Yes — failed and degraded RAID arrays are usually recoverable, including RAID 5 with two failed disks and arrays where a rebuild failed. We reconstruct the array from the member disks in our lab, often without the original controller. The single most important thing: do NOT force a rebuild, re-initialise, or run repair tools — that's what turns a recoverable array into a lost one. Emergency service and NDAs available.
When your array goes down, downtime is money — act correctly, fast.
RAID exists to protect against a single disk failure — but it's not a backup, and it fails in ways that panic even experienced IT teams: a second disk drops during a rebuild, a controller dies, a volume goes offline, or a rebuild completes onto the wrong data. When that happens, business-critical files, databases and virtual machines are suddenly inaccessible.
CBL has reconstructed thousands of arrays across every RAID level and controller — hardware and software RAID, on servers and NAS units alike. We work from the member disks, rebuild the parity and stripe order, and extract your data safely. For downtime-critical systems we offer emergency and priority service, with NDAs and proper invoicing for businesses.
Do not rebuild, re-initialise, swap disks in a different order, or run CHKDSK/fsck. If a disk failed, power the array down and label the disk order. One wrong rebuild can permanently overwrite recoverable data. Call us first.
RAID levels & recoverability
Select your RAID level to understand its fault tolerance and how we recover it.
RAID 0 — striping, no redundancy
⚠ Tolerates 0 disk failures
Data is striped across all disks for speed, with no redundancy. If one disk fails, the array is down — but the data is usually still recoverable. We image each disk and reconstruct the stripe set. Do not re-create the array.
RAID 1 — mirroring
✓ Tolerates 1 disk failure
Two disks hold identical copies. If one fails, the other still has your data; if both fail or the mirror corrupts, we recover from the healthiest member. Common in small servers and NAS.
RAID 5 — striping with single parity
✓ Tolerates 1 disk failure
Data and parity are distributed across all disks. RAID 5 survives one failure — but if a second disk fails (common during a rebuild), the array goes offline. This is highly recoverable in our lab by reconstructing the parity and disk order — but only if you haven't forced a rebuild. RAID 5 failure recovery →
RAID 6 — striping with double parity
✓ Tolerates 2 disk failures
Two parity blocks allow the array to survive two simultaneous failures. When a third fails, or the array otherwise goes offline, we reconstruct it from the members.
RAID 10 — mirrored stripes
✓ Tolerates 1+ failures (depends on which)
Combines mirroring and striping. It survives one failure per mirror set; lose both disks in a mirror and the array drops. We identify the surviving members and reconstruct the nested array.
What NOT to do with a failed RAID
More RAID data is lost to well-meaning recovery attempts than to the original failure. Please avoid these.
Power the array down, label each disk with its slot number, and call us. Preserving the current state gives the highest chance of a full recovery.
Why RAID arrays fail
Our RAID recovery process
Free diagnosis
We assess each member disk, identify failed drives and the array parameters, and confirm recoverability — at no cost.
Image every disk
We clone each member disk individually first, repairing any physically failed drives in the cleanroom, so the originals are never risked.
Reconstruct the array
We determine the RAID level, stripe size, disk order and parity rotation from the images and virtually rebuild the array — no original controller required.
Extract & verify
We mount the reconstructed volume, extract your files, databases or VMs, and provide a list to verify.
Secure return
Verified data returned on fresh media, confidentially.
See also how professional recovery works →
What we recover — RAID & beyond
| Scenario | Approach | Typical outcome |
|---|---|---|
| RAID 5, single/second disk failure (not rebuilt) | Parity + order reconstruction | High |
| RAID 0 with one dead disk | Repair disk + stripe rebuild | High |
| RAID 6 multi-disk failure | Double-parity reconstruction | High |
| Controller failure | Rebuild without original controller | High |
| Failed rebuild onto stale data | Recover from imaged members | Case-by-case |
We handle Dell PERC, HP Smart Array, LSI/Broadcom, Adaptec, and software RAID (mdadm, LVM, Storage Spaces, ZFS) — plus NAS arrays and server/virtualisation recovery.
How much does RAID recovery cost?
RAID recovery is complex, multi-disk work; cost reflects the number of disks and failure severity.
| Case type | Examples | Indicative range (SGD) |
|---|---|---|
| Logical RAID | Config lost, controller failure, no physical damage | $1,200 – $2,200 |
| RAID + failed disk(s) | One or more disks need cleanroom repair | $1,800 – $3,500 |
| Complex / emergency | Large arrays, VMs, priority turnaround | $3,000+ |
Exact fixed price before work begins. Full detail: data recovery cost guide →
RAID recovery case studies
Representative examples from typical laboratory cases. Anonymised.
RAID 5 server, failed rebuild
A case-management server lost a second disk mid-rebuild. We imaged all members, reconstructed the parity and disk order, and delivered verified case files under NDA within the priority window.
✓ Full recoveryRAID 6 array offline after power surge
A power surge corrupted the array metadata on a 6-disk RAID 6. We rebuilt the double-parity set from images and restored the shared database.
✓ 99% recoveredRAID 0 editing array, one dead disk
A dead disk took down a 4-disk RAID 0 of active video projects. We cleanroom-repaired the failed disk and reconstructed the stripe set.
✓ Projects recoveredEmergency diagnosis & a fixed written quote
Free Diagnosis
We assess your array and confirm recoverability — no cost, no obligation.
Emergency Service
Priority turnaround for downtime-critical business systems.
NDA & Confidential
Business-grade confidentiality, NDAs and proper invoicing.
RAID recovery FAQ
Can you recover a failed RAID array?+
Can you recover RAID 5 with two failed disks?+
Should I rebuild the array myself?+
Do you need the original RAID controller or enclosure?+
Do you recover NAS and server RAID too?+
How much does RAID recovery cost?+
Do you offer emergency / 24-7 RAID recovery?+
What happens to the bill if the array cannot be rebuilt?+
The bottom line
A failed RAID array is recoverable far more often than people fear — but only if the first response is right. Power it down, don't rebuild, label the disks, and call CBL. With full RAID-level and controller capability, emergency service, NDAs, we give your array its best chance.