How to recover files from a failed Synology/QNAP NAS in three easy steps

Lost data can cause immediate concern and even panic. Files that were once accessible - whether a digital photo or an important document - are no longer accessible.

For individuals or businesses running a Synology/QNAP NAS for file storage, there are ways to mitigate the risk of data loss through regular manual or automated backups, storing files in multiple locations, and regularly reviewing these processes.

But what happens when specific files and folders can no longer be opened? Your Synology NAS is no longer on your network as a storage location. You might also hear noises and clicks coming from inside the device. Thankfully, there are solutions.

Causes for lost data on NAS drives

NAS for Network-Attached Storage is a versatile and robust solution for storing photos and videos, documents, project files, and essential data backups locally. A prominent feature of a NAS is that it gives varying degrees of access to multiple people who can access the storage simultaneously from multiple devices on a single network.

A NAS storage device often features multiple drives in a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), which stores data across multiple drives. RAID is all about keeping data safe, where if one drive fails, data is still accessible. However, it's not infallible, and NAS data loss can still occur for many reasons.

• Hardware Issues: Hard drives have a lifespan, and during power outages, electrical surges, or even overheating, drives can fail and stop working as intended. If multiple drives in a RAID setup fail simultaneously, the redundant nature of RAID no longer offers that security.
• System and Software Issues: Updating software, system crashes, corrupted settings, and other issues can lead to inaccessible data or data loss.
• Human Error: This is a big one, as we're all susceptible to deleting the wrong file or folder by mistake. Formatting the wrong drive by mistake or changing a NAS's RAID settings without knowing the outcome.

Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery

Thankfully, multiple data recovery tools and processes are readily available, including software solutions that are simple to use, like Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery. Trusted by millions and with unlimited recovery, Stellar Toolkit can recover deleted or corrupted data from a Synology, QNAP, and ASUSTOR NAS in a few easy steps. Stellar Toolkit is a comprehensive data recovery solution that supports drives with various partitions - APFS, BTRFS, NTFS, FAT, exFAT, HFS, HFS+, Ext2, Ext3, or Ext4 formatted.

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Stellar Toolkit can also recover data from a RAID array and even rebuild an inaccessible RAID volume, a Virtual Machine (VM) image, or any hard drive, SSD, USB flash memory drive, or optical storage. The Stellar Data Recovery toolkit is designed for all types of storage but excels in inaccessible RAID arrays, including Synology BTRFS. There's more than one NAS Data Recovery Software tool out there; however, Stellar Toolkit is intuitive and easy to use, with minimal technical expertise required.

What to do when data goes missing on a NAS

If you suspect one or more drives in your NAS setup have failed or files and folders are no longer accessible, the first thing to do is turn off the NAS immediately to mitigate any further data loss. If your NAS or device offers a specific error message, it's worth noting this for further investigation.

Next, disconnect the drive or drives you suspect have failed and prepare them for inspection. You can do this manually by connecting the drive to another device to see what files and folders are accessible or inaccessible. However, the best course of action is to install and fire up a NAS Data Recovery Software tool like Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery.

How to use Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery to recover lost data

1. Install and Run Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery

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Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery is available in multiple languages and compatible with modern Windows 11, 10, and older operating systems, including Windows Server 2022, 2019, and 2016. The hardware requirements for running the app are modest; you only need a system with 4GB of memory and around 250MB for the software installation. After installing, fire up the program, and you'll be presented with the UI.

2. Scan the NAS Drive

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Remove the drives from your NAS and connect them individually or via a compatible RAID controller or USB/SATA dock to your PC, they will show up in the Stellar Toolkit menu. From there, you can follow the app's simple steps for data recovery. First, you can choose between NAS drives and recovering all data or specifically targeting documents, folders, email, photos, videos, or audio files. From there, clicking next will let you choose the drive that will be scanned. The scanning process is detailed and can take some time to complete, so you must be patient with this step. Using the deep scan option will deliver better results.

3. Preview the files and recover your lost data

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Once the scan is complete, Stellar Toolkit will present you with a list of recoverable files that you can browse through and preview. From there, you can select one or more of these files and then choose another folder or drive where the recovered files will be restored. Simply complete the process to recover your lost data.

Stellar Data Recovery is a complete data recovery solution available in multiple editions, from free to standard, professional, and toolkit. Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery is required for NAS Data Recovery. For more information on pricing, head here.