Ultimate Guide to Best Practices for Recovering Data from a Failed NAS Promise Pegasus3 PC Edition R6 RAID Setup

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Promise Pegasus3 PC Edition R6
• 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 Promise 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 Promise Pegasus3 PC Edition R6 device store and manage data?

The NAS Promise Pegasus3 PC Edition R6 device uses a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configuration to store and manage data. It typically supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, and JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks).

In a RAID 0 configuration, the device combines multiple hard drives into a single logical volume, offering increased performance and capacity. However, there is no redundancy, so if one drive fails, data loss may occur.

RAID 1 mirrors the data across multiple drives, providing redundancy. If one drive fails, the data can be recovered from the mirrored drive.

RAID 5 uses striping with distributed parity across multiple drives. It offers both performance and redundancy benefits. If one drive fails, the data can be reconstructed using the parity information stored on the remaining drives.

RAID 6 is similar to RAID 5 but with an additional level of redundancy. It uses double distributed parity, allowing for the simultaneous failure of up to two drives without data loss.

RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping. It requires at least four drives and provides both performance and redundancy benefits.

JBOD simply presents all the drives as individual volumes without any data striping or redundancy.

The Pegasus3 PC Edition R6 device manages the data by distributing it across the drives according to the selected RAID level. It handles data read and write operations, data protection, and ensures data integrity. The device also typically includes management software that allows users to monitor the status of the drives, configure RAID settings, and manage data backups.

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

Although the NAS Pegasus3 PC Edition R6 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 Promise Pegasus3 PC Edition R6. 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 Promise

Pegasus3 PC Edition R6 has 6 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 1E;
• RAID 3;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 30;
• 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 Promise Pegasus3 PC Edition R6 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