How to Recover Data After Formatting Your NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-932PX / TS-932X RAID Array

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-932PX / TS-932X
• 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 the NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-932PX / TS-932X device's CPU or processing power affect data transfer and potential loss?

The CPU or processing power of the NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-932PX / TS-932X device can have an impact on data transfer speed and potential data loss in the following ways:

1. Data Transfer Speed: The CPU of the NAS device determines the processing capability and performance. A more powerful CPU can handle data transfers more efficiently, resulting in faster transfer speeds. This means that with a higher CPU processing power, you can expect quicker data transfers between the NAS and other devices on the network.
2. Network Speed: The CPU also plays a role in managing network connections and protocols. A faster CPU can handle higher network speeds and more concurrent connections, enabling smoother data transfers. If the CPU is not powerful enough, it may struggle to keep up with high-speed network connections, leading to slower data transfers.
3. RAID Rebuild and Data Integrity: In a NAS device, data is often stored in a RAID configuration for redundancy and data protection. When a hard drive fails in a RAID array, the NAS needs to rebuild the data from the remaining drives. A more powerful CPU can handle the RAID rebuild process more efficiently, minimizing the time it takes and reducing the risk of potential data loss during the rebuild.
4. Data Encryption: Many NAS devices offer data encryption features to protect sensitive information. Encryption requires significant computational power, and a more powerful CPU can handle encryption and decryption processes more quickly. This ensures that data transfers involving encrypted files are faster and less likely to result in data loss.

It's important to note that while the CPU plays a crucial role in data transfer and potential data loss, other factors like network infrastructure, hard drive speed, and overall system configuration also contribute to the overall performance and reliability of the NAS device.

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

Although the NAS Turbo Station TS-932PX / TS-932X 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 QNAP Turbo Station TS-932PX / TS-932X. 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 QNAP

Turbo Station TS-932PX / TS-932X has 9 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-932PX / TS-932X 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