Recovering RAID Disk Files If NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA Is Unresponsive

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA
• 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 can storage tiering or caching strategies impact data availability and potential loss on NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA devices?

Storage tiering and caching strategies can have a significant impact on data availability and potential loss on NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA devices. Here's how:

1. Improved Data Availability: Storage tiering and caching strategies aim to enhance data availability by optimizing the performance and accessibility of frequently accessed data. By intelligently storing frequently accessed data on faster storage tiers or in cache, these strategies reduce the latency in retrieving data, ensuring it is readily available when needed.
2. Reduced Potential Data Loss: By implementing storage tiering and caching, the NAS device can minimize the potential loss of data. This is achieved through techniques like data replication and redundancy. Data is often replicated across multiple storage tiers or cached in redundant locations, ensuring that even if one tier or cache fails, the data remains accessible from other sources, reducing the risk of data loss.
3. Improved Performance: Storage tiering and caching strategies can significantly improve the overall performance of the NAS device. Frequently accessed data is stored on faster storage tiers or in cache, reducing the need to fetch it from slower storage mediums. This results in faster data retrieval and improved system responsiveness, enhancing the user experience.
4. Efficient Resource Utilization: By leveraging storage tiering and caching, the NAS device optimizes resource utilization. Frequently accessed data is stored in high-performance storage tiers or cache, while less frequently accessed data can be stored on slower, cost-effective storage mediums. This ensures that resources are efficiently allocated based on data access patterns, maximizing the overall storage capacity and cost-effectiveness of the device.
5. Enhanced Scalability: Storage tiering and caching strategies can support the scalability of NAS devices. As data grows, these strategies can dynamically adjust the placement of data across different storage tiers or caches, ensuring optimal performance and availability. This scalability allows the NAS device to accommodate increasing data demands without compromising data availability or performance.

However, it's important to note that the specific impact of storage tiering and caching strategies on the Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA devices may vary based on the implementation and configuration. It is recommended to consult the device's documentation or Buffalo's support for detailed information on the specific capabilities and best practices for storage tiering and caching on the mentioned NAS device.

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

Although the NAS LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA 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 LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA. 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

LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA 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 LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA 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