How to Perform NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106 Data Recovery Effortlessly

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106
• 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 Seagate 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 conducting regular backups on external storage devices mitigate data loss risks for NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106 devices?

Conducting regular backups on external storage devices can mitigate data loss risks for NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106 devices in the following ways:

1. Redundancy: By regularly backing up data to external storage devices, you create redundant copies of your important files. In case of any data loss or hardware failure on the NAS device, you can restore the data from the external backup, ensuring minimal or no data loss.
2. Protection against hardware failure: NAS devices like Seagate Exos E 4U106 can experience hardware failures, such as disk failures or controller malfunctions. Regular backups on external storage devices provide an additional layer of protection by storing data on separate hardware. If the NAS device fails, you can still access your data from the external backup.
3. Protection against data corruption or accidental deletion: Sometimes, data corruption or accidental deletion can occur on the NAS device. Regular backups allow you to recover previous versions of files or restore deleted files from the external storage devices, reducing the impact of such incidents.
4. Disaster recovery: In the event of a natural disaster, fire, theft, or any other catastrophic event that affects the NAS device, having off-site backups on external storage devices ensures that your data remains safe and can be recovered easily.
5. Easy migration or upgrade: Regular backups on external storage devices simplify the process of migrating data to a new NAS device or upgrading the existing one. You can restore the data from the backups onto the new device, saving time and effort.

To ensure effective backup practices, consider the following tips:

• Schedule regular backups: Set up a backup schedule that suits your needs and the frequency of data changes. Automated backup software can simplify this process.
• Use reliable external storage devices: Choose high-quality and reliable external storage devices that offer sufficient capacity and data transfer speeds. Consider using multiple external drives for additional redundancy.
• Test backups periodically: Regularly test the backup process by restoring files from the external storage devices to ensure the backups are functioning correctly.
• Store backups off-site: Keep at least one copy of the backup off-site, preferably in a different location, to protect against physical damage or theft.
• Encrypt backups: If your data contains sensitive information, consider encrypting the backups on the external storage devices to ensure data security.

By following these practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of data loss on NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106 devices and ensure the safety and availability of your important data.

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

Although the NAS Exos E 4U106 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 Seagate Exos E 4U106. 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 Seagate

Exos E 4U106 has 106 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• 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 Seagate Exos E 4U106 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