A business client was using a D-Link DNS NAS (Network Attached Storage) in a RAID 1 (mirrored) configuration, designed to protect against data loss and enable recovery from drive failures. The RAID 1 setup was supposed to provide a fail-safe mechanism, allowing data recovery if one drive failed.

However, the client encountered two major issues:

Intermittent Freezing & Unresponsiveness – The NAS would stop responding during large data transfers, preventing access to critical NAS drive data or restarting transfers until the entire system was reset.
RAID Rebuild Failure & Data Loss – After experiencing a system stall, the D-Link NAS reported that one of the drives had become corrupt. The client attempted to replace the failed drive and initiate a RAID rebuild, but:
- The system estimated the rebuild would take 120 days
- The rebuild failed mid-process, leaving the RAID 1 array in a broken state and requiring professional data recovery
- Since then, the client has been unable to access any files

With all critical business data inaccessible, the client sought professional data recovery services from Manchester Data Recovery, a specialist company with over 25 years of experience in handling complex NAS and RAID failures.

Challenges

NAS System Unresponsiveness – The D-Link NAS regularly froze, indicating possible firmware, hardware, or drive communication issues.
RAID 1 Rebuild Failure – The rebuild failed before completion, leaving the entire RAID volume inaccessible.
Corrupt Drive & Lost NAS Data – One of the original RAID 1 drives had failed, and the new drive was not properly integrated, leading to further file system corruption.
No Access to Files – The client was unable to see or retrieve any data, even from the original drive that had been in the NAS since the start.

Solution by Manchester Data Recovery

Upon receiving the D-Link DNS NAS and its drives, Manchester Data Recovery’s engineers followed a structured forensic recovery process:

✅ Drive Imaging & Cloning – The original NAS drives were removed and imaged sector-by-sector to preserve the existing data before attempting any recovery.
✅ RAID Metadata Analysis & Reconstruction – The engineers examined the RAID structure to virtually rebuild the array in a controlled lab environment, bypassing the failed NAS controller.
✅ File System Repair & Recovery – Specialized tools were used to reconstruct the file system, allowing engineers to extract intact and lost business data from the failed RAID 1 NAS drive.
✅ Corrupt Drive Recovery – The failed drive was placed in a cleanroom environment, and additional data was salvaged from degraded sectors.
✅ Secure Data Transfer – Successfully recovered data was verified for integrity and transferred to a new, reliable external storage device.

Results & Client Impact

Over 99% of business-critical files successfully recovered
RAID 1 array virtually reconstructed and all readable files extracted
Corrupt drive data was salvaged, ensuring minimal data loss
Client was able to regain access to essential documents and work files

The client was extremely relieved, as Manchester Data Recovery was able to restore nearly all important files, even though the NAS system itself had failed completely.

Conclusion

This case highlights the risks of NAS RAID failures, even when using RAID 1, which is supposed to provide redundancy. Issues like controller failures, RAID rebuild errors, and system freezes can lead to unexpected data loss.

For D-Link NAS failures including RAID 1 breakdowns, rebuild errors, or inaccessible drives, Manchester Data Recovery provides advanced forensic recovery solutions to retrieve valuable files quickly and securely.

👉 Experiencing NAS RAID Failure? Contact Manchester Data Recovery Today!