Yes — crashed and inaccessible NAS volumes are usually recoverable, including Synology SHR and QNAP thin volumes where one or more drives have degraded. We reconstruct the array and filesystem from the member disks in our lab. The single most important thing: do NOT reinitialise, reset, repair or rebuild the NAS — that's what turns a recoverable volume into a lost one.
NAS "volume crashed"? Your data is probably still there.
A Network Attached Storage (NAS) unit is more than a box of disks — it runs a proprietary operating system (DSM on Synology, QTS on QNAP) layered over RAID and an advanced filesystem like SHR, Btrfs or ext4. When it reports a "crashed volume" or a drive failure, the panic is understandable — but in most cases the underlying data is intact and recoverable.
The danger is the NAS interface itself: it will happily offer to "repair", "reinitialise" or "rebuild" the volume — and any of those can overwrite the very data we need. CBL reconstructs the SHR/Btrfs/ext4 structures from the member disks in our lab, without relying on the failed NAS, so your shared folders, backups and business files come back safely.
Do not reinitialise, reset to factory, rebuild the volume, or run the NAS's repair tools. If a drive has failed, power the unit down and label the disk order. Then book a free diagnosis.
NAS brands we recover
Every major NAS platform and filesystem — with dedicated expertise for the two most common in Singapore.
How NAS differs from a single drive or RAID
A NAS combines three layers, and a fault in any of them makes your data inaccessible — but each is recoverable in the lab.
- The disks & RAID layer — usually SHR (Synology) or standard RAID, striping data across bays for redundancy.
- The filesystem — Btrfs or ext4, which can develop corruption independent of the disks.
- The NAS OS — DSM or QTS, which can fail or misreport a healthy volume as "crashed".
Because these layers are proprietary, generic RAID or drive-recovery approaches often fail. We reconstruct them specifically. Related: RAID data recovery.
Common NAS failure causes
What NOT to do with a crashed NAS
The NAS interface will suggest actions that destroy recoverable data. Please avoid these.
Power the NAS down, label each disk with its bay number, and call us. Preserving the current state gives the highest chance of a full recovery.
Our NAS recovery process
Free diagnosis
We assess each member disk and the array/filesystem, identify the fault, and confirm recoverability — at no cost.
Image every disk
We clone each drive individually first — repairing any physically failed disk in the cleanroom — so the originals are never risked.
Reconstruct the array
We rebuild the SHR/RAID layout and the Btrfs/ext4 filesystem virtually from the images — no reliance on the failed NAS unit.
Extract & verify
We mount the reconstructed volume, extract your shared folders and files, and provide a list to verify.
Secure return
Verified data returned on fresh media, confidentially.
See the full lab walkthrough: how professional data recovery works →
What we can recover — NAS scenarios
| Scenario | Approach | Typical outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Synology SHR, one/two disks degraded (not rebuilt) | SHR + Btrfs reconstruction | High |
| QNAP volume crashed (thin/thick LVM) | QTS/LVM reconstruction | High |
| Btrfs / ext4 filesystem corruption | Filesystem repair from image | High |
| Deleted shared folder | Structure recovery | Good |
| Reinitialised / rebuilt NAS | Assessed individually | Reduced |
Dedicated guides: Synology recovery · QNAP recovery.
How much does NAS recovery cost?
NAS recovery is multi-disk, filesystem-level work; cost reflects the number of bays and failure severity.
| Case type | Examples | Indicative range (SGD) |
|---|---|---|
| Logical NAS | Volume crash, filesystem corruption, no physical damage | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| NAS + failed disk(s) | One or more disks need cleanroom repair | $1,600 – $3,200 |
| Large / complex arrays | 4+ bays, encrypted volumes, priority turnaround | $2,800+ |
Exact fixed price before work begins. Full detail: data recovery cost guide →
NAS recovery case studies
Representative examples from typical laboratory cases. Anonymised.
Synology SHR — volume crashed
A 4-bay Synology running SHR reported a crashed volume after two disks degraded. The owner nearly reinitialised it. We reconstructed the SHR/Btrfs array from the member disks without touching the original data.
✓ 98% recoveredQNAP thin volume offline
A QNAP QTS thin-provisioned volume dropped after a firmware update. We rebuilt the LVM thin pool and ext4 filesystem from images and restored the shared project drive.
✓ Full recoveryDeleted shared folder under NDA
A finance shared folder was deleted during a migration. We recovered the Btrfs structure and returned the records under NDA within the priority window.
✓ Records recoveredFree diagnosis & a fixed written quote
Free Diagnosis
We assess your NAS and confirm recoverability — no cost, no obligation.
Fixed Written Quote
A firm price before any work — you approve before we start.
NDA & Confidential
Business-grade confidentiality, NDAs and proper invoicing.
NAS recovery FAQ
Can you recover a crashed NAS volume?+
Should I reinitialise or repair the NAS?+
Can you recover Synology SHR?+
Can you recover a QNAP thin volume?+
Do you need the NAS unit, or just the disks?+
One or two NAS drives failed — is it recoverable?+
How much does NAS recovery cost?+
Do you sign NDAs for business NAS recovery?+
Do I pay if the NAS volume cannot be recovered?+
The bottom line
A crashed NAS is recoverable far more often than the interface makes it seem — but only if the first response is right. Power it down, don't reinitialise, label the bays, and call CBL. With Synology, QNAP and filesystem-level expertise, NDAs, we give your NAS its best chance.