Removed both disks in my Duo (can I put them back in?)

[BertUK]

Hello,

I removed both of the 2TB disks (X-RAID) in my ReadyNAS Duo earlier today, in order to put some old disks back in to check some files on there. The process was:-

1) Shut down ReadyNAS safely
2) Removed both 2TB disks (without making a note of which bays they were in)
3) Installed old 1TB disks and booted
4) Checked contents
5) Shut down safely
5) Removed 1TB disks
6) Panicked

Now I wish to simply put my 2TB disks back in so I can restore my "active" RAID array and resume streaming TV shows this evening, but I have realised that I may have made a big mistake by not noting which bays the drives were in. These were fully synced drives before I shut down prior to removal, so I would like to think I can simply put them back in, although I would like to confirm this first. If somehow I lose any or all of my data on these disks, my wife would literally leave me, so a definitive answer would be much appreciated! 🙂

Thanks in advance

[BertUK]

Update: I figured I would put one of the disks back in, which should then allow me to check all is ok. Now I have the "corrupt root" error. I fear I have put the single drive back into the wrong slot.

The blue light is pulsing on the unit. Does this mean it's formatting my disk? :shock:

I would hope that I could simply shut down, take this disk out, place the other disk into the same slot, and it should boot ok, but now I'm too scared to do anything at all :?

[StephenB]

Do you have a Duo v1 or v2 (v1 runs 4.1.x firmware, v2 runs 5.3.x firmware)?

[BertUK]

Sorry, it's a V1 and it was running the latest (4.1.7?) firmware.

I should also point out that the old disks I mounted used to be the ones I used in the ReadyNAS about 8 months ago before I upgraded. These disks would have been running under an older firmware I'm sure, if this makes any difference.

For more clarity, after I mounted the 2 old disks, I could see the files fine and it was performing a sync on the second disc. It was at about 40% IIRC, but as I was done with these disks and had no use for them anymore, I safely shutdown the NAS. That was the last time 2 disks were in there together.

So just before I put the "active" 2TB disks back in, I suddenly realised I might be making a mistake. Now I have the one disk that I had put back in the left slot (and got the corrupt boot error), and the other disk which hasn't been back in the NAS since it was taken out. I am guarding this one with my life.

Should I simply be able to put the other disk in the left slot and it should boot ok with just that disk in there? I am too scared to even move to be honest.

My lesson has been learned anyway; I do have a backup but it's a few weeks old and we have some really important things that have been added since, which I haven't gotten around to backing up yet :oops:

[StephenB]

Ok.

Latest firmware is 4.1.10 btw.

My suspicion is that you might have guessed wrong, however I think you should be careful.

If you have any spare 2 TB drives you could clone the one you are guarding, and install the clone into the left slot.

[BertUK]

Thanks for your replies.

How would I go about cloning the drive? I have a Windows 7 laptop and a SATA connection kit which I use to attach internal drives via USB to read the contents. I also have a caddy which I used to use with a 1TB drive.

I just tested one of the old 1TB drives that used to live in the ReadyNAS. Windows acknowledges that the drive is attached (I can see it in Disk Management), but it prompts me to rebuild the partition table, so I quickly cancelled that. I tried to use R-Linux but it can't tell me anything about the drive. It knows there's "something" connected via USB but can't give me any information about the drive. Just to confirm this is one of the old 1TB drives that I am playing with here. It doesn't give me much confidence that I would be able to read anything off the 2TB drive if I were to connect that instead.

Am I doing something wrong here?

Thanks again

[StephenB]

Windows won't see it because it uses the ext format. Easeus disk copy should be able to clone it (I think) as it does a sector-by-sector copy. If the caddy works with the 2 TB drive you should be able to use that and the SATA connection kit.


You could also try the Easeus Data Recovery Wizard Professional Trial and see if it reads the drive. If it works you'd need to spend $89.95 to get the license key. Then you could pull your data, factory default the NAS and rebuild from backup.

[BertUK]

Hopefully none of that will be required because...

I figured I could take a risk on the drive I had already tried to put back in, as long as I continued to guard the other one with my life, so (with the NAS off) I simply swapped it into bay 2 (moved from left slot to right slot) which must have been its original home, because it's now booted up within minutes and I can access all the files over the network! 🙂

Interestingly, RAIDar reports that slot 2 contains my Seagate 2TB drive (OK) and slot 1 contains the same drive but [Dead]. Is this simply because it's missing?

Am I right in thinking I can now put its brother back in slot 1 and it will be ok? There's no way it would think the drive I'm putting in slot 1 is the "master" of some kind, will it?

OR should I shut down the NAS, remove this disk and put the original slot 1 disk into slot 1 and boot up? Does it matter which drive is in first before you put the 2nd one in?

Thanks very much for your replies, much appreciated.

[StephenB]

drive 1 is reported as dead because it's missing.

I'd back up the data before you do anything else. Don't write any new files to the NAS for now.

Then I'd shut down the NAS, and put the original disk into slot 1 (both disks in), and then start it up again. Then use it normally, and keep the backups up to date. RAID is not a substitute for backup.

[BertUK]

Ok thanks. I will backup the disk and do as you've said.

I've learnt my lesson with regards to backup - it's too easy to become complacent!