RAID is a storage device technology that combines multiple disks to increase performance and/or capacity. RAID has been around for years, providing businesses with a cost-effective way to keep data safe and available. But what should you do when a hard drive fails on RAID?

Do’s and Don’ts When Dealing With RAID Failure

1. Do’s When Dealing With RAID Failure

  • Stop Using RAID Immediately

When you notice a RAID failure, immediately stop using the drive. This is because the more data that is written to the drive, the more likely it will be damaged when bad sectors are found.

You should not continue to use the drive until it has been repaired. If your computer is connected to a server or other computer, take extra measures to protect your data by turning off all unnecessary services and programs on that computer before attempting to remove the drive.

  • Disconnect the Power Supply

You’ll need to turn off all of the connected drives before proceeding with this step. If you don’t, and the drive that failed could have been salvaged, it could end up destroying your data. In addition to turning off all of the drives, it’s important to make sure that none of them is in use by other machines in your network.

  • Remove the Drive(s)

When removing a failed drive, you should move as much of your data onto another drive as possible. If you can transfer it all at once to another hard drive, then great! If not, at least move as much as possible one file at a time until there is nothing left on the original drive. This way if there was something on there that was still needed by your system (such as an operating system or application), you can re-install it later from scratch on a new drive.

  • Ensure to have multiple copies of the backups

You should have multiple copies of your backups. This is because if one copy gets corrupted, you’ll still be able to recover the data from another copy. For example, if you had three copies of a file and two of them were corrupted, you could use the last copy and get the data back. You don’t want this to happen though!

If possible, you should keep a backup for every computer in your office or home. This way if one computer fails or becomes infected with malware, you can take care of it quickly and easily.

  • Monitor all OS Messages

When working with your failed RAID configuration, monitor all OS messages. The first thing to do is to check the status of your hard drives in Disk Utility. If your hard drives are not showing up in Disk Utility, then you should restart your Mac and check again.

If you see that one or more of the hard drives have failed, then you’ll need to rebuild the RAID array. 

  • Opt for RAID Recovery solutions

If you are dealing with the issue of a RAID failure, then it is important to know what your options are. You can opt for RAID recovery solutions that can help you get back your data in no time.

To recover data from failed RAID configuration, you can opt for a reliable RAID data recovery service, such as Recovery Squad. This DIY tool can recover data from different RAID Levels, such as RAID 0, 5, & 6 through Virtual RAID Construction. It can restore data from lost or deleted RAID volumes or drives with bad sectors.

Also Read:- Redundancy In RAID: All You Need To Know In 2022

2. Don’t When Dealing With RAID Failure

  • Don’t Panic

If you’re dealing with a RAID failure, the first thing you should do is not panic. Several things can cause a RAID array to fail and it’s important to determine the root cause of your problem before taking any actions.

To do this, you need to make sure that your system is running as it normally would before any problems arose. If you’ve recently installed new hardware or updated software, then this could be causing problems in the system. Make sure everything is working properly by restarting your computer and checking for errors on your hard drive.

  • Don’t Open RAID in a ‘Normal’ Environment

When you open your RAID in a normal environment, the drive will be formatted and all of your data will be lost. The only way to recover your data is to reinstall the OS and all of your applications.

RAID should be used only when you need to save all of your data on multiple hard drives. If you need to use RAID for a single drive or two, then there are much safer ways of doing this.

Also Read:- 5 Advantages Of Using RAID Drive Over Others

  • Do Not Remove Hard Drives Or Any Other Components From The RAID Array

If you have a RAID array, don’t remove the hard drives or any other components from it. Doing so will cause data loss and will result in the complete failure of your storage device. Removing even one drive from a RAID array can lead to data loss. This is why creating a RAID array is not something to be done quickly because you need to take into consideration all the aspects that are involved with creating a good array.

  • Don’t Try to Reboot the System

Don’t try to reboot the system. Rebooting can damage data on the disk, and it will not fix the problem! It is vitally important that you avoid rebooting your computer when you are trying to recover data from a RAID array.

The most common way of recovering data from a failed RAID array is using a program called “RAID Recovery Software”. The software will automatically diagnose your disks and then save all your files onto another drive or partition so that they don’t get erased by the system during the recovery process. We recommend that you use this type of software as it is much more reliable than manual methods.

  • Do Not Take The Problem Into Your Own Hands

If you are not familiar with how a RAID system works, then it is best not to try fixing it yourself. This can result in more problems than just the failure of the RAID drive. In addition, if there is any damage done to the drive by using an improper tool or technique, then this could cause even more problems down the line.

At The End

The aforementioned pointers will help you deal with RAID failure and get back your data. You should regularly check your disk drives, hard disk drives, and RAID array for healthy performance and silent data corruption. If you find any faulty drive or issues related to the array, then remove it from the pool immediately to avoid damage. However, in case of an unplanned drive malfunction/data loss, consult the best RAID data recovery services professional for expert assistance on recovering data from failed RAID.