How to Recover Deleted NAS LaCie 5big Thunderbolt 2 (STFC40000400 / STFC30000400 / STFC20000400 / LAC9000503EK / LAC9000504EK / STFC10000400 / LAC9000510EK) Data with Ease

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS LaCie 5big Thunderbolt 2 (STFC40000400 / STFC30000400 / STFC20000400 / LAC9000503EK / LAC9000504EK / STFC10000400 / LAC9000510EK)
• 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 LaCie 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 the number of concurrent users or clients accessing a NAS LaCie 5big Thunderbolt 2 (STFC40000400 / STFC30000400 / STFC20000400 / LAC9000503EK / LAC9000504EK / STFC10000400 / LAC9000510EK) device affect data loss risks?

The number of concurrent users or clients accessing a NAS LaCie 5big Thunderbolt 2 device can affect data loss risks in the following ways:

1. Network congestion: With a large number of concurrent users accessing the NAS device, the network can become congested, leading to slower data transfer speeds and potential data loss due to timeouts or dropped connections.
2. Increased chances of user errors: More users accessing the NAS simultaneously can increase the likelihood of accidental deletion, overwriting, or modification of files. This can lead to data loss if backups are not in place.
3. Performance degradation: The NAS device may have limited resources, such as processing power or memory, which can be overwhelmed when multiple users are accessing it simultaneously. This can result in performance degradation, file corruption, or even system crashes, leading to potential data loss.
4. Security risks: More concurrent users mean a higher chance of unauthorized access or security breaches. If proper access controls and security measures are not in place, sensitive data stored on the NAS device can be compromised, resulting in data loss or data breaches.

To mitigate these risks, it is important to:

• Implement proper access controls and user permissions to limit the number of concurrent users and ensure that only authorized individuals can access the NAS device.
• Regularly backup the data stored on the NAS device to an offsite location or another storage medium to minimize the impact of data loss in case of accidental deletion, hardware failure, or other unforeseen events.
• Monitor the performance of the NAS device and upgrade hardware or optimize configurations if necessary to handle the increased load of concurrent users.
• Implement network monitoring and management tools to identify and resolve network congestion issues promptly.
• Educate users about best practices for data management, including file organization, version control, and data backup procedures, to minimize the risk of user errors leading to data loss.

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

Although the NAS 5big Thunderbolt 2 (STFC40000400 / STFC30000400 / STFC20000400 / LAC9000503EK / LAC9000504EK / STFC10000400 / LAC9000510EK) 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 LaCie 5big Thunderbolt 2 (STFC40000400 / STFC30000400 / STFC20000400 / LAC9000503EK / LAC9000504EK / STFC10000400 / LAC9000510EK). 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 LaCie

5big Thunderbolt 2 (STFC40000400 / STFC30000400 / STFC20000400 / LAC9000503EK / LAC9000504EK / STFC10000400 / LAC9000510EK) has 5 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• 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 LaCie 5big Thunderbolt 2 (STFC40000400 / STFC30000400 / STFC20000400 / LAC9000503EK / LAC9000504EK / STFC10000400 / LAC9000510EK) network-attached storage keeps LaCie NAS OS 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