Array degraded or offline
The controller reports a degraded, failed, foreign, missing or offline virtual disk.
Array reconstruction engineering
RAID Data Recovery
Professional reconstruction of failed, degraded and inaccessible RAID arrays—from small business servers to complex enterprise storage.
Every member preservedVirtual reconstruction firstController-independent analysis
Recognise the warning signs
When a RAID array needs professional attention
RAID recovery is time-sensitive. Rebuilds, initialization and controller changes can transform a recoverable configuration problem into permanent overwrite.
Multiple drive failure
More than one member is failed, missing, unstable or rebuilding incorrectly.
Controller or configuration loss
The RAID controller failed, was replaced, reset or lost its virtual-disk configuration.
Rebuild failure
A rebuild stopped, completed with errors or made the volume inaccessible.
File system or volume corruption
The logical volume mounts incorrectly, appears RAW or contains damaged databases and virtual machines.
Accidental initialization or reconfiguration
The array was initialized, recreated, expanded, migrated or configured with the wrong parameters.
Enterprise storage expertise
RAID levels and failure scenarios we handle
Mind Merge reconstructs arrays according to their exact controller metadata, member condition, stripe geometry, parity method and logical storage layout.
- RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 arrays
- RAID 5 and RAID 6 parity reconstruction
- Hardware RAID controllers and server arrays
- Software RAID and operating-system-managed arrays
- SAS, SATA, SSD and mixed enterprise storage
- Virtual disks, databases and virtual machines
Lost metadata and controller failure
Foreign configuration, controller replacement, reset configuration and missing virtual disks.
Failed or unstable member disks
Bad sectors, head failure, firmware faults and intermittent SAS or SATA members.
Interrupted or incorrect reconstruction
Wrong member replacement, partial rebuild, stale parity and degraded arrays.
Damaged volumes and file systems
RAW volumes, corrupted partitions, damaged virtual machines, databases and application data.
Recovery capability matrix
RAID reconstruction coverage
Each array is reconstructed virtually from preserved member images before file-system recovery begins.
| RAID type | Disk imaging | Metadata analysis | Virtual rebuild | Parity recovery | File-system recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| RAID 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| RAID 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RAID 6 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RAID 10 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Software RAID | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Controlled recovery workflow
How we reconstruct failed RAID storage
The original disks remain unchanged while the array is rebuilt virtually from sector-level images.
Preserve every member disk
Each RAID member is documented and acquired independently to prevent controller writes, rebuild activity and further media loss.
Determine the original geometry
Engineers identify drive order, stripe size, parity rotation, offsets, member roles and controller metadata.
Assess failed and stale members
Unstable drives are stabilized and imaged while stale, replaced or partially rebuilt members are compared carefully.
Reconstruct the virtual array
The correct RAID geometry is rebuilt virtually without writing to the original disks or controller.
Validate volumes and recover data
File systems, virtual machines, databases and business data are checked for consistency before secure delivery.
Protect the remaining data
What not to do after a RAID failure
Stop activity once an array becomes degraded, offline or inconsistent. Every write, rebuild or initialization can alter parity and member data.
Initialization may overwrite metadata, parity or file-system structures.
A stale or incorrect member can corrupt the logical array when forced into service.
Rebuilds stress weak disks and may propagate corruption across healthy members.
Label every bay and cable before removing drives from the server or enclosure.
Controller firmware and metadata compatibility can affect configuration import.
Old, failed and spare members may contain essential stripes or metadata.
Controller and platform ecosystem
RAID technologies we work with
Support spans major enterprise controllers, server platforms and storage architectures. Brand names are shown for compatibility reference only.
Dell PERC
HPE Smart Array
Broadcom / LSI
Adaptec
Areca
Intel RAID
Lenovo ThinkSystem
IBM ServeRAID
Supermicro
SynologyDell PERC • HPE Smart Array • Broadcom / LSI • Adaptec • Areca • Intel RAID • Lenovo ThinkSystem • IBM ServeRAID • Supermicro • Synology
All trademarks and logos belong to their respective owners. They are displayed only to identify commonly handled products. Mind Merge is an independent professional data recovery company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the manufacturers shown.
RAID recovery questions
Frequently asked questions
Early decisions after an array failure can materially affect the recovery outcome.
Can data be recovered after two drives fail in RAID 5?
Sometimes, but RAID 5 normally tolerates only one failed member. Recovery depends on the condition of all disks, whether one failure is partial, and whether a rebuild or reconfiguration has overwritten parity or data.
Should I replace a failed disk and start a rebuild?
Not before professional assessment when the data is important. A rebuild reads every surviving member heavily and can fail if another disk is weak. It can also overwrite useful evidence when the wrong member or geometry is used.
Do you need the original RAID controller?
It is helpful in some cases but not always essential. We can often reconstruct the array virtually from member disks and metadata, provided the original geometry can be determined.
Can you recover RAID after controller configuration loss?
Yes, in many cases. We analyse controller metadata, disk order, stripe size, parity layout, offsets and volume structures to rebuild the virtual disk safely.
Can virtual machines and databases be recovered from RAID?
Yes. After the array is reconstructed, we assess the file system and recover VMware, Hyper-V, database and application data according to its consistency and damage level.
Should all RAID disks be sent for diagnosis?
Yes. Include every original, failed, replaced and spare disk where possible. A disk believed to be failed may contain critical stripes or metadata needed for reconstruction.
Failed or degraded RAID?
Stop the array and preserve every disk.
Contact Mind Merge before rebuilding, initializing or replacing additional members. We will help you preserve the safest recovery path.