NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863U-RP RAID Array Format Recovery: Recovering Lost Data

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863U-RP
• 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 QNAP 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 data fragmentation impact data availability and potential loss on NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863U-RP devices?

Data fragmentation can have several impacts on data availability and potential loss on NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863U-RP devices:

1. Reduced performance: Data fragmentation can lead to decreased read and write speeds on the NAS device. This can result in slower access times for files and applications, affecting overall system performance.
2. Increased disk wear: Fragmentation causes the NAS device's hard drive to work harder to locate and retrieve fragmented data. This increased disk activity can lead to accelerated wear and tear on the drive, potentially resulting in higher chances of disk failure and data loss.
3. Storage inefficiency: Fragmentation can consume more storage space than necessary. As files are stored in non-contiguous blocks, free space between fragmented files becomes unusable. This reduces the available storage capacity on the NAS device and can lead to premature disk space exhaustion.
4. Data loss risk: Fragmentation increases the risk of data loss, especially during disk maintenance operations like defragmentation or disk repair. If a disk failure occurs during these operations, there is a higher chance of data corruption or loss due to the scattered nature of fragmented data.
5. Difficulty in data recovery: In the event of data loss or corruption, fragmented data can be more challenging to recover. Fragmented files may be spread across multiple disk sectors, making it harder for data recovery software to reconstruct the complete files.

To mitigate these risks, it is recommended to regularly defragment the NAS device's hard drives using the built-in defragmentation tools provided by QNAP. This process rearranges fragmented data into contiguous blocks, improving overall performance and reducing the risk of data loss. Additionally, maintaining sufficient free space on the NAS device and implementing proper backup strategies can help minimize the impact of data fragmentation on data availability and potential loss.

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

Although the NAS Turbo Station TS-863U-RP 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.

   Go to view

   

   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 QNAP Turbo Station TS-863U-RP. 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.

Go to view

How to recover data from a QNAP

Turbo Station TS-863U-RP has 8 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 10;
• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• ZFS;
• EXT4;
• EXT3;
• exFAT;
• FAT32 (External Disk Only);
• NTFS (External Disk Only);
• HFS+ (External Disk Read Only);

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 QNAP Turbo Station TS-863U-RP network-attached storage keeps QTS (QuTS hero) 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