ReadyNAS USB Recovery – Cardiff’s NAS Data Experts

At Cardiff Data Recovery, we specialise in the professional recovery of failed Netgear ReadyNAS systems, including those using X-RAID and X-RAID2 technology. If your ReadyNAS external hard drive is showing disk errors, folders that appear intact but remain inaccessible, or is completely unreadable through your operating system, our engineers can help.

In this case, a client reported critical disk errors on Disk 1 and Disk 2 of their ReadyNAS array. Although the folder structure was still visible in Disk Manager, the data could not be accessed, opened, or copied. Netgear support was unable to assist. We explain how our team handled the issue with precision and care using advanced recovery techniques.

🧰 Problem Summary

  • Device: Netgear ReadyNAS (likely Duo, NV+, or Ultra series)
  • RAID Type: X-RAID (proprietary Netgear RAID with auto-expand and redundancy)
  • Disks: 2 (both showing errors)
  • Symptoms:
    • Disks appear in Disk Manager
    • Folder structure visible but inaccessible
    • No access to files via OS or network share
    • Mounting failure in Windows/Linux
  • Urgency: High – client at risk of permanent data loss

🛠️ Step-by-Step Recovery Process

1. Initial Diagnosis and Disk Imaging

Our first priority was to prevent further data degradation:

  • Drives removed from ReadyNAS chassis and write-blocked
  • Imaged using professional tools (e.g., DeepSpar, PC-3000)
  • Disks showing SMART errors were imaged sector-by-sector with multiple-pass read and error correction
  • Any unreadable sectors were documented for later file reconstruction

We never attempt recovery directly on the original drives – this protects your data from irreversible loss.

2. X-RAID Volume Reconstruction

Netgear’s X-RAID system dynamically expands and mirrors data across drives. To recover the logical volume:

  • We extracted metadata from the imaged drives to identify:
    • Disk order
    • Stripe size
    • Parity layout (RAID 1 elements inside X-RAID)
    • File system type (usually EXT3, EXT4, or BTRFS in newer models)
  • Once confirmed, we manually recreated the RAID using RAID emulation tools (such as UFS Explorer or R-Studio)
  • Parity and data blocks were validated to match expected RAID logic

3. Handling Incomplete/Missing Blocks

In cases where both drives show damage:

  • We analysed both disk images for matching and mismatching sectors
  • Used the healthier drive to patch damaged data on its mirrored counterpart
  • Where overlap was missing, we reconstructed files using signature carving and fragment matching
  • Directory index tables and inodes were verified for filesystem integrity

4. File System Mounting and Data Extraction

Once the RAID was successfully reconstructed:

  • We mounted the EXT3/EXT4 volume in a controlled Linux environment
  • Verified visibility of folder structure, file headers, and metadata
  • Recovered user directories, media files, spreadsheets, and documents
  • Special care was taken to preserve long filenames, timestamps, and directory paths
  • Recovered data was exported to a new USB external drive in NTFS format for Windows compatibility

💽 Supported Systems & RAID Types

We offer full recovery services for:

  • Netgear ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, Ultra, 102/104, RN200, RN300 series
  • X-RAID / X-RAID2 / Flex-RAID
  • EXT3, EXT4, BTRFS volumes
  • Linux LVM and mdadm-based arrays
  • ReadyNAS USB external backup volumes and connected storage
  • Devices using RAID 0, 1, 5 or hybrid schemes

✅ Why Choose Cardiff Data Recovery?

  • 25 Years of NAS & RAID Recovery Expertise
  • Specialists in Netgear ReadyNAS Systems
  • Support for USB-attached NAS drives and recovery from raw USB images
  • Safe, in-house forensic imaging – no work done on original disks
  • Free Diagnostics with Clear, Non-Destructive Evaluation
  • Emergency 48-Hour USB Recovery Service Available
  • Secure handling of sensitive business and personal data

Whether your ReadyNAS has suffered from disk failure, RAID corruption, or accidental reinitialisation – we can recover your files with a proven success rate and complete confidentiality.

📞 Contact Cardiff Data Recovery Today

If your Netgear ReadyNAS is showing multiple drive errors or has become unreadable via your computer or network, do not attempt further rebuilds or formatting.

Contact Cardiff Data Recovery today for a free diagnostics. Our engineers will assess your drives, reconstruct the X-RAID volume, and recover your critical data with industry-leading precision and care.

We are the readynas usb recovery experts trusted by home users, IT departments, and businesses across Wales and beyond.

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