ReadyNas 2120 Cannot access USB drive that was backed up with readynas, when connected to computer

[kepha]

1. USB drive formatted as NTFS with readynas

2. Readynas \data backed up to USB drive for off site storage

3. When connecting USB drive directly to computer, explorer finds the drive, assigns drive letter and then prompts to format drive before accessing it.

4. Also on older drive also get error that parameter is incorrect.

5. I can reconnect the USB back to readynas and access the files across the network in windows explorer okay.

Anyone have  a fix for this?  This is a bad achilles heal.  If my readynas crashes and I need to restore files before fixing hardware, I am DOA.

[kepha · Accepted solution]

Test worked.  Formatted drive in windows explorer as NTFS.  Ran a backup job to USB. Ejected from System>Overview, connected to computered, accessed files through windows explorer.

[kepha]

Firmware is 6.6.1

[StephenB]

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@kepha wrote:

3. When connecting USB drive directly to computer, explorer finds the drive, assigns drive letter and then prompts to format drive before accessing it.

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Prompts to format or prompts to repair?

One option is to reformat it in the PC and then redo the backup.

[bedlam1]

Try running a check for system errors on the USB drive, if you right click the drive in Windows File Explorer, then Properties, then tools you will find it there.

It is worth noting that USB drives should always be ejected from the Readynas using GUI "system" "overview"

[kepha]

Prompts to format.  I had thought of formatting in windows and then retrying, but hoping to access a current disk without starting over.

[kepha]

Disk check does not work get error windows cannot find the disk, even though it is connected with a drive letter.

Disks are automatically ejected once backup is completed on NAS.

[bedlam1]

Try running chkdsk c: /f    from a Windows command prompt (replacing c: with the drive letter allocated to the USB Drive)

[kepha]

chkdsk says disk is RAW format. That is the problem.  I will revise my strategy and format disks in windows as NTFS first.  I will test that and reply back in  a few days. Thaks for the posts. 🙂

[kepha · Accepted solution]

Test worked.  Formatted drive in windows explorer as NTFS.  Ran a backup job to USB. Ejected from System>Overview, connected to computered, accessed files through windows explorer.

[StephenB]

Great.  I suggest upgrading your firmware, 6.6.1 is really quite old.

[kepha]

Followup

Formatting disk in NAS as NTFS is not accessible still when connected locally to computer through explorer. same error.

Formatting disk as NTFS in windows, then using disk on NAS and then connected bak to windows does work.

Any explanation??

[bedlam1]

No expanation but pleased you have resolved it