Repairing a Faulty RAID Array on NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 with Several Drives

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2
• How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC
  • Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery
  • How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images
  • Where Are the User’s Files Actually Stored?
  • RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison

Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID

Conventional hard drives store user data by writing it sequentially across the disk surface, which means an entire file is typically located on a single drive. In contrast, when data is written to a RAID array, each file is split into multiple fragments. These fragments are then distributed and written in sequence across all the drives in the array. Depending on the configuration, fragment sizes can range from 2 KB to 2 MB, so every file is physically stored across several disks at once.

This approach significantly increases read and write performance — after all, writing two halves of a 1 GB file to two drives simultaneously is much faster than writing the full 1 GB to a single disk. However, this same mechanism makes file recovery far more complex.

Different RAID levels use different methods to distribute and protect data. On top of that, manufacturers like Buffalo often add their own proprietary structures and variations. As a result, data can be written to disks in many different formats, and each requires a specific approach during recovery.

How does a NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 device store and manage data?

The NAS Buffalo DriveStation HD-CE1.5TLU2 device is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that is designed to store and manage data for multiple users or devices on a network. Here is how it stores and manages data:

1. Storage Capacity: The device comes with a pre-installed hard drive with a storage capacity of 1.5TB (terabytes). This capacity can vary depending on the specific model or configuration.
2. Network Connectivity: The device connects to the network using Ethernet ports, allowing multiple users or devices to access and share data simultaneously. It typically supports standard network protocols such as TCP/IP, SMB/CIFS, FTP, and others.
3. File Sharing: The NAS device creates a shared folder or multiple shared folders that can be accessed by users on the network. Users can store, retrieve, and manage their files within these shared folders. The device supports various file systems like NTFS (Windows), HFS+ (Mac), and FAT32.
4. User Management: The device has built-in user management features that allow administrators to create user accounts and assign specific permissions to each user. This ensures that only authorized users can access certain files or folders.
5. RAID Configuration: The device may support different RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations, such as RAID 0, RAID 1, or JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks). These configurations provide data redundancy, performance improvement, or a combination of both.
6. Backup and Data Protection: The NAS device often includes built-in backup features, allowing users to schedule automatic backups of their data to external drives or cloud storage services. It may also support features like RAID redundancy or snapshot technology to protect against data loss.
7. Remote Access: Many NAS devices, including the Buffalo DriveStation, offer remote access capabilities. This enables users to access their data from anywhere using a secure internet connection, using dedicated apps or web interfaces provided by the manufacturer.
8. Additional Features: The device may have additional features such as media streaming capabilities, printer sharing, FTP server functionality, or integration with other cloud storage services.

Overall, the Buffalo DriveStation HD-CE1.5TLU2 NAS device provides a centralized storage solution for networked devices, allowing efficient data storage, access, and management for multiple users or devices.

How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC

Although the NAS Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 can be accessed over the network, you still need to remove its hard disks and connect them directly to a Windows PC. Only then can the recovery software properly scan and analyze the drives. Follow these steps:

1. Power off the NAS and disconnect it from the power source.

   WARNING! Before removing any drives, carefully read the device manual. Improper actions may damage both the NAS enclosure and the hard disks in the RAID array.

2. Remove the hard disks one by one, gently sliding each drive out of its slot. Remember that hard disks are highly sensitive: any impact or drop can cause serious physical damage.

3. Label each hard disk according to its position inside the NAS. The order of the drives is crucial for correct RAID reconstruction.

4. Connect the drives to your computer. In this video, we explain which ports you can use to connect hard disks and what to do if your PC does not have enough free connectors.

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   How to Order Remote Data Recovery

Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program restores data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2. Each hard disk in the array contains technical metadata describing how files were written. When launched, Hetman RAID Recovery analyzes this metadata, automatically reconstructs the damaged array, and provides access to its contents. After that, you can browse the recovered disk and save your files. The program can also restore files that were accidentally deleted from the network drive.

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How to recover data from a Buffalo

Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 has 1 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• exFAT, VFAT, FAT 12 / 16 / 32;
• NTFS / ReFS;
• APFS / HFS+;
• Ext2 / 3 / 4 / ReiserFS / XFS / UFS / ZFS / Btrfs;
• VMFS / HikvisionFS;

How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images

This utility allows you to create a complete copy of a disk and work with the disk image instead of the physical drive. This approach helps protect your data from:

• Overwriting during the recovery process;
• Additional data loss caused by bad sectors;
• User errors.

To create a disk image, follow these steps:

1. Ensure you have enough free space to store the image. Its size will typically match the size of the original disk.

2. In the main window, select the target disk and choose Tools - Save Disk. You can also select multiple disks if needed.

3. When the Image Creation Wizard opens, select whether you want to save the entire disk or only a specific region. Adjust the settings and click Next.

   

4. Choose the directory where the image will be saved. You may select any available disk connected to your PC or upload the image via FTP.

   

Where Are the User’s Files Actually Stored?

The Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 network-attached storage keeps OS Linux operating system files on a separate RAID 1 (mirrored) array. Usually, all NAS systems create several volumes on every hard disk, and the first of them takes up to 2 Gb of space. This is where operating system files are stored. Other volumes are united into a RAID array where user’s data is written.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison