Colleagues i was getting an error message telling me that i would need to replace disk 1 sometime soon. I recently purchased a WD 1TB disk as the two existing disks are also 1TB each. I tried putting it into tray 2 but it didnt recognise it. So using the manual i followed the instructions that factory reset and automatically formatted the new disk. All that worked fine but when i then put the original disk into tray 1 and put the new disk into tray 2 thinking they would simply sync. All hell broke loose. two things may have happened, I think i mayhave simply reformat my original tray 1 disk. As now all i see on it are the default backup and media folders, or the disk finally failed. A bit too much of a coincidence thought.
As i did a factory restore on the Duo, i'm not sure what i actually did that messed up the original disk.
My question is i still have the original tray 2 copy which hasnt been inserted into the Duo since i did the factory reset. How should i now use this to get me back working and see all the folders and data.
i also have a Duo and i also have a NV+, can you swop drives between machines?. On my Duo with the problem, can i simply put tray 2 (not corrupted) into tray one (despite have done a factory reset) and will it go back to as it should?
i don't want to do anything to the drive in Tray 2 until i know i have a working solution so as not to pottentially corrupt further.
When you inserted disk 1 with the unit on and after you reset the unit, the duo would have treated it as a new disk and formatted it. You would have needed to insert disk 1 with the unit off, then added disk 2 with the unit on. I don't understand why you did not just replace disk 1 which was failing, this is what you should have done.
Do you have a backup? What firmware are you running and are you sure you have a Duo v1?
Inserting disk 2 ( on its own) back into the unit in slot 2 with the power off and then booting should allow you to retrieve the data, however there is considerable risk here. To be safe I would first clone disk 2 before trying to put it into the duo, at least you will then have a copy if something goes wrong.
Yes, the correct procedure was to simply replace disk 1 with the NAS running.
To be clear on this - the original disk 2 must be installed into slot 2 while the powered down, and slot 1 must be empty. Then power up.
If that boots, then back it up! Then install the new drive into slot 1 with the NAS running and let it sync.
Cloning disk 2 before you begin is a reasonable idea if you have a disk-clone utility that does a sector by sector copy. You can clone to the new disk if you want.
chaps thanks for that. It all sounds rather simple now that you mention it but i stupidly assumed if i took out disk 1 and put in a emply disk into slot 1, then it would treat that as master and sync to disk 2 and erase that. I'll give what you suggest a go. Wish me luck. The fisrt disk is now empty so other than sending away for data retrieval.
Your assumption that it would sync a newly inserted disk to the disk already in place is right.
-but If you did a reset with your one of your original disks in, it would have been wiped (leaving nothing to sync). -If you inserted an original disk with the unit running, then it also would have been wiped. -if you did a reset with only the new disk in place, and then powered down and installed one of the original disks, then I am not sure exactly what would happen, but it would not a healthy state.
kinsella96 wrote:
What firmware are you running and are you sure you have a Duo v1? FIRMWARE IS 3.1.13. YES ITS THE FIRST DUO AND THE V2 ONE.
4.1.13? AFAIK the duo never had 3.x firmware.
Anyway, if your disk 2 was not wiped, then the NAS should boot up follow the instructions above (install disk 2 by itself in slot 2 with the NAS turned off, and then power up). If you have the skills/equipment needed to clone disk 2 first, then that would be prudent. Though if the disk is undamaged and not wiped, then the procedure should work.
Once up and running, the first thing to do is make a backup. Don't attempt anything else with the disks until you have another copy of the data.
Thank you Stephen. You guys have been great. its worked. Now frantically backing up. That reminds me, i bought a bluray writer to back up and then decided i didnt need to because i had a Duo. Me thinks i will now make a yearly hard copy. The reason i was frantic is it contains all my music and more importantly every photo of the kids since 1998. in other words its priceless!!! lucikly a lesson that hasnt been disastorious.
Well, as you now know, you still do need a backup. A USB drive is another approach. I back up to another NAS myself - which is nice because it is automated. But it is more expensive than USB or optical backup.
Backups can get damaged too - bluray disks can get scratched, or might not read back w/o errors; USB drives can fail. So it is good to have multiple copies, especially of stuff that can't be replaced (like the kid's photos).
Anyway, I am glad your system is up again, and that you avoided data loss. 🙂
Chaps, Now that i have a backup. I now have the original working copy in tray 2. I now also have the new disk which i formated by doing a reset as it didnt recognise it when i inserted it. Its now formated from tray 1. i now want to add that into the duo in tray 1. Do i simply put that in slot 1 even thought it was previously formatted? What is the next sequent to get the second disk to copy from the existing data? i don't want to insert the disk if its going to sync tray 1 to 2 and thus loose all my data?
With disk 2 in, are you able to boot and access your data? If so, just insert the other disk into slot 1 with the NAS on. The raid volume will be recreated using the data on disk 2.
