Pull files from a RAID 1 HDD from a different computer

zanenewberry

Reputable
Mar 3, 2014
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Alright, I have a huge headache on my hands. I have a Buffalo NAS 2 HDD RAID 1 storage array. One of the HDDs failed (From what I assume). When trying to use the array, using the software it requires (Navigator2), I am unable to access the files. The array flashes an error code which means the HDDs are running in degraded mode. On top of that problem, Navigator2 also tells me it's unable to set the devices IP and unable to set the clock. So I cannot retrieve my files at all.

So, My main goal is to pull my files from my working HDD that is running in RAID 1, without using my array.

The first thing I tried was to take my SATA-2-USB and connect the working HDD to my computer and hopefully pull the files as if it was an external drive. Windows told me it had a different file system and was unreadable. So I decided to try the array again, maybe I could at least get it to show me the files.

The second thing I tried was getting the array working. I've tried connecting it though my router, and through an Ethernet cable connected to my computer. Both times I received the same error, cannot set the IP or Time. When I tried to manually set the IP, I got "No response". I tried switching the HDDs around, I've tried only one HDD. I've tried new HDD's, nothing worked. So I bought a newer version of the array I had, another linkstation by buffalo. While I was at it, I wanted 4 TB instead of 2, so I bought 2 2TB HDD's as well for when I get my files.

Third thing I tried was my new array. I connected it using the 2 HDDs that came with it, everything worked. Now I tried the old drives out of the old array (The ones my data is on). I turn the new array on, and it won't boot up. No error LED, just the flashing white LED that means it's trying to boot. I also try an old drive with my data, and a new HDD that came with the array, now the new array runs in emergency mode, so that doesn't work.

I moved on to trying to set up the 2 2TB HDDS, I inserted them into the new array and held down the function button while powering it on (This is how the manual says to initialize the drives). Now I have an error LED saying my firmware is corrupted... I try the drives I got with the new array again, works fine... I didn't have time or the will to diagnose the problem, so I continued trying to extract my data from the old drives.

So where I stood at that moment, was I couldn't use my arrays to pull the data. I researched on how to get the drives to be readable on Windows 10, and I found out the filesystem was XFS and could be ran with Linux OS.

I created a Linux Live USB with Ubuntu, then once I had the system up and running, I connected my Sata-2-USB and plugged in my old drive. I still couldn't open it. No error code or anything. I checked the drive settings, and noticed the system does recognize it, I just couldn't access the files. I also noticed the filesystem on this said GUID. The partitions of that drive said it was a Linux_Raid_Member, some said Unknown. The Drive status was OK as well.

After more research, and a huge headache at that point, I had people telling me to install GDisk, then use "mdadm" to reconstruct the array, all with the linux terminal. I tried some suggestions and got a fall as being able to pull exactly 1GB worth of data, all of which was .buffalo files and not what I was looking for. I gave up at that point.

So, I ask anybody that can help me, how do I get my data off of this drive??? I don't have the drives here, so I won't be able to try anything right now, but I can tomorrow when I get to my workstation in a different building. Follow up question, if anybody know how to get the 2 2TB drives to work on the new array, that'd be helpful too. Thanks, I'm out of ideas.

 
Solution
Well, a Google search came up with a couple of data recovery utilities that run in Windows, supporting Linux filesystems including XFS.

This is one example https://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Wow. That's pretty useless for what a RAID 1 is supposed to do.
If a single drive dies, you are supposed to be able to continue running (degraded) on the remaining drive(s).

And as always....backup. --------------------------->
 

ShadyHamster

Distinguished
I had a similar issue a few months back where my Lacie NAS device randomly stopped reading the raid1 array, so i can fully understand your frustration.
Any windows tools that supposedly read/recover files from linux based file systems failed and after many hours i eventually turned to looking at ubuntu.
Having zero linux experience things didn't really improve and i spent many more hours searching through linux threads to figure it all out, i was able to mount the drive and what not but still wasn't able to read any of the files.
I finally found these, some what, simple instructions:
https://innopy.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/fixed-unknown-filesystem-type-lvm2_member-on-ubuntu/
Still not sure what half of it means but after countless attempts with changing the commands to fit my situation i was finally able to get everything detected, mounted all up and recover all my files.
Not sure if it's going to help you as it might be specific to the file system my raid was using.
If you do need the files from the array then all i can say is keep looking for a solution, someone somewhere will have a solultion.
 

S Haran

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Jul 12, 2013
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18,910
It would help to know the full NAS model name. But it's good you were able to access data from the OS partition. It should not be much more work to access your data volume which looking at my notes from a past case involving a Buffalo Linkstation Pro Duo I see is on partition 6.

A quick way to access your data from Ubuntu would be via Testdisk

Or if you would like help to mount your data post back with the output from command... lsblk -S -o name,label,type,vendor,model,size,rev,tran