Hello.

 

I am wondering the process of recovering the files from a hard drive in the event that 2 or more drive being lost.  Its my understanding that you can still recover the data in the drives which were not lost.

 

I am currently playing around with the demo software trying to simulate difference things happening to see how it works.

 

How exactly would these files be recovered?  Could they be connected to a USB docking station on a windows computer, linux operating system, or perhaps some kind of special software tool made for recovery?

 

Please let me know

 

Thanks

In Linux or on unRAID use reiserfsck. There are more tools under Windows.

If 2 or more drives fail only the data on the failed drives are lost. All the other drives are readable when mounted to a Linux system. Even on windows with Linux file system utilities. Connect the drive however you want just don't reformat.

If 2 or more drives fail only the data on the failed drives are lost. All the other drives are readable when mounted to a Linux system. Even on windows with Linux file system utilities. Connect the drive however you want just don't reformat.

 

There are utilities that may be able to recover files from a failed drive.

Hello.

 

I am wondering the process of recovering the files from a hard drive in the event that 2 or more drive being lost.  Its my understanding that you can still recover the data in the drives which were not lost.

 

I am currently playing around with the demo software trying to simulate difference things happening to see how it works.

 

How exactly would these files be recovered?  Could they be connected to a USB docking station on a windows computer, linux operating system, or perhaps some kind of special software tool made for recovery?

 

Please let me know

 

Thanks

Any linux system can be used, even a spare USB key with the free version of unRAID.

 

TO use the free unRAID version, boot, assign any working data disks (do not assign parity disk at all) to slots in the array, start as usual.

You can then get to their contents.

 

To use a different version of linux, mount partition 1 of any of the data disks as a reiserfs file-system.  You can then get to the contents.

 

To use windows, install a driver on the window's PC that can read reiserfs file systems.  Mount partition 1 of any of the data disks, you can then get to the contents.  (Note, as far as I know, last time I checked, window's only has read-only drivers, so no writing is possible)

 

Joe L.

I second Joe L's suggestion of the free unRAID.

I have done that in the past. It could not be any simpler and it worked just fine.

If the server is still working but 2 drives have failed then you just re-setup the array with the good drives and initialize the array, creating a new array with the working drives. Then, you can take the failed drives and try to recover them if you like.

 

Each drive has a standard Reiser file system on it. Any system that can read a Reiser file system can recover the data.

Hi Lionelhutz - I have just had two drives fail at the same time and found your response here. Are you able to explain how you "re-setup the array with the good drives and initialize the array" ?

 

Have had my UnRaid for about 4 years without a hitch - then bang two dead disks. Be great if as you say I can get it up and running only minus the data on the two failed disks.

Me again. Found another post that described how to use initconfig to re-initialize the array. Have done that and am now re-building the parity - will know in 1474 minutes if that worked and will discover what data I have lost. Hopefully just some crappy movies and nothing vital.

Just to close the loop on this. Parity re-built over night and all of the data on the remaining disks is visible. So although I have lost the data on the two failed disks the array is up and running again - phew.