Forum Discussion

Aspirant

Nov 26, 2016

Ready NAS 102 in accessible (corrupt root)

Netgear Community: I have been using a ReadyNAS DUO V2 device with a single WDC WD20EFRX 2TB HDD without issue. At this time, the device is not accessible, does not register as being on my ho...

Boot

corrupt

Installation & Upgrade

StephenB

Guru - Experienced User

Nov 26, 2016

First, please confirm that your ReadyNAS is a v2. The labels can be confusing, so please use this guide: http://www.rnasguide.com/2012/01/09/how-to-tell-whether-i-have-a-duo-v1-or-duo-v2-or-nv-v1-or-nv-v2/

wjastrow wrote:

1. Is the content of the HDD presumed to be intact (based on the green check mark of RAIDar)?

No. Corrupt root means the OS partition on the disk is corrupted. The data might be corrupted as well.

2. Can >this< HDD be loaded into another, newer (current) Netgear product, and have its content intact and accessible?

Perhaps, though it likely will need an assist from support. http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29876

wjastrow wrote:

3. Can the HDD be accessed *outside* of the ReadyNAS enclosure?

Yes. R-linux for windows is worth a try.

wjastrow wrote:

4. If I purchase and install a NEW, unitialized HDD, would that achieve a recovery, such that I could return the current disk to Bay 1, then initiate a RAID operation to the *new* disk in Bay 2?

No.

wjastrow wrote:

5. Can the USB recovery process be executed WITHOUT having a HDD installed in the ReadyNAS device?

Not sure, but I don't that helps you. Corrupt root is an issue with the disk.

wjastrow

Aspirant

Nov 27, 2016

Hi StephenB.

Thanks for your post.

Based on the back panel layout and front cover featuring the explicit label "ReadyNAS DUO v2", I'm reasonably confident I >do< have the V2 product.

I downloaded an evaluation copy of R-Linux (R-Tools?) but it wasn't able to see the NAS device on the network. Do I need to place the HDD in a USB enclosure, attach that directly to the PC with this product?

My question about USB recovery *without* the HDD installed is to perserve the contents/state of the HDD.

All paths seem to point to Netgear Support to have them weigh in as well.

Thanks again.

StephenB
Guru - Experienced User
Nov 28, 2016
wjastrow wrote:

I downloaded an evaluation copy of R-Linux (R-Tools?) but it wasn't able to see the NAS device on the network. Do I need to place the HDD in a USB enclosure, attach that directly to the PC with this product?

Yes, and that'd be true with all similar products - the NAS isn't booting after all.

wjastrow wrote:

My question about USB recovery *without* the HDD installed is to perserve the contents/state of the HDD.

Understood. But the problem is with the OS partition on the HDD, and USB recovery won't help that.
- mdgm-ntgr
  NETGEAR Employee Retired
  Nov 28, 2016
  USB Boot Recovery requires booting off a compatible USB key. It wipes the internal flash and puts a clean copy of the firmware on it. The disks neither need to be installed to run USB Boot Recovery, nor do they need to be removed.
  
  USB Boot Recovery will only help if the firmware on the flash is corrupt. As StephenB mentioned it's not going to help with this problem.
  - wjastrow
    Aspirant
    Nov 28, 2016
    Thanks for your insightful, helpful contributions.
    
    As I type, the HDD in question is being scanned by "linux-reader" from DiskInternals. I was able to "install" the HDD from the ReadyNAS into a (powered) USB enclosure, then connect that to a Windows 10 PC.
    
    It was a small relief to see that this facility quickly identified the WDC HDD, along with its "partitions". It also advised that the RAID was "damaged" but "recovery was possible". That led to downloading another component (which appears to require a license) called "RAID recovery". At the moment, the HDD is being scanned, finding folders and files. I expect this process to take hours (possibly days?).
    
    All this *suggests* that the content is accessible, that the disk is not entirely damaged.
    
    This leads me to ask whether a true RAID (2 physical devices, 1 a mirror of the other) would have been impacted by whatever phenomenon led to the "corrupt root" condition. Plainly, is the RAID protection restricted to the "content only" portion of the HDD?
    
    I have no issue with this Netgear product which has worked (and seems to continue to work) long after its purchase (and warranty expiration).
    
    Presuming I am able to recover the contents from this "corrupt" device, could it safely be reformatted? I appreciate that there's really no way to be sure; that's more asking for an opinion. I'll have to purchase new storage devices anyway, and since there's no apparent "upgrade path", probably a new NAS device. Is there a logical upgrade from the ReadyNAS DUO v2?
    
    Thanks again.