Synology Recovery

At Exeter Data Recovery, we are Devon’s No.1 Synology NAS and Rack Server data recovery specialists, with over 25 years of expertise in recovering data from failed, degraded, or corrupted Synology storage systems. Whether you’re dealing with RAID failure, crashed volumes, or multiple disk faults, we offer professional, non-destructive recovery solutions for all Synology NAS and RackStation models.

We provide comprehensive recovery support for individual hard drives, SSD arrays, and multi-bay storage volumes, including encrypted and virtualised environments. Our advanced in-house tools allow us to repair, image, and recover from even the most complex NAS-level faults—safely and securely.

Supported Synology NAS & RackStation Series

We support data recovery for all models in the Synology NAS and RackStation range, including:

• DS920+, DS220+, DS720+, DS218play, DS1522+
• RS820RP+, RS1221+, RS3621xs+, RS2423RP+, RS1619xs+

We also recover data from Synology expansion units (e.g. DX517, RX1217), hybrid RAID configurations (SHR), and virtual storage pools using Btrfs or EXT4 file systems.

Common Interfaces and Storage Types We Recover

We recover data from all common interface types found in Synology NAS and Rack Servers:

• SATA, PATA (IDE), NVMe, SCSI, SAS, PCIe, M.2, U.2, eSATA, USB 3.0/3.1, USB 2.0, USB-C, FireWire

30 Synology NAS & Rack Server Faults We Recover – With Technical Details

Our lab has extensive experience handling a wide range of Synology crashed volume recovery scenarios. Below is a list of 30 faults we commonly resolve, along with professional methods used in the recovery process:

1. Degraded RAID Volume
   Method: Clone all drives sector-by-sector. Reconstruct RAID virtually using parity and stripe analysis to recover data from the stable members.
2. Crashed Volume (Btrfs or EXT4)
   Method: Use forensic tools to repair the file system tree and metadata structures. For Btrfs, extract from subvolumes and snapshot layers.
3. Multiple Drive Failures in RAID 5/6
   Method: Analyse all drive images, isolate out-of-sync members, and reconstruct parity manually to recover valid data.
4. Accidental Drive Removal or Swap
   Method: Recreate RAID structure based on drive serials and metadata logs. Realign drives in original order before virtual reconstruction.
5. Volume Marked as Unmounted or Inactive
   Method: Scan partitions for lost LVM and RAID metadata; rebuild partition maps and manually mount the damaged volume.
6. RAID Rebuild Failure
   Method: Reverse incomplete rebuild by analysing pre-failure drive images. Create virtual RAID and recover prior to rebuild corruption.
7. Drive Not Recognised by NAS
   Method: Examine for electrical or firmware failure. Image via hardware tools (e.g., DeepSpar, PC-3000) to recover readable sectors.
8. Bad Sectors or Surface Damage
   Method: Multi-pass imaging with read retry and error skipping. Prioritise sectors containing MFT/inode tables and superblocks.
9. Power Surge or Electrical Damage
   Method: Replace damaged PCB or controller; transfer ROM; clone drive. Reconstruct RAID if part of a multi-disk set.
10. Failed Firmware Update
    Method: Access system logs and firmware recovery partition; manually extract user volume from underlying file system.
11. SMR Drive Incompatibility or Latency Issues
    Method: Apply zoned block read techniques; disable caching; extract synchronised data from cache and platters.
12. Corrupted RAID Metadata
    Method: Manual reconstruction of RAID structure using header offsets, parity analysis, and file system verification.
13. Logical Partition Corruption
    Method: Rebuild partition entries and volume headers from backup superblocks or filesystem signature traces.
14. Unintentional Format or Reinitialisation
    Method: Reconstruct lost partition layout and recover overwritten volume data using raw file carving and signature scanning.
15. Filesystem Mount Error (Btrfs: “Cannot Mount Volume”)
    Method: Use btrfs-progs and hex analysis to re-link orphaned chunks and repair extent trees.
16. Deleted Shared Folders or Volumes
    Method: Rebuild directory structures from inode maps or metadata journals; carve deleted files from data segments.
17. Head Crash or Mechanical Failure
    Method: Disassemble in cleanroom, replace head assembly using donor parts. Clone and recover from imaged sectors.
18. Firmware-Freezing SSDs
    Method: Access controller via tech mode (e.g., PS3111, SMI controllers). Extract data by bypassing firmware lock.
19. Bit-Rot or Silent Data Corruption
    Method: Analyse checksum errors and isolate damaged files. Rebuild volumes and extract data from intact extents.
20. Inaccessible Expansion Volumes
    Method: Manually map JBOD/RAID group from expansion unit, verify drive order, and recover from concatenated layout.
21. Drive Showing as “Initialized” or RAW
    Method: Rebuild lost partition structures, scan for lost superblocks, recover data from logical blocks.
22. Corrupted Synology DSM System Partition
    Method: Bypass DSM dependency. Access raw disk data, reconstruct user partitions without relying on system volume.
23. Data Encryption on Btrfs or EXT4
    Method: Use provided password/keyfile to decrypt LUKS or eCryptfs volumes. Rebuild volume tree and extract plaintext data.
24. Synology SHR (Hybrid RAID) Failures
    Method: Use block size, parity layout, and disk order to manually emulate SHR. Extract user data from merged volumes.
25. Incomplete Backup/Restore Process
    Method: Reconstruct and extract files from partial backup directories or Time Backup snapshots.
26. Drive Failure During File Transfer
    Method: Clone failing disk. Use file system transaction logs to extract in-progress data and validate integrity.
27. Corrupt Snapshot or Btrfs Subvolume
    Method: Decompile snapshot metadata, trace changes to original dataset, and recover prior file states.
28. Overheated Drives
    Method: Cool and stabilise drives in lab. Image sector-by-sector using adaptive read modes and thermal monitoring.
29. Incorrect RAID Rebuild Using Wrong Disk
    Method: Reverse changes using original image. Identify foreign disk’s sync status, reassemble array pre-rebuild.
30. RAID Volume Not Mounting After DSM Update
    Method: Analyse DSM logs, restore RAID configuration manually, rebuild affected volume group.

Services Offered

We provide a complete range of Synology NAS and Rack Server recovery services including:

• Synology crashed volume recovery (Btrfs, EXT4)
• RAID 0/1/5/6/10/SHR recovery
• Disk cloning and RAID reconstruction
• SSD and HDD firmware-level repairs
• Logical volume and partition table recovery
• Synology hybrid storage and expansion unit recovery
• Encrypted volume decryption (with credentials)

Supported Systems and File Formats

We recover from all supported Synology environments:

• File systems: Btrfs, EXT4, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT
• Devices running DSM 6.x, DSM 7.x, and legacy builds
• Data from iSCSI LUNs, shared folders, and networked applications
• Virtualised environments (VMs stored on Synology NAS)

Why Choose Exeter Data Recovery?

• 25+ Years of Experience in Enterprise Storage Recovery
• Specialists in Synology DSM, Btrfs, SHR, and Encrypted RAID Recovery
• In-House Cleanroom Facilities for Mechanical Disk Repair
• No Outsourcing – 100% Recovery Performed by ourselves
• Certified RAID and Linux File System Engineers
• Free Diagnostic and Zero Data, Zero Fee Guarantee

Contact Devon’s Synology NAS & Rack Recovery Experts Today

If your Synology NAS or Rack Server has failed, is showing a crashed volume, or won’t mount critical data, do not attempt rebuilds or reinitialisation—these actions can overwrite your data.

Contact the experts at Exeter Data Recovery, Devon’s leaders in synology crashed volume recovery, for secure, high-success-rate recovery of your valuable data.

📞 Call today to schedule your free diagnostic assessment.