Preventing Data Loss on NAS D-Link DNR-312L and Recovering Deleted Files: Insider Tips

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS D-Link DNR-312L
• 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 D-Link 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 regular data verification or checksum processes help maintain data integrity on NAS D-Link DNR-312L devices?

Regular data verification or checksum processes can help maintain data integrity on NAS D-Link DNR-312L devices in the following ways:

1. Detecting data corruption: By regularly verifying the integrity of data stored on the NAS device, data corruption issues can be identified. Data verification processes can help identify any inconsistencies or errors in the stored data, ensuring that the data remains intact and unaltered.
2. Preventing data loss: Regular data verification processes can help prevent data loss by identifying and rectifying any issues before they escalate. By verifying data integrity, potential data loss due to corruption or errors can be detected early, allowing for timely action to be taken to restore or recover the data.
3. Maintaining data accuracy: Data verification processes, such as checksum calculations, can ensure that the data stored on the NAS device is accurate and has not been tampered with. By comparing the calculated checksum with the stored checksum, any discrepancies can be identified, indicating potential data tampering or corruption.
4. Ensuring data consistency: Regular data verification processes can help maintain data consistency by ensuring that the data stored on the NAS device remains consistent over time. By periodically verifying the integrity of the data, any changes or inconsistencies can be detected and addressed promptly, ensuring the overall consistency of the stored data.
5. Enhancing data reliability: By implementing regular data verification or checksum processes, the reliability of the data stored on the NAS device can be improved. Data integrity issues can be quickly identified and resolved, minimizing the risk of data loss or corruption, and enhancing the overall reliability of the stored data.

Overall, regular data verification or checksum processes play a crucial role in maintaining data integrity on NAS D-Link DNR-312L devices. They help detect and prevent data corruption, ensure data accuracy and consistency, and enhance the reliability of the stored data.

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

Although the NAS DNR-312L 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 D-Link DNR-312L. 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 D-Link

DNR-312L has 1 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• None;

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 D-Link DNR-312L 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