How to Recover Your NAS Thecus N2200 RAID Array: Steps When It Breaks

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Thecus N2200
• 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 Thecus 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 continuous data protection mechanisms help in minimizing potential data loss on NAS Thecus N2200 devices?

Continuous data protection mechanisms can help minimize potential data loss on NAS Thecus N2200 devices in the following ways:

1. Real-time data replication: Continuous data protection continuously replicates data in real-time, ensuring that any changes made to the data are immediately replicated to another location or device. This ensures that even if the NAS device fails or data gets corrupted, the replicated data can be used to restore the system to a previous state, minimizing data loss.
2. Incremental backups: Continuous data protection typically uses incremental backups, where only the changes made to the data since the last backup are saved. This reduces the backup time and storage requirements while ensuring that recent changes are protected. In case of data loss, only the changes made since the last backup need to be restored, minimizing the potential data loss.
3. Point-in-time recovery: Continuous data protection allows for point-in-time recovery, which means that data can be restored to a specific moment in time. This is useful in scenarios where data gets corrupted or deleted, as it allows users to roll back to a previous state before the data loss occurred, minimizing the impact.
4. Automatic data synchronization: Continuous data protection mechanisms automatically synchronize data between multiple NAS devices or locations. This ensures that even if one NAS device fails, the data is still available on another device, reducing the risk of data loss.
5. Rapid data recovery: Continuous data protection enables quick data recovery as it eliminates the need for lengthy backup restore processes. Users can easily access and restore their data from the replicated copies, minimizing downtime and potential data loss.

Overall, continuous data protection mechanisms provide a proactive approach to data protection, ensuring that data is continuously backed up and readily available for recovery, thus minimizing potential data loss on NAS Thecus N2200 devices.

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

Although the NAS N2200 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 Thecus N2200. 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 Thecus

N2200 has 2 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• EXT3;
• EXT4;
• XFS;

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 Thecus N2200 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