Diagnosis firstFailure type confirmed before intervention
RAID / MULTI-DISK ARRAY
A failed array is a sequence problem, not just a disk problem.
RAID recovery depends on member order, parity, stripe geometry, controller behaviour and the exact sequence of failures. DriveDiggers reconstructs the array logically before recovered data is validated.
Protect the source mediaDo not initialise, rebuild or swap members experimentally. Record every disk position and power the array down if business operations allow.
Diagnostic workspaceReady
MODE
Evidence-firstACCESS
Read-onlySTATUS
Awaiting intake
Evidence-firstACCESS
Read-onlySTATUS
Awaiting intake
Controlled handlingCase access limited to approved work
Approval checkpointRecovery route explained before work
Priority intakeUrgent incidents assessed by impact
Failure signals
Recognise the warning. Avoid the second failure.
A recovery case often becomes harder after an automatic repair, rebuild or repeated restart. These symptoms mean the source should be preserved before the next decision.
Multiple failed members
An array remains degraded and another disk drops offline or reports errors.
Rebuild failure
A rebuild stalls, completes with corruption or starts using the wrong replacement/member order.
Controller or configuration loss
The array appears foreign, unconfigured or missing after controller, cache or firmware failure.
Volumes not mounting
The RAID reports healthy or degraded while filesystems, LUNs or shares remain inaccessible.
Recovery capability
A workflow matched to the failure layer.
Technology changes, but the rule stays the same: protect the source, prove the reconstruction and validate priority data before return.
ARRAY.01Member-level imaging
Each member is protected and assessed independently before reconstruction begins.
ARRAY.02Geometry reconstruction
Stripe size, parity rotation, disk order and offsets are derived from evidence.
ARRAY.03Filesystem validation
The reconstructed volume is checked for structural consistency before data export.
Case workflow
Four checkpoints from incident to validated data.
Capture the incident
Device, symptoms, urgency and previous actions are recorded.
Protect and assess
The source is stabilised and the failure layer is identified.
Review the recovery plan
Scope, timing and quotation are confirmed before recovery proceeds.
Verify and return
Recovered priority data is checked and returned through an agreed method.
Faster intake
Bring the evidence that reduces guesswork.
- RAID level, controller or appliance model
- Numbered disk-bay positions and member serials
- The exact sequence of alerts, replacements and rebuilds
- Volume, filesystem and encryption details
Incident protocolDisk order is evidence.
Photograph the bays and label every member before removal. Never allow an operating system or controller to initialise an unknown disk.
Start the evaluationTechnical questions
Before you power it on again.
Every incident is different. These answers explain the safest general starting point.
Can RAID 5 or RAID 6 be recovered after multiple failures?
Possibly. The outcome depends on how many members are readable, which blocks are damaged and whether the correct array geometry can be reconstructed.
Should we attempt another rebuild?
Not without preserving all members first. Rebuilds write across the array and may propagate corruption or overwrite stale but valuable parity/data.
Do you need the controller?
Controller logs and configuration can help, but many arrays can be reconstructed from member evidence. Keep the controller, cables, cache module and every disk available.
Can an encrypted RAID be recovered?
Only when the storage can be reconstructed and the required encryption keys, passphrases or key-management access are available.
Start with the evidence
Tell us what failed and what matters most.
Submit the symptoms, media details and urgency. No recovery work begins without approval.