Synology Data Recovery

Synology Recovery

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Our experts have extensive experience recovering data from external hard drives. With 25 years experience in the data recovery industry, we can help you securely recover your data.
Synology Data Recovery
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Swansea Data Recovery: The UK’s Premier Synology RAID HDD & NAS HDD Data Recovery Specialists | 25 Years of Expertise

For 25 years, Swansea Data Recovery has been the UK’s leading specialist in Synology NAS data recovery. We possess deep expertise in Synology’s proprietary Hybrid RAID (SHR) and its underlying Linux MD-RAID and LVM2 structures. Our laboratory maintains specialized equipment and a comprehensive donor parts inventory to handle the complex interplay of hardware and software that defines Synology systems.

THE SWANSEA DATA RECOVERY PROCESS: 30 SYNOLOGY HARD DRIVE ERRORS & OUR TECHNICAL RESOLUTION

1. SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) Volume Crash

  • Problem: The Synology NAS reports “Crashed Volume” after multiple disk errors or improper shutdowns. The logical volume is unmountable despite physical disks appearing healthy.

  • Technical Resolution: We image all member drives forensically. Using specialized tools, we parse the Linux LVM2 metadata and MD-RAID superblocks to reconstruct the SHR mapping. We manually reassemble the stripe configuration across heterogeneous drives, accounting for SHR’s dynamic striping across Basic, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 6 segments based on disk count and size.

2. Multiple Simultaneous Drive Failure in SHR/RAID 5

  • Problem: Two or more drives fail in a redundancy-protected array, exceeding the fault tolerance and causing volume collapse.

  • Technical Resolution: We perform individual physical recovery on each failed drive (see head, PCB, firmware recovery below). After creating stable images of all drives, we employ combinatorial recovery algorithms to rebuild the array using the maximum number of available stripes, often recovering data from beyond the theoretical failure point by leveraging partially readable sectors from multiple failed members.

3. Linux MD-RAID Superblock Corruption

  • Problem: The critical metadata storing RAID configuration (stripe size, disk order, bitmap location) at the end of each drive is corrupted.

  • Technical Resolution: We perform hex-level analysis of all drives to locate remnant superblock data. Using our RAID reconstruction software, we test millions of parameter combinations, validating correctness by checking for coherent BTRFS or EXT4 signatures at the calculated array start offset.

4. BTRFS File System Corruption

  • Problem: Synology’s preferred file system reports structural damage, often from power loss during write operations, corrupting checksum trees.

  • Technical Resolution: We use forensic tools to parse the BTRFS superblock backups and rebuild the Chunk Tree, File System Tree, and Checksum Tree. We leverage BTRFS’s copy-on-write nature to locate previous consistent states of critical metadata.

5. LVM2 Volume Group Configuration Loss

  • Problem: The Logical Volume Manager metadata, which maps the MD-RAID device to logical volumes, is lost or corrupted.

  • Technical Resolution: We scan all drives for LVM2 metadata areas and metadata backups. Using the vgcfgrestore command in a forensic environment, we reconstruct the physical volume (PV), volume group (VG), and logical volume (LV) mapping to make the encrypted or unencrypted data accessible.

6. Read/Write Head Stack Assembly Failure

  • Problem: One or more drives in the array develop physical head damage, indicated by clicking sounds and read/write timeout errors in the Synology log.

  • ** Technical Resolution:** In our Class 100 ISO 5 cleanroom, we perform head stack assembly transplants on affected drives using donor assemblies matching the exact firmware revision and preamplifier compatibility. We then create sector-by-sector images using PC-3000 DE with adaptive read parameters.

7. PCB Power Circuit Failure

  • Problem: Drive electronics board failure due to power surges, affecting multiple array members simultaneously.

  • Technical Resolution: We perform component-level repair including TVS diode removal and fuse replacement. For extensive damage, we source donor PCBs and transplant the NV-RAM using a SPI programmer to preserve unique adaptive data essential for accessing the platters.

8. Firmware Corruption in System Area

  • Problem: Drive firmware modules in the service area become corrupted, preventing drive initialization and causing array degradation.

  • Technical Resolution: Using PC-3000 system, we establish technician-mode access to repair critical modules in the System Area, including P-Lists, G-Lists, and translator modules specific to drives used in NAS environments.

9. Bad Sector Proliferation

  • Problem: Multiple drives developing uncorrectable sectors, causing RAID resync failures and volume degradation.

  • Technical Resolution: We use DeepSpar Disk Imager with stabilization technology to create optimized images of all array members, employing sector skipping and read retry algorithms to maximize data extraction from deteriorating media.

10. SHR Expansion Failure

  • Problem: Volume becomes inaccessible during or after adding larger drives to the array, often due to process interruption.

  • Technical Resolution: We forensically reconstruct the array state before and during expansion by analyzing LVM metadata changes and MD-RAID bitmap updates, manually completing the expansion process in our recovery environment.

11. RAID Resync Interruption

  • Problem: Power loss during array resynchronization causes inconsistent parity data and volume corruption.

  • Technical Resolution: We analyze MD-RAID recovery bitmaps to determine resync progress and either complete the process or revert to pre-resync state using journal analysis and parity validation algorithms.

12. Backup Power Supply Failure

  • Problem: UPS failure during write operations causes file system and RAID metadata inconsistencies across multiple drives.

  • Technical Resolution: We perform atomic transaction analysis on the BTRFS journal and MD-RAID superblocks to reconstruct a consistent pre-power loss state, often requiring coordinated recovery across all array members.

13. Drive Bay Backplane Failure

  • Problem: NAS backplane electronics cause communication errors with multiple drives, mimicking simultaneous drive failures.

  • Technical Resolution: We bypass the NAS hardware entirely, connecting drives directly to our recovery hardware. We then correct S.M.A.R.T. data and pending sectors that resulted from communication errors rather than physical media issues.

14. Volume Encryption Key Loss

  • Problem: Synology Volume Encryption key is lost or corrupted after motherboard replacement or system failure.

  • Technical Resolution: We attempt to recover the encryption key from Synology system partitions or through forensic analysis of memory dumps. For hardware-tied encryption, we may need to repair the original motherboard to regain access.

15. SSD Write Endurance Exhaustion

  • Problem: SSD cache drives or all-SSD arrays fail due to NAND wear, read disturbs, or controller failure.

  • Technical Resolution: We perform chip-off recovery where appropriate, reading NAND flash directly and reconstructing the Flash Translation Layer using PC-3000 Flash systems with Synology-specific SSD firmware support.

16. File System Journal Corruption

  • Problem: BTRFS or EXT4 journal becomes corrupted, preventing consistent file system recovery.

  • Technical Resolution: We bypass the journal and perform raw tree structure analysis, rebuilding the BTRFS B-trees or EXT4 inode tables directly from their on-disk structures.

17. Thermal Damage from Continuous Operation

  • Problem: Drives develop heat-related media degradation and mechanical wear from 24/7 NAS operation.

  • Technical Resolution: We use thermal-controlled imaging to stabilize drives during recovery, often employing cleanroom head replacements and low-temperature imaging protocols to maximize data extraction.

18. Multiple Zone Bit Recording (ZBR) Failures

  • Problem: Drive failures concentrated in outer or inner platter zones due to different wear characteristics in NAS workload patterns.

  • Technical Resolution: We implement zone-specific read strategies and head mapping optimization to work around failed areas, prioritizing critical RAID parity and metadata zones during imaging.

19. S.M.A.R.T. Attribute Overflow

  • Problem: Drive S.M.A.R.T. data becomes corrupted or overflows from extensive error logging in NAS environments.

  • Technical Resolution: We repair S.M.A.R.T. modules in the System Area and reset critical attributes to allow drive operation while maintaining accurate pending sector maps for recovery.

20. Vibration-Induced Media Damage

  • Problem: Drive-to-drive vibration in multi-bay Synology units causes media damage and head instability.

  • Technical Resolution: We perform harmonic vibration analysis during imaging and use shock-mounted imaging platforms to minimize further damage during recovery procedures.

21. Partition Table Corruption

  • Problem: Synology’s hybrid partition scheme (Linux RAID + LVM) becomes corrupted, losing volume mapping.

  • Technical Resolution: We manually reconstruct the GPT partition table including the Synology system partitions, swap partitions, and data volume using signature scanning and metadata carving.

22. Controller Board Degradation

  • Problem: Synology unit motherboard failure, taking the entire system offline.

  • Technical Resolution: We employ donor Synology units and component-level motherboard repair to recover encryption keys and system configuration before extracting drives for data recovery.

23. Network Encryption Key Corruption

  • Problem: Synology’s network-level encryption becomes corrupted or inaccessible.

  • Technical Resolution: We work through Synology’s encryption protocols using recovered system configuration data and key escrow analysis to decrypt network-transmitted data during recovery.

24. SSD Cache Consistency Failure

  • Problem: Read/write SSD cache becomes inconsistent with main storage, causing file system corruption.

  • Technical Resolution: We reconstruct the cache consistency mapping and either integrate cached data or rebuild the file system excluding cache corruption, using transaction log analysis to ensure data integrity.

25. Drive Timeout Configuration Issues

  • Problem: Synology’s aggressive drive timeout settings cause functional drives to be dropped from the array.

  • Technical Resolution: We modify drive timeout parameters and error recovery controls using ATA command passthrough to allow marginal drives to participate in array reconstruction.

26. File System Mount Loop

  • Problem: BTRFS volume enters continuous mount/repair cycle due to structural inconsistencies.

  • Technical Resolution: We use forensic BTRFS tools to identify and repair the specific tree block or chunk item causing the mount failure, often requiring manual metadata editing.

27. SHR to Traditional RAID Migration Failure

  • Problem: Volume corruption during migration between SHR and standard RAID types.

  • Technical Resolution: We analyze both source and target metadata structures to reconstruct the migration state and either complete or revert the process using metadata differencing and consistency validation.

28. Memory Cache Corruption

  • Problem: Failed NAS memory modules corrupt data in write cache before commitment to storage.

  • Technical Resolution: We identify memory-affected data ranges through checksum validation and reconstruct corrupted areas from redundant copies in the BTRFS file system or RAID parity.

29. Factory Reset Activation

  • Problem: Accidental or malicious factory reset erases system configuration while data may remain on drives.

  • Technical Resolution: We reconstruct the Synology system configuration from drive remnants and RAID autodiscovery data to remount the original volumes without overwriting user data.

30. Hybrid SHR with SSD Caching Failure

  • Problem: Complex failure involving both traditional drives and SSD cache in sophisticated SHR configurations.

  • Technical Resolution: We perform integrated recovery across all storage tiers, reconciling cache persistence data with main array consistency using Synology-specific algorithms to reconstruct the complete storage environment.

Why Choose Swansea Data Recovery for Your Synology NAS?

  • 25 Years Expertise: Deep knowledge of Synology’s evolving storage architecture from basic RAID to sophisticated SHR implementations.

  • Specialized Equipment: PC-3000 systems with Synology-specific configurations, DeepSpar imagers, and cleanroom facilities.

  • Proprietary Tools: Custom-developed software for SHR analysis, BTRFS reconstruction, and LVM recovery.

  • Legacy System Support: Experience with Synology systems from early Disk Station models to latest RackStation units.

  • Free Diagnostics: Comprehensive assessment including Synology log analysis and RAID configuration evaluation.

Contact Swansea Data Recovery Today
When your Synology NAS fails, trust the UK’s most experienced recovery team. We provide free, no-obligation diagnostics and a detailed recovery plan with guaranteed pricing.

Swansea Data Recovery – The UK’s Leading Synology Data Recovery Specialists

Featured Article

Synology NAS Disk Repair

SYNOLOGY DISKSTATION 1812+

I have been using a Synology DiskStation 1812+ NAS for some time with no problems. However, during a recent update, I started to notice little things are going wrong. Firstly, the Resource Monitor has not updated, and the DiskStation is displaying its memory as almost full, even though there are only 1TB of data in there, and there are 5 1TB drives in the array. I think this means that there is a possible memory leak somewhere. I decided that I would have to reboot the device, which I did using the Main Menu. However, it has shut down and never got back up. When I do reboot it, it is saying “Failed to Upgrade Cloud Station Database”. I tried to speak to Synology tech support, and they told me to copy everything and remove the Cloud Station data. Now I cannot connect to the Cloud Station, it says that it is connected to another server. All the IDs and passwords for routers and so on are correct.

SYNOLOGY DISKSTATION 1812+

I have been using a Synology DiskStation for some time, and recently decided that I would like to add another drive to the station. I already had some success with installing a drive previously, so I thought this would be a piece of cake. However, I have added 2 new WD drives, which are exactly the same make and model as the other drives in the array. This time, however, the DiskStation appears to have not accepted the addition. What happens is that it will shut down, and then start itself back up. It will run for a time, and then beep several times before shutting down. I can try to reboot it using the button, but it does not working. I took out all of the drives, and added two new ones, and the same thing is happening. It has had more than one shut down per hour in the last 24 hours, and data is not accessible.

Synology NAS Disk Repair

The range of Synology Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices is quite extensive and also priced as such not to be a strain on resources. This is to be said both for their home use and office-based systems.

A selection of their NAS devices allow you the user to insert your own hard disk drive thus allowing you to specify the size of hard drive fitted. There are others in the range that come with the hard disk drives already fitted and simply waiting for you to fill them with your information, be it video, audio or high volumes of company related data.

They fall into several different brand categories including the Diskstation and the Rackstation, the Diskstation being more for home use while the Rackstation group are designed to cater more for the business user.

One common problem that seems to be occurring quite regularly with users of the DS212 model is an incompatibility when it comes to which hard drives to use. These models can be bought either way, either with hard disk drives already fitted or diskless, allowing you the user to install your own if you feel confident enough to do so.

However it seems that over time the unit and others like it (although this is the most common offender) suddenly starts failing to recognize the drives inside it. There have been many theories as to why this may occur but no concrete answers given.

Synology have a list of preferred compatible hard disk drives but it seems virtually impossible to find this list so unless you buy an array from them with drives already fitted you may find yourself experiencing a great many difficulties further down the line. And even that said the arrays with already added drives are not immune from this problem.

In addition to this many of the Synology NAS devices do not seem to work particularly well when connected to a network or directly to an Apple computer.

These report persistent problems recognizing the drives and have been reported to carry out unscheduled and unnecessary formats of the NAS drives.

If this happens however you may be able to retrieve your information by contacting www.swanseadatarecovery.co.uk

Synology NAS devices are many and varied and the experts at www.swanseadatarecovery.co.uk are in a position to help you should you experience difficulties with yours.

Client Testimonials

“ I had been using a Lacie hard drive for a number of years to backup all my work files, iTunes music collection and photographs of my children. One of my children accidently one day knocked over the hard drive while it was powered up. All I received was clicking noises. Swansea data recovery recovered all my data when PC World could not.   ”

Morris James Swansea

“ Apple Mac Air laptop would not boot up and I took it to Apple store in Grand Arcade, Cardiff. They said the SSD hard drive had stopped working and was beyond their expertise. The Apple store recommended Swansea data recovery so I sent them the SSD drive. The drive contained all my uni work so I was keen to get everything recovered. Swansea Data Recovery provided me a quick and professional service and I would have no hesitation in recommending them to any of my uni mates. ”

Mark Cuthbert Cardiff

“ We have a Q-Nap server which was a 16 disk raid 5 system. Three disks failed on us one weekend due to a power outrage. We contacted our local it service provider and they could not help and recommended Swansea Data Recovery. We removed all disks from server and sent them to yourselves. Data was fully recovered and system is now back up and running. 124 staff used the server so was critical for our business. Highly recommended. ”

Gareth Davies Newport Wales

“ I am a photographer and shoot portraits for a living. My main computer which I complete all my editing on would not recognise the HDD one day. I called HP support but they could not help me and said the HDD was the issue. I contacted Swansea Data Recovery and from the first point of contact they put my mind at ease and said they could get back 100% of my data. Swansea Data Recovery have been true to their word and recovered all data for me within 24 hours. ”

Iva Evans Cardiff

“ Thanks guys for recovering my valuable data, 1st rate service. ”

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“ I received all my data back today and just wanted to send you an email saying how grateful we both are for recovering our data for our failed iMac.   ”

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“ Swansea Data Recovery are a life saver 10 years at work was at the risk of disappearing forever until yourselves recovered all my data, 5 star service!!!!!   ”

Manny Baker Port Talbot Wales