NAS Server Data Recovery
Problems with your NAS server? Whether it's a software issue or physical damage, our experienced team is ready to recover your valuable data safely.
We recover data from NAS systems of all brands — Synology, QNAP, WD My Cloud, Buffalo and others — after disk failures, failed firmware updates, accidental volume deletion or ransomware. We work on sector-level images of the member disks and reconstruct the RAID layout and file system without touching the originals.
Pricing
Indicative prices by configuration
| Configuration | Price |
|---|---|
2 disks (RAID 0/1) Hardware failures from €329 | from €259 |
3–4 disks (RAID 5) Hardware failures from €459 | from €329 |
5+ disks Enterprise NAS, larger arrays | Individual quote |
Prices are indicative. The final price is set after diagnostics, based on the actual condition of the device.
Overview of common failures:
Software failures
| Damage | Cause and symptoms |
|---|---|
| Logical damage |
|
| Lost array configuration |
|
Hardware failures
| Damage | Cause and symptoms |
|---|---|
| Disk controller failure |
|
| One or more faulty hard drives |
|
Data recovery from all NAS configurations and file systems
We can reconstruct both common and advanced NAS configurations, including RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6 and RAID 10. Each of these offers specific benefits and levels of data protection:
- •RAID 0 (striping): Offers fast data access but without redundancy.
- •RAID 1 (mirroring): Mirrors data for redundancy and protects against the failure of a single disk.
- •RAID 5: Uses striping with parity, so data survives the failure of one disk, and offers a balance between capacity and protection.
- •RAID 6: Double parity keeps data safe when up to two disks fail; suitable for larger arrays.
- •RAID 10 (1+0): Combines mirroring and striping for high performance and data protection, but requires at least four disks.
Besides RAID configurations, we support the file systems that NAS devices typically use, such as EXT4, Btrfs, NTFS, ZFS, APFS. This variability allows us to flexibly respond to different types of failures and recover data from a wide range of NAS devices.
Most common causes of NAS device failure
NAS servers are complex devices that combine hardware and software. Failures can occur at various levels and have different causes. These are the problems we see most often in our lab:
Mechanical disk failures
- •Damaged read heads – often caused by the NAS being knocked or dropped
- •Damaged platters – can occur after the heads touch the platter surface
- •Motor bearing wear – typical of older or heavily loaded NAS devices
Electronic failures
- •Burnt-out control electronics – caused by a power surge or outage
- •Disk controller failure – the NAS won't start or doesn't recognise the disks
- •NAS motherboard damage – requires repair or replacement
Software problems
- •Ransomware attack – data encrypted and inaccessible
- •NAS operating system crash – after a failed firmware update
- •File system damage – data is inaccessible
RAID array problems
- •RAID array collapse – multiple disks failed at once
- •Lost array configuration – the NAS no longer sees the data volume
- •Incorrect RAID reconstruction – after a disk was replaced incorrectly
Data recovery from NAS servers of all brands
We have experience recovering data from NAS servers by all leading manufacturers. Each manufacturer uses its own operating system and file system, but our laboratory has the tools to work with all common platforms.
Synology (DSM)
The most widespread NAS brand in homes and businesses. It runs the DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system, most commonly with Btrfs or ext4. We regularly deal with problems such as a collapsed SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), DSM damage after an update, and ransomware attacks.
QNAP (QTS)
The second most popular brand, known for powerful hardware. The QTS operating system supports ext4, Btrfs and ZFS. We specialise in data recovery after volume failures, RAID array reconstruction and recovery after malware attacks.
Other supported brands
- •Western Digital (My Cloud) – home NAS solutions
- •Asustor – professional NAS running ADM
- •TerraMaster – affordable NAS devices
- •Drobo – with proprietary BeyondRAID technology
- •Buffalo (LinkStation, TeraStation) – business NAS solutions
- •Netgear ReadyNAS – with X-RAID technology
Three steps to getting your data back
1
Turn off the NAS server immediately
If the NAS makes unusual noises (clicking, beeping), the disks are not recognised or the device is inaccessible, disconnect it from the power immediately. Continued operation can cause irreversible damage to the data, especially if a disk has failed mechanically.
2
Don't attempt DIY repairs
Don't remove the disks from the NAS, don't change their order and don't attempt to rebuild the RAID array. Software repair attempts can overwrite important structures needed for recovery. Handling damaged drives outside a clean environment causes further damage.
3
Register the case free of charge
Send the NAS or its labelled drives with a carrier of your choice, or book optional insured DPD pickup for €45. After laboratory diagnostics, we explain the damage and the chances of recovery and send you a binding quote. Recovery starts only after your approval.
Our success rate for NAS server data recovery is around 90%. Thanks to professional equipment and our team’s more than 35 years of experience, we can recover data even in complex cases, including broken RAID arrays and physically damaged disks.
Supported NAS devices
| Vendors | Synology, QNAP, Western Digital (My Cloud), Netgear (ReadyNAS), ASUSTOR, Thecus, Buffalo, Drobo, LaCie, Apple Time Capsule |
|---|---|
| Configurations | RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, SHR, SHR-2, JBOD, Drobo BeyondRAID, ZFS pools |
| File systems | EXT4, Btrfs, ZFS, NTFS, HFS+, XFS, proprietary vendor formats |
| Connectivity | Gigabit/10G Ethernet, USB 3.0/3.1, Thunderbolt (some models) |
What to do if your NAS fails
Do not remove the drives from the NAS or connect them individually to a PC — you could lose the array configuration.
Do not attempt a rebuild if two or more drives have failed.
Power off the NAS and contact us — the fewer interventions, the better.
Do not update the firmware on a damaged NAS.
NAS repair vs. data recovery
When a NAS fails, the first impulse is usually to get the device working again and carry on. For simple failures (a single disk in a redundant RAID) this works — you replace the faulty drive and the NAS rebuilds the array automatically. But if the NAS operating system itself fails, the RAID configuration is lost or several drives go down, a standard rebuild will often make things worse.
We focus exclusively on data recovery. We do not repair NAS devices for continued production use — that is a job for your IT team or the vendor. What we deliver is your data on a new, verified drive, ready to import into a replacement NAS or migrate to cloud storage.
This separation matters because recovery must be carried out on forensic clones, not on the live drives. Any attempt to "fix" the live NAS (factory reset, reinstalling the OS, forcing a configuration import) typically overwrites exactly the metadata we need to reconstruct the data.
Do not rebuild a failed NAS array
The most common cause of NAS data loss is a failed rebuild. When one drive fails in a RAID 5, the array switches to degraded mode and the NAS offers to rebuild it once you replace the failed drive. But during a rebuild the array is extremely vulnerable — if another drive fails (not unusual, since drives in the same array are often of similar age and wear), the entire array is lost.
Another risk is mixing up the drive order when removing and reinserting drives. The position of each drive is critical for parity reconstruction — swapped slots can make the RAID appear broken even when every drive is healthy. Always label the drives before removing them, photograph the slot layout, and contact us before attempting any recovery.
Why choose DataHelp for NAS recovery?
Is your NAS server suffering from software problems or physical damage? Our trained team and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment can safely and efficiently handle a wide range of failures, including mechanical and electronic faults in NAS servers.
We recover data from both common and specialised NAS devices, including <strong>RAID arrays</strong>. Express processing is available by prior written arrangement.
Every NAS vendor uses a different combination of RAID implementation, file system and proprietary metadata. Synology SHR (Hybrid RAID), Drobo BeyondRAID, QNAP's thin-provisioned RAID and Netgear's X-RAID all require vendor-specific reconstruction tools — generic recovery software cannot handle them.
We have recovered data from hundreds of NAS devices, from 2-bay home units to 24-bay enterprise rackmount systems. Our specialists have hands-on experience with Synology DSM, QNAP QTS, ASUSTOR ADM, Netgear OS and all common open-source NAS distributions (OpenMediaVault, TrueNAS Core/Scale, Unraid). For failures of individual drives in the NAS, we also use PC-3000 tools and our stock of 10,000+ donor drives.
For business customers, we can sign an NDA and offer priority service and coordinated delivery to minimise downtime. Our team has more than 35 years of experience (since 1990) and handles NAS recovery cases from across Europe.
Frequently asked questions — NAS recovery
Diagnostics are always free. Prices depend on the number of drives and the type of fault: a two-drive NAS (RAID 0/1) from €259 for software faults and from €329 for hardware faults; three to four drives (RAID 5) from €329 and €459 respectively. Five or more drives, RAID 6 and ZFS: individual quote.
Diagnostics take 1–2 days. Standard recovery takes 3–14 days depending on the damage. For urgent cases we offer Priority (24–72 hours) and Express (12–48 hours) for a surcharge; EcoHelp (4–6 weeks) is available at a reduced price. To keep your business running, we can prioritise your case.
Usually only the drives are needed. If you are unsure about the configuration or the NAS operating system is damaged, we recommend sending the entire NAS so we can extract the configuration directly from the device. For encrypted NAS volumes (e.g. Synology with encryption enabled), we need the complete device plus the encryption password.
Yes, provided we have access to the underlying RAID and file system. Modern ransomware encrypts data in place, so recovering the encrypted files themselves is usually impossible — but in many cases we can recover data from shadow copies or earlier ZFS/Btrfs snapshots that the ransomware failed to delete. We do not pay ransoms and advise against doing so.
Need to recover data from a NAS?
Request a free case assessment or contact us for more information.
Related guides
Useful reading before or after data recovery
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule — Your Data Insurance Policy
The 3-2-1 rule is the simplest proven strategy to protect your data: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 offsite. Here's how to implement it.
Read guide
How to Clone a Hard Drive — Complete Guide
Step-by-step guide to drive cloning: when you need it, how to prepare, best tools, HDD vs SSD specifics, and troubleshooting common problems
Read guide
How to Recover Deleted Files — Methods, Risks, and When to Call a Pro
Step-by-step guide to recovering deleted files — from checking the Recycle Bin to using Recuva to professional recovery. Plus the one critic
Read guide