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HDD failure on DS115j, data recovery thoughts/comments would be appreciated

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EngChi

Regular Contributor
Yesterday a Seagate HDD on DS115j failed (started clicking and then system responded with no DSM is installed).

I had a different 3 TB hard drive which I swapped in, installed new DSM, and then connected external USB containing my backups from NAS and recovered to last backup (Monday).

The question is whether anything is possible with failed hard drive (as there is some data from Monday until now that I would love to have).
- connecting failed hard drive to NAS , it recognizes something is there but does not see anything data (I have not created any new shared folders out of desire not to manipulate anything on failed hard drive )
- connecting failed hard drive to a spare Ubuntu machine (v 14) and running gparted gives me a input/output error
- running Seagate Seatools shows that hard drive passes "basic checks".

my limitations
- Linux machine I have does not have capacity to take full image of failed 3 TB hard drive (of which ~600Gb were used) with something like ddrescue
- my knowledge of Linux is limited, user not power user/admin
- looked into UFS explorer tool (willing to pay) but am not sure yet it would work and do not want to take rush actions. also 99% of my data is already recovered from backup

thoughts, suggestions, avenues of further review? should I try to read up more on DSM and present external disk back to the original NAS ? is Linux/Ubuntu better avenue to review?

Thank you
 
That link may still prove useful, but it seems like EngChi's drive has failed (the link shows that a circuit on the NAS itself had failed).

Try using the freeze disk method. Put the drive in a sealed bag and then place it in the freezer for a few hours. Now connect it to a desktop or laptop via an external enclosure and see if the data is recoverable. You may only get one chance at this so don't keep applying power to the dead drive in the meantime.
 
That link may still prove useful, but it seems like EngChi's drive has failed (the link shows that a circuit on the NAS itself had failed).

Try using the freeze disk method. Put the drive in a sealed bag and then place it in the freezer for a few hours. Now connect it to a desktop or laptop via an external enclosure and see if the data is recoverable. You may only get one chance at this so don't keep applying power to the dead drive in the meantime.

If you heard clicking sound, the drive may not be loading the head(not coming up ready). In this case you are unable to
read anything off the drive.
 
"If you heard clicking sound, the drive may not be loading the head(not coming up ready). In this case you are unable to read anything off the drive."

Thank you, that is what I figured when no tools could get to do anything with the drive. ultimately I recovered 100% of the data by going to the source (Windows 2012 server) and pulling the information I needed from folder file history. all good here.

if I may ask another question - now I have new drive and new installation of DSM OS plus 'old' backup (available to be restored from using Restore ->Restore from share folder -> usbshare_1)

How do I make this a valid destination again? I do not seem to be able to backup to it?
Will making it a valid destination reformat the drive (leaving me without backup until I take the first one)? can 'new' DSM understand that 'old' backups are actually valid for future copies?
What is the 'right' way to enable use of external USB HDD to the recovered NAS?

thank you
 
I have on more than one occasion frozen in the freezer a drive that was "clicking" (this means the drive can't find the tracks and the click is moving the head to the outer-stop). Usually means a head-crash, damaged head. Take it out of freezer - hurry-up put drive in a drive-dock and get it to spin-up.

Usually though, no joy.

We'll not preach about backups.


My USB3 drive synology backup is done using the Synology backup utility. It runs every day. Drive is formatted NTFS (slower) but I can read it on PC.
I can elect to put backup on a PC and copy from PC to NAS. Or leave it plugged into NAS, and copy from USB3 on NAS to folder on NAS.

To "erase" the drive, being NTFS, just format/quick. To erase if formatted extfs, you can use a Linux PC, a Windows utility like Acronis or equiv. freeware, shell commands on the NAS telnet login, or just leave the drive as is and use the NAS's admin to delete all the files on the drive (slow).

I use a 2nd volume in the NAS and Synology's Time Backup utility (package to download/install). The Time Backup is configured to write to the separate volume all versions of all files in selected folders on the NAS. I keep the last 6 months' versions. The volume on which this is stored is drive #2 in my 2-bay. The other drive is a volume that's backed up to USB3 and via this Time Backup. Going back versions in time has saved my buns many times when I hosed up a file and needed to revert. On this 2-bay, I don't need or want RAID.
 
That link may still prove useful, but it seems like EngChi's drive has failed (the link shows that a circuit on the NAS itself had failed).

Try using the freeze disk method. Put the drive in a sealed bag and then place it in the freezer for a few hours. Now connect it to a desktop or laptop via an external enclosure and see if the data is recoverable. You may only get one chance at this so don't keep applying power to the dead drive in the meantime.

I wonder if OP got bit by the Seagate 3TB firmware bug - there's a spinup counter that the drive uses to calibrate the time needed before it unparks the heads on spin-up - once it goes to the end, it rolls over, and bang, the heads crash...
 
Thank you. I was not familiar with firmware bug above and it does sound like my case. I was disappointed to learn that recent capacity drive was out of warranty according to Seagate site.. oh, well - water under the bridge right now, there is no real recourse to this.

instead, I am now taking time off to welcome my daughter into the world and if that would allow for a little time I would fix my backup/NAS plans at home as well (more pictures and more videos is coming).

This is how I want my data backup to work
Server (2012 Essentials) - backups up my Windows computers (as they are in the domain) and contains their file history.
Server has 3 'drives' - OS drive, Server data drive (file history and image backups), User data drive (actual pictures, videos, documents). Server data + user data are both implemented over mirrored physical disks, OS drive is single SSD . Servers backs itself up to separate hard drive , user data is 'mirrored' to Synology 115J

if windows workstation/laptop fails - it is restored from image on the server.
if specific file is needed- it is restored from file history
if server data fails, it is restored from server backups
if user data fails - it is restored from server backup or copied back from NAS
if server wipes out completely - brought back by server backup
if NAS fails- user data is copied over again from the server or from its own backup external HDD
key folders are also copied to crashplan

what I do not have figured out yet is backup/recover for Ubuntu nodes and making sure virtualization files (oracle virtualbox) are backed up into something that could later be run.
 
Thank you. I was not familiar with firmware bug above and it does sound like my case. I was disappointed to learn that recent capacity drive was out of warranty according to Seagate site.. oh, well - water under the bridge right now, there is no real recourse to this.

I would reach out to Seagate directly, appealing on their goodwill, as this is a known and documented defect.

Never know, they might swap it out for a new drive - had this happen a few years back with Maxtor retail kit.
 
To my amazement, Seagate customer service was prompt and courteous and offered to extend warranty and replace the drive. definitely surprised...
 
To my amazement, Seagate customer service was prompt and courteous and offered to extend warranty and replace the drive. definitely surprised...

I am not a fan of Seagate drives since the 1990's - very failure prone in my experience. I would take the new drive and sell it for an HGST or WD RED model.

Customer service does nothing for lost data. Glad you had your data taken care of (this time).

I would be wary of this system and not be able to trust it fully (ever).
 
But often they (most vendors) send you a "refurbished/recertified" replacement with gawd knows how many hours on it.
 
To my amazement, Seagate customer service was prompt and courteous and offered to extend warranty and replace the drive. definitely surprised...

I would expect no less - they know it's an issue with certain drives, and the HW is cheap compared to the loss of data entrusted to it.

We had a scary moment about a week ago with a brush fire in my immediate area - forced evac, so grabbed the NAS, the Backup Drive, and two laptops - personal and work - left the rest there, as insurance can replace the HW, but not my data...
 
But often they (most vendors) send you a "refurbished/recertified" replacement with gawd knows how many hours on it.

Maybe my experience is different - I've never received a refurbished drive on RMA exchange - and I've done a few dozen times in the past 6 months at work, and a few times on a personal basis - either like-for-like, or something newer...

Drives are cheap for them, and the risk of cost reduction to send out a refurb/recert drive is much higher than just sending out a new drive - on a personal level, it might not be a "retail" kit, but it's a new drive...
 
I am not a fan of Seagate drives since the 1990's - very failure prone in my experience. I would take the new drive and sell it for an HGST or WD RED model.

All vendors have had issues - Seagate, WD, IBM/HGST, and it's not just limited to HD's -

Just look at Samsung's recent issues with the 840EVO SSD, and now ongoing issues with the 840/850 Series and SSD Trim Support...

Firmware bugs creep in...yeah, it sucks as most of these bugs creep in after we buy them and put them into use..

Remember - there's two kinds of people...

1) Those who back up, and...

2) Those who have never lost a hard disk...
 
another piece to this is that I think very few even know that hard drives has 'software' (firmware) or that it is worth monitoring (similar to other updates). a firmware issue that is corrected with an update to be installed by consumer - I wonder if percentage of users doing it even hits a single digit...
 
Geeze. The switch for each power window in my car has its own microprocessor and firmware! As does my wife's kitchen hand mixer. Etc.
 
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