recover NAS data in various scenarios of data loss.
It will analyze the disks, read their service information and rebuild the damaged RAID system.
Below, you can see detailed information about the array and check if the program has identified
it correctly.
To start a scan, right-click on the disk and choose Open.
Select the scan type and click Next to start it.
As you can see, the program has rebuilt the damaged RAID easily and found all the files
stored on the network drive.
If you are looking for files that have been removed, you can identify them by red crosses.
Select all the files you want to recover and click “Recovery,” then select where you
want to save them.
When the recovery process is over, you’ll find all of the files in the folder you have
chosen.
How to recover data from an iSCSI disk
If files are deleted accidentally from an iSCSI disk, you don’t have to take the hard
disks out of the NAS device and connect them to a computer - just run our program and scan
the network drive.
Hetman RAID Recovery identifies it as a physical one, and it means you can easily scan it and
recover the accidentally removed data.
Right-click on the drive - Open, select the scan type and wait until it’s over.
As you can see, the program has found the files that have been deleted.
The last step is to recover them.
How to rebuild a damaged RAID manually with the RAID Constructor
If hard disks are properly functioning and healthy, Hetman RAID Recovery will rebuild
damaged RAID arrays automatically.
However, when a disk is damaged or service information is erased, the program may have
difficulty in automating the rebuild process.
If the program failed to rebuild the array but you know its properties, you can perform
this operation manually, with the help of the RAID Constructor.
Open the Constructor, and select the “Manual mode” option here.
In the next window, fill in all the RAID properties you know: the RAID type, block order and size,
add the disks it used to include, use the arrows to specify their order, and replace
the missing disks with empty drives by clicking the “plus” button.
Also, you can specify the offset that helps to locate the beginning of the disk.
Sometimes, the program may have difficulty in identifying it automatically, so you’ll
have to enter the offset value manually.
Usually, if you give correct properties, the newly built RAID system has at least one partition.
Expand it to check for the folders that you need.
If the folders you are looking for are displayed, then you have built this RAID properly.
When you specify all the properties you know, click “Add,” and the array you have built
manually will appear in the Drive Manager.
To have this array recovered, scan it, find the files you want to restore, select them,
and recover to the folder of your choice.
That is all for now!
Hopefully, this video was useful.
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Thank you for watching.
Good luck.