HPE ProLiant RAID 5 servers are widely used in business environments for file storage, databases, and financial applications. However, when RAID 5 arrays experience frequent I/O errors, it often indicates sector corruption or degraded disks, leading to RAID rebuild failures and data inaccessibility.
This case study details how we successfully recovered a business file server containing Word/Excel documents, SGL, and Sage databases from an HPE ProLiant RAID 5 system, after a failed rebuild attempt at 56% left the data inaccessible.
As Leeds Data Recovery, with 25 years of RAID and enterprise data recovery experience, we used RAID parity reconstruction, sector corruption repair, and deep database extraction techniques to restore lost business files.
RAID 5 I/O Errors & Failed Rebuild at 56%
A business client contacted us after their HPE ProLiant RAID 5 server suffered data loss, with the following issues:
- Frequent I/O errors when accessing files, causing slow performance.
- One disk in the RAID 5 array failed, and the company attempted a rebuild.
- The rebuild process failed at 56%, leaving the RAID array in an unusable state.
- A Dell server support engineer attempted recovery but was unsuccessful.
- The server contained critical business files, including Word, Excel, SGL, and Sage databases.
Since attempting to force a second RAID rebuild could further corrupt parity data, an immediate professional RAID recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the HPE ProLiant RAID 5 system (multiple hard disks) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID-level diagnostic. Our findings:
- Multiple bad sectors across all RAID disks – Leading to I/O errors and slow performance.
- RAID metadata corruption – The failed rebuild attempt disrupted RAID parity calculations.
- Partial file system damage (NTFS) – Some database and document files were fragmented.
Since a second rebuild attempt could overwrite remaining data, we focused on manual RAID reconstruction and sector-level data recovery.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All RAID 5 Disks
To preserve data integrity and prevent further corruption, we:
- Created forensic sector-by-sector clones of all RAID disks.
- Used advanced imaging tools to bypass I/O errors and extract readable data.
2. Manually Rebuilding the RAID 5 Array
Since the RAID controller failed to rebuild the array, we:
- Analyzed RAID parity distribution and striping configurations.
- Manually reconstructed the RAID 5 array outside of the HPE ProLiant system.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business Files & Databases
Once the RAID array was rebuilt, we:
- Recovered missing Word/Excel files and business reports.
- Repaired and extracted SGL and Sage database files from fragmented sectors.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure enterprise RAID storage system.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 5 metadata repair and deep sector-level database reconstruction techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the business’s lost files, including:
✅ Company Word and Excel documents
✅ SGL and Sage financial databases
✅ Operational reports and customer transaction records
The business was able to fully restore its file server, preventing major financial losses and downtime.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful RAID recoveries, we are the leading RAID 5 and HPE ProLiant data recovery specialists in Leeds and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ Failed RAID 5 rebuild recovery & RAID metadata repair
✔ Bad sector recovery & parity-based data reconstruction
✔ SQL, SGL, and Sage database file restoration
✔ Secure & confidential data retrieval for businesses
If your RAID 5 system is experiencing I/O errors, has failed a rebuild, or is preventing access to business-critical files, stop all further recovery attempts and contact us immediately for professional RAID data recovery.