DATA LOST - Need Help

[andyshunde]

HI - need help and advice asap------ I loaded my Hard drive and then run your software via your your website. I did notice it say your "Drive" date will be cleared after updating the firmware.
I assumed this was the DRIVER files, not my personal saved files as 2 different things...So I accepted what it says and waited for the system to finish. Now I just noticed my HD drive has partitioned into 4 sections and all my data lost as its asking me to format my drive to use...What the hell is is going on.....Why would my personal data be lost, 10 years worth...Updating firmware should not delete the personal drive data files,,,,it changes the DRIVER DATA as your website says. Is all my files completed deleted now as I don't want to format my drive,,,what the hell do I do know? Is this mean I now have to take my HD to a recovery centre and pay heaps to restore the data and hopefully save it ??

I can see in the forum ones asking how can I save my data, but if it deletes the entire HD, then it should say clearly, it formats the drive or something of that nature or please add empty drives first.
I desperately need help as this lost data contains all the old family pics and videos whom have departed.

[schumaku]

This is not "our web site" - we're QNAP customers here, in a community forum.

I did notice it say your "Drive" date will be cleared after updating the firmware.

This is not part of a firmware update - this should ring all bells and whistles. Honestly, the message comes to late - the partitioning happens when the system is coming up already unless I'm wrong.

Why would my personal data be lost, 10 years worth

Because you ignored any common sense and advise to have backups. One HDD is not backup. If the HDD does fail, the data is gone, too. No NAS required to loose "everything" - large amounts of Bitcoins might be included. Not talking of the emotional value of the losses.

Updating firmware should not delete the personal drive data files

Updating the firmware does not touch user data stored on the NAS partitioned and NAS used storage volumes.

Afraid, and always sad to her of such loss. In my opinion, there are enough warnings and notes that the NAS can't take disks with user data, and will destroy partitioning, overwrite data.

The affordable reply is: Restore your data from backup.

Neither the community nor QNAP is responsible for any lost data or for recovery actions lack of backup copies.

Regards,
-Kurt.

[pwilson]

HI - need help and advice asap------ I loaded my Hard drive and then run your software via your your website. I did notice it say your "Drive" date will be cleared after updating the firmware.
I assumed this was the DRIVER files, not my personal saved files as 2 different things...So I accepted what it says and waited for the system to finish. Now I just noticed my HD drive has partitioned into 4 sections and all my data lost as its asking me to format my drive to use...What the ** is is going on.....Why would my personal data be lost, 10 years worth...Updating firmware should not delete the personal drive data files,,,,it changes the DRIVER DATA as your website says. Is all my files completed deleted now as I don't want to format my drive,,,what the ** do I do know? Is this mean I now have to take my HD to a recovery centre and pay heaps to restore the data and hopefully save it ??

I can see in the forum ones asking how can I save my data, but if it deletes the entire HD, then it should say clearly, it formats the drive or something of that nature or please add empty drives first.
I desperately need help as this lost data contains all the old family pics and videos whom have departed.

That warning is pretty blunt. Anyway, regardless of how you managed to destroy your own data, the resolution is the same. Restore your data from your backups.

No backups? No sympathy.

[andyshunde]

Hi Patrick - I think you misunderstand, when you buy the system, it tells you to log into a set up link, it never says format the H/D or anything of that nature, just install your H/D. Also uploading a firmware don't normally delete personal data normally as the above guys above says also. The issue I found was the word uploading firmware to your drive and not say formatting your drive.. DRIVE data in this context isnt normally referred to has personal Hard drive data. I update my driver on Win & and android and many other devices and never does it say drive data. It clearly says DRIVER...Also when you follow the set up via there website it does not say use a empty drive or something neither nor format the drive. I see on the forum now many others have asked the same question, so its something they need to address clearly. I guess its due to Chinese/Taiwan language as they don't tend to explain as we do. I am not a Tech guy, but have built my own PCs and done some basic work for years without any issues.

[andyshunde]

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schumaku has it covered pretty well, but I wanted to make one point. If I'm reading your message correctly, it sounds like you were setting up a NAS from scratch and trying to install a drive with existing data on it, presumably not from a QNAP NAS. If that's it, then regrettably, it is the wrong procedure and what happened is not a malfunction or software error. This is well documented.

If it happened on an already set up NAS during a routine firmware update, then it would be some kind of an error, although the outcome is the same. If you don't have any backups of this data, your best bet would be to turn everything off as soon as possible and send the drive in for professional data recovery.

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Yes, I was setting up from scratch and I followed the on-line instructions with 2 H/Ds, one was full off Data. Setting up a NAS is something new to me, so I followed the instruction carefully. I was told and lead to believe, once I added the drive and loaded there software, Windows would see the network link to the drive and access as normal. I never read any words saying personal data, or format the drive or please use an empty drive or even the words, your drive will be partitioned. If the set up software said your Hard Drive instead do drive data will be partitioned or personal data deleted or formatted, then of course would have stopped the process...I did have 2 drives in the bay and the other was empty, and it didn't even give you the option of what drive it adds its firmware etc etc.

Sending off to a lab as Ive tried a few basic recovery and nothing......I am wondering if you have to delete the partitions and put back to one partition before recovery.

[schumaku]

There is (normally) no need to use an empty drive - the NAS will change it to it's own needs regardless.

Updating firmware is not equals to install a HDD and run the initial installation.

At the moment you upload the firmware the HDD is already set-up for NAS usage.

Isn't the warning part of the quick start guide, too?

I see on the forum now many others have asked the same question, so its something they need to address clearly.

People ask if they can install HDD already containing data typically. Answer is a simple NO. Some ask some don't. These count up to less than one hand full of victims accusing QNAP for destroying data already on disk.

We can discuss this up and down - nothing does relief people out there form keeping valuable data on backup at least once, better on more copies. Having all this data on this drive in question is negligent. The drive could fail to spin-up, or completely go crazy any second and overwrite the tracks, or mechanically fail so bad that it physically destroy the surfaces.

Afraid, that's the way it is.

[andyshunde]

Hi Schumaka, I wasn’t saying QNAP is at fault for destroying the data. I understand it was my fault for not backing up. I was backing up that week and due to having many HDs, I got mixed up and thought this HD was backed up. I am very angry with myself for making this carless mistake.

What I was trying to explain when you go to the live set up link, there isn’t enough words about what you are going/trying to do, and clear explanation of words that your Hard Drive will be deleted and formatted, using the “driver cleared” is a bit vague as “Driver” is more connected to the driver in the HD ie the O/S part, not personal data.

Also now I have the system up and running, I am finding it hard to understand how it work as no instructions. It seems when I connect to certain areas, I have to have 3 log in passwords which I find strange. I go to the YT page and even tho the intro video gives an overall view of what it can do, but there isn’t a clear direction on how to set up each section and what each section does. For example on my network it shows the QNAP drive and also another drive named NPI11F594 what is this as it does nothing as I only have one HD inside.

When I click on the home page some features don’t work and then later they do work.
I tried the plug and play feature and many times it don’t work, so I am confused what I am doing wrong. This sort of thing keeps happening so I have decided to sell the unit. It seems to be a great system as per the box information, but it’s not easy to use or explains each section in detail.

If you are not already familiar with networking or using this system you cannot use it and I am not that dumb, well I thought so. I do have 5xPC around my home all networked along with IPads and smart phones so I am not a complete idiot. I just don’t have time to play around trying to find how a system works without instructions or clear guidelines on each section.
I’ve already spent several days and still have issue so I’ve given up - time is worth far more to me as I would prefer to give a guy $100 to come and explain and show how it works than messing up several days of my time.