A local family contacted us after their NETGEAR ReadyNAS stopped functioning properly, with the following issues:
- The NAS system failed to boot or mount shared folders.
- Attempts to log into the NAS web interface resulted in error messages.
- The drives were detected but showed no accessible data.
- The NAS contained years of family photos, videos, and personal documents.
Since attempting to reset or reconfigure the NAS could overwrite stored data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the NETGEAR ReadyNAS device (two RAID 1 disks) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and file system diagnostic. Our findings:
- Corrupt NAS configuration files – Preventing proper RAID initialization and data access.
- RAID 1 mirroring was intact – Meaning data recovery was possible from at least one disk.
- No physical damage detected – Allowing for logical repair and direct file extraction.
Since NETGEAR ReadyNAS devices use a proprietary Linux-based file system (EXT4, XFS, or Btrfs), we prioritized manual RAID reconstruction and NAS metadata repair.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging Both RAID 1 Drives to Preserve Data Integrity
To ensure no further corruption occurred, we:
- Created sector-by-sector forensic clones of both RAID 1 disks.
- Used specialized NAS recovery tools to extract readable data.
2. Manually Rebuilding the RAID 1 Array & Repairing Configuration Files
Since the NAS configuration files were corrupted, we:
- Manually reconstructed the RAID 1 structure outside of the NETGEAR ReadyNAS system.
- Repaired NAS metadata and missing file indexes to restore access to stored data.
3. Extracting & Verifying Family Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Recovered all family photos, videos, and personal documents.
- Checked recovered files for accuracy and completeness.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 1 reconstruction and NAS metadata repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the family’s lost personal data, including:
✅ Years of family photos and home videos
✅ Personal documents, financial records, and archives
✅ Backup files and important digital memories
The family was able to regain access to all their personal files, preventing permanent data loss.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading NETGEAR ReadyNAS and RAID 1 data recovery specialists in Leeds and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ NAS configuration file corruption repair
✔ RAID 1 reconstruction & metadata restoration
✔ Linux-based file system recovery (EXT4, XFS, Btrfs)
✔ Secure & confidential personal data retrieval
If your NETGEAR ReadyNAS is failing to boot, preventing file access, or has corrupted configuration files, stop using the device immediately and contact us for expert NAS data recovery.