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Forum Discussion
Factory reset & change RAID without losing data
I added a new drive to my RN102 2-bay system to get more storage capacity. Once I added the drive it didnt add anymore strorage space. I have looked through a bunch of threads on here about how to fi...
KLF2004 wrote:
Please let me know if that would that work to add more usable storage to my system
No it won't work.
There is no way to do this from the web ui. It is possible to do it using ssh though - the process is described by Sandshark here: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Using-your-ReadyNAS-in-Business/Reducing-RAID-size-removing-drives-WITHOUT-DATA-LOSS-is-possible/m-p/1736134#M179036
After using ssh to downgrade to jbod, you would remove drive 2 and switch to flexraid in the web ui. Then remove the partitions on disk 2 on a PC (or alternatively format the drive in a PC), reinsert it into the NAS, and create a second volume.
But it would be best to make a backup of your data first (and if you have no backup strategy, then at some point you will lose your data).
KLF2004 wrote:
3. Move drive 2 (no data) to slot 1
Drive 2 actually does have data - it's a mirror of drive 1.
KLF2004 wrote:
What is the safest way to remove the second drive without ruining or losing any data on the first drive? My thought is that if I can remove the second drive from my nas system, then format it using my computer, I have a way to connect to the readynas using a USB connection, then I can backup all my data to it. Once I do that, then I can factory reset the readynas and change the RAID to flex raid then restore the data back to my original drive in the nas. Once I do that, then I can insert the second drive back into the readynas and hopefully all will be well. Is this possible, or am I missing anything?
What you can do (without using ssh) is
- remove disk 2 from the NAS (leaving it running)
- Insert disk 2 into a PC, and format it
- Copy all the files from the NAS onto disk 2
- do a factory reset of the NAS, and reconfigure it (recreating the shares, etc)
- switch to flexraid
- copy the files back onto the NAS from disk 2
- insert disk 2 into the NAS (which is now in flexraid) and create a second data volume.
The copies can be done over a gigabit network (leaving disk 2 connected to the PC). If you have a USB adapter/dock, you can also connect disk 2 to the NAS using the dock, and copy the data using a backup job.
Thank you both so much for your help. After doing a little more thinking and research, I have come to the conclusion of what you would have suggested in the first place, I am going to upgrade to a 4-bay system so I can use the recommended RAID configuration. So I guess my last question is... When I get a new ReadyNAS 4-Bay system, can I just pull both hard drives out of the 2-Bay and insert them into the new 4-Bay without losing any data? Basically would it be just like "plug-and-play", or would there be any other steps I would have to take?
So long as you swap the drives with the power off, yes. If you are moving from an ARM to an Intel based NAS, you should un-install any apps before making the transfer.
- So I would need to power off the 2-bay system before I pull the drives out. Do I need to insert the drives into the new 4-bay before I turn it on for the first time, or should I turn it on, go through set up, then insert the drives with it running?
Yes, do both actions with power off. You could put in a separate drive and insure the OS is at the same version as you current NAS, though that is supposed to take care of itself. But going through the whole set-up won't help, as all that information is saved on the drives, and you will need to remove that separate drive before you put your old drives in.
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