CDLehner

Here is the RECEIVING drive... Assign it...or just run of=/dev/sdf?

So...I won't use disk5, as trurl cautions; I'll put a 3T drive, I had previously copied and removed back in. And this is the CLONE... Do this with array on or off? Do I need to do anything, to the RECEIVING disk...before running this command?

^ Thanks so much!

Sitting patiently…mostly.

^ OK… - how do you clone a drive, in unRAID; or will a CLONE…like in the dock on Windows…just be bit-for-bit perfect, including not caring about XFS, and re-creating XFS (or reiserfs…doesn’t matter, if we get the data back and get to “start over”) - and…do we then put the clone in, make IT disk7 (while keeping the ORIGINAL disk7 out of the mix)…and try the reiserfsck?

- I think I understand. While Stellar might see, the wrongly formatted disk…in XFS; it likely can’t restore, to anything other than a Windows-based formatted disk (and FTR…if that’s true…that is kinda what I was thinking)? So…if I run reiserfsck; I don’t run it against a clone of 7, right? reiserfsck —scan-whole-partition —rebuild-tree/dev/md7 is “right against” 7 itself, yes?

^ Oh boy; now I'm confused again (go figure, right?) - So...I can/should, go ahead and try Stellar; just doesn't seem like it'll likely work? - FTR...I think I might as well use disk5, as my "clone"; since it was 5 that was supposed to get formatted....in order to have 7 copied to it to begin with. Let's say, Stellar does see these drives; 5 is reiserfs and 7 is XFS. I think...whether it is Stellar, and/or cloning...and/or; these need to be on the same format? If so...make 5 XFS, before I start; or re-format 7 back to reiserfs (and would/n't that make any kind of recovery, even less likely)? - And if none of the above, is really much of an option; and I decide on this... I leave disk7, on XFS...and run this command?

One of the "issues" I'm anticipating...is with disk formats. Of course, I'll re-watch the above video...in greater detail, as I'm in the midst of actually trying it; but he did say something about...it not being able to recognize drives, because they weren't formatted...but to format them, would mean to lose data. IDK...something like that; and it was explained, because of a feature Stellar does have...that allows it to find drives, that aren't of a format Windows recognizes. I'm just not sure, what it will do with reiserrf and XFS.

Little 'ole me; teach you guys something. J/K; I realize, you have to do something dumb like this...to begin with...to even need to try this kind of recovery. I did a quick search of YT, about Stellar Data Recovery...and this was the 1st hit. I think it's fated: it was also a 3T drive...and just "dumb" files, like mine. Ordered a double-dock, that's due today (Thursday); and we'll have a run. WTH; can't get any worse, right?

So...let me say this: ^ I do have an extra 3T drive...if that's what's needed for "proper" recovery ^ I've said from the start, time wasn't that big a factor (though it is taking much longer than anticipated...due to my fault entirely) ^ And I think this is the thing I have to wrestle with; and...maybe all of you, keep mission-critical files on your servers...but I just have dumb movies and music on mine. Now, I say "dumb"...tongue in cheek, because OT1H; music and movies, aren't family heirlooms and/or one-of-a-kind files. OTOH...how many will I lose, how many can be replaced; and when will I even know they're destroyed??? For example: let's say I have 20,000 albums, ripped and stored. By f**cking up that ONE drive; will I lose 500...or will some part, of 18,000 be lost? Let's say...if I knew I'd lost it, right now; I could replace it. But...maybe I don't go to listen to that album...or watch that movie; for a year (literally, one time...I was watching a movie; Home Theater, people over...and we didn't get, like the last 15 minutes of the movie...the climax! Because of a likely file/disk corruption). Maybe, once I discover it; now it's not recoverable. No...I don't still have, ALL the media I've ripped...over 15 years?? Yes, they're just music and movies; but they're my music and movies. The music is more precious. If it turns out, True Lies got corrupted/lost; I go on eBay, buy a used copy. Rip, store, etc. But if I go to listen, to the HiRes FLAC file...of The Koln Concert; that I paid $20 to download...and that's now compromised. That's another story 🤷‍♂️ This is all, mostly rhetorical. This is the decision I have to make. Let's put it this way: if someone has done it...knows how to do it; if it's just time-consuming, and the likelihood of success...is "high". Sure...why the hell not. If not: if it's time-consuming, and a pain-in-the-a$$, and a moon-shot to boot; I'll just have to accept...what's gone is gone. Not enough time, left in this life, to listen to 20,000 (or whatever it is...lost/stopped counting) albums anyway.

Someone lent me a copy, of Stellar Data Recovery Technician 10.2 I'm just a little confused, about how to go about the recovery. And while I know those here, aren't neccesssarily here to give advice about Stellar per se; I'm looking at their FAQ... ...and I'm wondering: if this is something that needs to be done, "inside" the array; or can I do something as simple, as drop that drive...into a SATA/USB dock, and recover it? This is all, new territory for me.

What about something like STARUS RAID Restore, or Hetman? https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-data-recovery-software/

Thanks itimpi. I am waiting to see what others have to weigh-in, before doing something. In other words, I'm happy to run this command... and/or any tool, that might help. Just waiting, before it's even more "too-late" to turn back.

UGH! I am soo damn mad at myself! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 Here I am...just steadily going about, my monkey's work. Copy drive...wait hours; format drive...copy drive...wait hours. Monday night, I checked the copy...from disk5 to disk4. 4 more hours at bedtime. Great...I have a FULL day tomorrow. I'll get up in the morning; 5 to 4 will be done. Format 5, copy disk7 to disk5 (remember...disk6 was already copied to disk1, and will just be coming out when we're done); and it can get started on its hours, while I'm out ALL day. I was in a hurry; no coffee...and so I kept reminding myself: FORMAT 5, COPY 7!! I go to do the copy; and realize I f@#king formatted disk7. I punched myself in the head, but had to go. The only thing, that kept it from ruining my day completely...is the small hope, that it might be recoverable. I kind of told myself...that's what RAID and Parity is all about, right; protection for 1 disk? Trust me...I'm hoping for the best, but am realistically expecting the worst. So...can I recover, what I formatted from disk7??

Diagnostic, after re-build. Off to copy, disk3 to 2. unserver-diagnostics-20230204-1622.zip

OK; I think we're back on track now... After the re-build, I'll post a diagnostic; and if all looks good...I assume I can go back to copy, re-format, copy?

No sir; I'm pretty OCD. So, now...Parity back and re-start array; before I copy disk3 to 2? If I put Parity back in...will I have to wait for a re-build before the copy?

^ No, I wanted disk5…out the array. Last time I unassigned a disk…you had me start array, w/o the parity; and post a diagnostic. So that’s what I did. I just want to get the array down to 1 + 7 (drives); but we’re also reformatting to XFS. So…put Parity back, and do I need to re-build before I do the next copy? (disk3 to disk2)

Actually...I looked back, and I'm going to do this. Unassign parity (now that disk5 is removed, and New Config has been run)...start the array in normal/not maintenance mode; and post that diagnostic. Awaiting further instruction. Thanks unserver-diagnostics-20230203-1827.zip

Thanks. Diagnostic, with disk5 removed...but before New Config/Rebuild. unserver-diagnostics-20230203-1817.zip

Yes, I am planning on removing it; but that's not why I didn't format it. Just pure coincidence. I was just going 2 to 1, 3 to 1; format 3...4 to 3, etc. But you're right; I might as well, shut down the array...pull 5, and then proceed. I'll post a diagnostic after that; but I'll probably start the 4 to 3 copy right away.

Ugh! I'm getting sooo damn frustrated. Every time, I think I know what to expect from the next step; it seems to throw me. Copy finished, from disk2 to disk1. I stopped the array...changed file type to XFS; started array...gave permission to format, disk2. And then I expected hours, to format...a 3T drive. Just looks like this (after a quick acknowledgement, that it was formatting disk2) My next step, was going to be...to copy disk3 to disk2?

Sorry. I think I was wondering along the lines, of Parity in the array or out. But that's been asked and answered. Parity in = better protection; so that's what I'm doing. 2-to-1

^ Thank you gents. FTR...anyone have issue, with the SeaSonic FOCUS GX-750??

disk2 to disk1? Do it with array on or off?