Synology DiskStation Data Recovery – Failure After Adding New Drives

A client contacted Brighton Data Recovery after experiencing a critical failure on their Synology DiskStation following an attempt to expand their storage. The reported issues included:

  • The client added two new WD drives to their existing Synology DiskStation, using the same make and model as the original drives.
  • After the addition, the NAS system began repeatedly shutting down and restarting.
  • The DiskStation would beep several times before shutting down again, making data inaccessible.
  • Attempting to reboot via the power button did not resolve the issue.
  • Removing all the drives and inserting new ones did not fix the shutdown loop, suggesting potential RAID corruption or firmware failure.
  • The client had no access to their data, making recovery urgent.

Since adding new drives to a Synology system can cause RAID array rebuild failures, firmware corruption, or power instability, a forensic RAID recovery approach was required.

Our Expertise in Synology DiskStation Data Recovery

With 25 years of experience, Brighton Data Recovery specialises in:
✔ Recovering data from failed Synology NAS systems after drive replacements
✔ Repairing RAID metadata corruption and Synology DSM failures
✔ Forensic-level data recovery using Acelabs PC3000, DeepSpar imaging, and RAID-specific repair tools

Diagnosis & Recovery Process

Upon receiving the Synology DiskStation and its drives, our engineers conducted a detailed forensic evaluation. The key findings included:

  • The NAS system was experiencing RAID metadata corruption, preventing proper boot-up.
  • The new drives were not properly integrated, causing conflicts with the existing RAID volume.
  • The DiskStation’s firmware had entered a fail-safe loop, triggering repeated shutdowns.

To successfully recover the client’s lost data, we implemented a multi-step forensic Synology NAS recovery strategy:

Step 1: Drive Imaging & Data Preservation

  • Created sector-by-sector forensic clones of all original RAID member disks.
  • Used DeepSpar Disk Imager to recover any data from failing sectors.

Step 2: RAID Reconstruction & Synology Metadata Repair

  • Used Acelabs PC3000 & Synology RAID reconstruction tools to analyse RAID metadata.
  • Manually rebuilt the RAID volume outside of the Synology system to restore data integrity.

Step 3: File System Recovery & Data Extraction

  • Repaired Synology’s proprietary Btrfs/EXT4 file system, allowing access to lost directories.
  • Extracted and validated all critical business and personal data.

Step 4: Data Integrity Check & Secure Transfer

  • Conducted final validation checks to confirm that all recovered files were intact.
  • Successfully transferred the restored data to a new, fully functional external storage device.

The Result

We successfully recovered 99.8% of the client’s lost data, including:
✅ Business records, spreadsheets, and financial data
✅ Personal and work-related photos, videos, and archived documents
✅ Backups of applications, software settings, and client databases

The client was able to fully restore their Synology NAS data, ensuring no permanent data loss.

Why Choose Brighton Data Recovery for Synology DiskStation Recovery?

✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in Synology NAS failures and RAID data loss.
✅ Advanced RAID Reconstruction – Repairing corrupted Synology DSM metadata.
✅ Forensic Data Extraction – Recovering files even after RAID rebuild failures.
✅ Fast & Secure Process – Ensuring complete confidentiality and minimal downtime.

If your Synology DiskStation is failing to boot, shutting down unexpectedly, or experiencing RAID corruption, contact Brighton Data Recovery today for expert Synology data recovery services!