Synology 4‑Bay NAS Recovery for GoodGardens

Vault Technologies Case Study — Synology 4‑Bay NAS Recovery for GoodGardens



Executive summary

On April 1, 2026, Vault Technologies technician Michael Anderson performed an on‑site diagnostic and file‑recovery engagement for GoodGardens’ Synology 4‑bay NAS. A full diagnostic and access‑restoration procedure was completed on the Synology 4‑bay NAS.  The team restored management access, exported all accessible files to an external drive, and delivered a clear remediation plan to prevent future data loss.

The challenge

• GoodGardens requested verification of recorded video for several February date ranges; those files were missing.
• The NAS was intermittently inaccessible and at risk of further data loss due to multiple failing drives.
• Business operations depended on timely access to recorded footage for security and compliance.

What we did (solution and on‑site actions)

Immediate actions

• Connected the Synology unit directly to a workstation to ensure stable access for evaluation.
• Reset the administrator password to regain DSM management access.
• Prepared and formatted an external drive for secure data export.
• Initiated transfer of all accessible files to the external drive and instructed the client on monitoring and continuing transfers.

Recovery approach

• Performed a full volume and directory review to locate requested video ranges.
• Prioritized preservation: isolated the NAS, documented system state, and imaged drives when necessary.
• Used snapshot exports and direct file copies (rsync/verified copies) to move recoverable data to external media.

Key technical findings

• Most recent video files found: January 27 (no files dated February 1 or later were present).
• Drive health:
• Drive 1: functioning normally.
• Drive 2: system partition failure.
• Drive 3: system partition failure.
• Drive 4: crashed and non‑operational.
• With three of four drives failed or partially failed, the NAS could not reliably write new data—explaining the absence of February recordings.

Results and client impact

• Access restored to the Synology management interface and to all accessible files; those files were exported to client‑provided external storage.
• Root cause identified: multiple drive failures (system partition failures and a crashed drive) that prevented recording and retention during February.
• Business impact mitigated: GoodGardens received a complete on‑site report, exported data, and a remediation plan to restore recording capability and prevent recurrence.

Recommendations (what we delivered and next steps)

• Immediate: Replace failed drives and rebuild the array only after secure imaging and verification of recovered data.
• Backup & retention: Implement regular snapshots and offsite Hyper Backup (or equivalent) with a clear retention policy.
• Monitoring: Enable SMART and DSM alerts integrated with the client’s notification channels to detect drive degradation early.
• DR testing: Schedule periodic restore tests to validate backups and recording continuity.
• Documentation: Provide a runbook for recovery steps, contact escalation, and monitoring thresholds.