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RAID 5 Data Recovery Sheffield

A RAID 5 that has lost a drive, stalled a rebuild or lost its controller may look like a disaster, but normally the data itself is still there. We copy each of the member drives and reconstruct the RAID virtually using only the copies, avoiding risky write operations against your original drives.

Start a free diagnostic 0800 689 0668Freephone · Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:30pm
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Free diagnostic on every RAID job. You get one fixed quote in writing before any work starts. RAID recovery is from £500 + VAT, priced per disk, and on logical rebuilds you only pay if we recover your data.

// how raid 5 arrays fail

The ways a RAID 5 comes apart

RAID 5 will keep functioning when one disk fails, but only one. These are the failures that generally end up on the bench.

A second disk quits during the rebuild

RAID 5 provides protection from one disk going bad, but rebuilding onto a new disk beats up the other, older disks for hours. Should another disk give way during the rebuild, an array that was degraded (less than fully operational) becomes one that is down.

Controller, HBA or backplane dies

A faulty RAID controller, host adapter or backplane can pull the entire array offline even though all the individual disks remain healthy. The layout and parity metadata have to be recovered from the members before the array can be brought back online.

A member that's fallen out of sync

When a disk goes bad and the rest of the array carries on in a degraded state, that member goes stale. Forcing it back in later will mix old and current data together, breaking the parity across the array.

Bad sectors creeping across disks

When unnoticed bad sectors sit on more than one member, parity can't cover every stripe, so we image all members around the bad areas before attempting any kind of rebuild.

An array re-initialised by accident

Attempting to recreate or initialise the set, or a hopeful repair operation via the controller dashboard, can overwrite the very metadata that describes how your data is organised.

A migration or expansion that stalled

Capacity expansions and RAID-level migrations that get interrupted half-way will leave the array in an inconsistent state, making it impossible to mount.

// how raid 5 recovery works

We clone every disk before touching the array

Your original member disks are never worked on live. Instead, we clone each one to a stable image on dedicated hardware imagers, and any member that is physically failing is repaired on our head-swap bench first. Those images let us determine the exact disk order, stripe size, rotation, parity direction and so on, and we use this to rebuild the array virtually and extract your files, leaving the original disks intact as a fallback.

Why forcing a rebuild onto tired disks backfires

The reaction of most people after a RAID 5 failure is to install a new disk and let the controller rebuild. On an array that has already used up its redundancy, that rebuild stresses the remaining disks at exactly the moment they can least handle it, and a second failure partway through turns what would be a routine recovery into a difficult one. If a rebuild has already failed, power the box down and don't run it again.

RAID recovery for South Yorkshire servers and businesses

Most RAID 5 systems we see are used as the main storage in a small-business server or NAS. We handle Dell PowerEdge, HP ProLiant, Lenovo and self-built servers, along with Synology, QNAP and Netgear NAS boxes, and we provide data recovery services to businesses throughout Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster and the rest of South Yorkshire. Media is posted to our Leeds location, tracked and insured, and urgent business jobs can move to the front of the queue. See our general RAID recovery service, NAS recovery and typical data recovery costs.

// related services

Also recovered here

RAID Recovery →

Every RAID level and controller — the parent service.

NAS Recovery →

Synology, QNAP and Netgear network storage.

Data Recovery Cost →

Per-disk RAID pricing, from £500 + VAT.

// raid 5 recovery questions

Common questions

Almost always: by far the most common RAID 5 scenario we receive is one where the rebuild attempt failed. Whether the rebuild stalled or produced errors, we copy each disk as it is and then reconstruct the array virtually from those copies, so the failed rebuild doesn't block the job. The key is to stop hitting retry and shut the system down.
As a rule, we don't need anything except the disks themselves. Get a quote first by calling us on 0800 689 0668 or filling out the free online diagnostic, then remove each member drive from the enclosure, label each with its bay number, and post the full set, including any disk that had already dropped out. We only ask for the enclosure as well with an unusual controller, so if you're unsure, call us first.
Pricing begins at £500 + VAT and increases with the number of disks, because each member disk must be cloned independently before the rebuild. Once the free diagnostic is complete you are given a single fixed price in writing; our cost page sets this out in full.
Yes, when the disks are sound and the rebuild is purely logical: you only pay if we recover your data. Where a disk has electronic, mechanical, physical, water or fire damage, that disk needs invasive repair and half of the quoted price is paid upfront for parts and bench time, with the remaining balance only if we recover your data. All of this is agreed in writing before work begins.
Expect your free diagnostic results within 2 working days of your member disks reaching us. Once you approve the work, a clean rebuild of your array will often be finished within a week, although larger capacities, more member disks or physical damage can extend the timeframe. Business-critical jobs can be prioritised.

RAID 5 down? We’ll rebuild it.

The diagnostic is free and the quote is fixed, and on logical rebuilds you only pay if we recover your data. Start now, or call the freephone.

Start a free diagnostic 0800 689 0668
// getting your device to us

Post your device to us — it's simple

Customers get a quote before sending their media to us, either by telephone on 0800 689 0668 or by completing our free online diagnostic. Once a customer has their quote, they post their media to us, tracked and insured.

Sending a drive from a computer, laptop, MacBook, iMac, CCTV / DVR or server? Please remove the hard drive or SSD from your machine and send us just the drive; we do not offer an internal drive-removal service. If you have a server or RAID system, please send us every disk, each clearly labelled with its bay. We cannot recover data from storage that is soldered directly onto the motherboard (for example Apple Silicon Macs and some thin laptops), so we need removable drives to be sent to us. If you are unsure which kind you have, ring us first.

  • Bubble wrap the device or place it in a padded envelope. A single external drive should be posted to us whole, in its housing, along with its cable and power supply; for any other type of equipment there is no need to include cables.
  • Print, complete and enclose a copy of the booking-in & shipping form (PDF). Include your name, contact telephone number and a brief explanation of what happened.
  • Use Royal Mail Special Delivery or a tracked courier of your choice, so your parcel is fully insured in transit.
  • Would you prefer to hand it over in person? Once you have your quote, you can bring your item to the Leeds lab's reception desk at the address shown, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, with no appointment needed.
// send your device to your nearest location

Leeds Data Recovery

17th Floor, The Pinnacle
Albion Street
Leeds, LS1 5AA

↓ Print the booking-in & shipping form (PDF)

Mark your package for the attention of Leeds Data Recovery and we will contact you as soon as we have diagnosed your media.

Unsure about what to send? Call us first on 0800 689 0668 or complete our free online diagnostic.