How to recover data from Lenovo Home Media NAS

Contents

• Why can’t ordinary software tools restore files from RAID?
• How to take hard disks out of the NAS and connect them to a PC?
  • Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery
  • Safe recovery from disk images
  • Where are user’s files stored?
  • Comparison of software for RAID recovery

Why can’t ordinary software tools restore files from RAID?

Conventional hard disks keep user’s data by writing it to their surface in a consecutive way, and this is how an entire file is stored on a single hard disk. However, when data is written to a RAID system, a file is divided into several parts. Then these parts are written consecutively to all hard disks within such array. The size of such parts may range from 2 KB to 2 MB, so each file is stored on several hard disks at the same time.

Such approach helps to speed up read and write operations, and it is evident that saving two parts of a file having the size of 1 GB to two hard disks simultaneously is much faster than saving the same 1 GB of data to one hard disk. However, this peculiarity makes file recovery more complicated.

Various RAID levels store information in different ways. Additionally, manufacturers like Lenovo also introduce some modifications to this process, and that is why data can be written to hard disk in a wide variety of ways.

How can network issues impact the data stored on NAS Lenovo Home Media devices?

Network issues can have several impacts on the data stored on NAS Lenovo Home Media devices:

1. Slow data transfer: Network issues such as a slow or unstable network connection can result in slow data transfer speeds between the NAS device and other devices on the network. This can make it time-consuming to access or transfer data, affecting productivity.
2. Data corruption: If the network connection is interrupted or unstable during data transfer, it can lead to data corruption. Corrupted files may become inaccessible or unusable, causing data loss or rendering certain applications or services unusable.
3. Incomplete backups: Network issues can disrupt the backup process, leading to incomplete or failed backups. This can result in data loss if the NAS device is relied upon as a primary backup solution.
4. Limited access: Network issues can cause intermittent connectivity problems, making it difficult to access the NAS device remotely or from different devices on the network. This can hinder collaboration and access to important data when needed.
5. Security risks: Network issues can create vulnerabilities in the network infrastructure, making the NAS device susceptible to unauthorized access or cyberattacks. This can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the stored data.
6. Unreliable synchronization: If the NAS device is used for synchronization between multiple devices, network issues can disrupt the synchronization process. This can lead to data inconsistencies and conflicts between different versions of files.

To mitigate the impact of network issues on data stored on NAS Lenovo Home Media devices, it is advisable to ensure a stable and reliable network connection, regularly backup data to multiple locations, implement security measures such as strong passwords and firewall configurations, and monitor the network infrastructure for any potential issues.

How to take hard disks out of the NAS and connect them to a PC?

Although NAS Home Media can be accessed over the network, you still need to take the hard disks out of the storage device and connect them to a Windows computer. Only in this case will the software be able to scan them properly. Here is what you should do:

1. Turn off the storage and disconnect it from the power supply.

   WARNING! Before you start taking hard disks out of your NAS device, read the manual carefully. Incorrect actions may damage your network-attached storage and/or the hard disks within the RAID system.

2. Take the hard disks out of the NAS one by one, carefully removing them from their slots. Remember that the disks are extremely vulnerable: hitting or dropping them may result in serious physical damage.

3. Make sure to mark each hard disk in accordance with how they were installed inside the NAS.

4. Remove the hard disks and connect them to the computer. In this video, we have explored what ports are used to connect hard disks, and what to do if there are not enough ports or connectors.

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   How to Order Remote Data Recovery

Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Lenovo Home Media. The hard disks that make up the RAID contain technical information about the algorithm used to save files. When launched, Hetman RAID Recovery reads this information and puts the damaged array together. Then you can open the disk and save your files. Also, you can recover the files accidentally deleted from the network drive.

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How to recover data from a Lenovo

Home Media 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;

Safe recovery from disk images

This utility lets you save an entire copy of the disk to file and then work with this image instead of the actual disk. Such feature helps to protect data on the disk from:

• Overwriting during the recovery process;
• Loss resulting from bad sectors;
• User mistakes.

To create an image, do the following:

1. Make sure that you have enough free space to save the image. The image file size usually equals the disk size.

2. Select the disk in the main window, and choose from the menu Tools – Save Disk. You can select multiple disks to be saved.

3. When the image creation wizard starts, you can choose to save the entire disk or select only a part of it. Specify the parameters and click Next.

   

4. At this stage, you need to choose a directory where to save the image. Choose any disk connected to this PC, or save the image by FTP.

   

Where are user’s files stored?

The Lenovo Home Media network-attached storage keeps LifeLine 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.

Comparison of software for RAID recovery