25 Years of Expertise in Professional RAID Data Recovery Services
When an HPE ProLiant RAID 5 array fails to rebuild after a drive replacement, or suffers a configuration reset, it can lead to a severely degraded state or total inaccessibility. At Coventry Data Recovery, we specialise in complex RAID 5 failure scenarios, offering expert data recovery solutions for enterprise-grade servers with up to 32 drives.
🔧 Common RAID 5 Issues on HPE ProLiant Systems
Two critical RAID 5 failure scenarios include:
1. RAID 5 Not Rebuilding After Drive Replacement
- Cause: A replaced drive may not match the original configuration (capacity, sector alignment), or controller logic misidentifies the drive order.
- Effect: Array stays in degraded mode, preventing rebuild and risking further data loss.
2. RAID 5 Configuration Reset
- Cause: Misconfigured controller settings or BIOS/firmware reset during troubleshooting.
- Effect: Logical RAID metadata is lost or overwritten, breaking access to the original volume and filesystem.
Both scenarios require specialist non-invasive recovery before any attempts to rebuild or reinitialise the array.
🛠️ Step-by-Step RAID 5 Degraded Recovery Process
Step 1: Safe Imaging of All Disks
- All 8 drives are individually write-blocked and sector-imaged using tools such as PC-3000 RAID Edition or DeepSpar DDI.
- Imaging is performed in read-only mode to preserve original data and sector arrangement, especially in degraded arrays.
Step 2: RAID Parameter Reconstruction
- Array parameters (stripe size, block order, rotation algorithm, parity location) are extracted from metadata or reconstructed via signature analysis.
- We identify the exact disk order and logical disk offset used by the original controller configuration.
- This is critical in arrays that have experienced config reset or wrong drive rebuild.
Step 3: Virtual RAID Reconstruction
- A virtual RAID is built from the sector images using the recovered parameters.
- Any logical inconsistencies, missing parity, or corrupted data blocks are repaired using proprietary algorithms and parity-based reconstruction techniques.
Step 4: File System & Data Extraction
- The reconstructed volume is scanned using commercial-grade recovery platforms (UFS Explorer, R-Studio Technician).
- File systems such as NTFS, ReFS, ext4, and XFS are repaired, and folder structures are rebuilt.
- Data is extracted and validated via checksums and file signature verification.
💼 Supported RAID Systems & Platforms
We recover data from all major HPE ProLiant RAID 5 servers, including:
- HPE ProLiant DL360 / DL380 / ML350 Series
- Smart Array Controllers: P440ar, P420i, P812, P822, and more
- RAID arrays with up to 32 disks (SATA, SAS, SSD)
- File systems: NTFS, ext3/ext4, ReFS, XFS, VMFS
We also handle virtualised environments including:
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- VMware ESXi / vSphere
- Citrix XenServer
🔍 Examples of RAID 5 Recovery Faults We Resolve
| RAID 5 Error Scenario | Technical Description | Recovery Technique |
|---|---|---|
| RAID 5 Rebuild Failed | New drive rejected due to mismatch or SMART errors | Restore original array from cloned disks |
| RAID 5 Logical Configuration Lost | BIOS or firmware reset removed RAID metadata | Manually reconstruct RAID layout parameters |
| One or More Drives Offline | Degraded state worsens due to improper drive addition/removal | Simulate full RAID with healthy disks and logical rebuild |
| Drive Order Changed During Troubleshooting | Controller now sees array out of sync | Re-order disks based on stripe analysis |
| Rebuild Attempted with Wrong Disk | Array partially overwrites original parity | Partial recovery using original disks + parity analysis |
✅ Why Choose Coventry Data Recovery?
- 25+ years of RAID recovery expertise, including enterprise NAS, rack-mount servers, and virtualised arrays
- Cleanroom facilities for mechanical recovery if drives are physically damaged
- Proprietary tools for deep RAID layer and metadata analysis
- No-rebuild recovery policy to prevent further data loss
- All work done in accordance with UK data protection and confidentiality standards
📞 Contact Us Today for Professional RAID 5 Recovery
If your HPE RAID 5 array is stuck in degraded mode, or if an incorrect rebuild or configuration reset has left your data inaccessible, do not attempt further rebuilds.
Coventry Data Recovery offers specialist services in RAID 5 recovery, helping businesses, healthcare, education, and government clients retrieve critical data without risking further corruption.
Coventry Data Recovery – Trusted Experts in HPE ProLiant RAID Failures
Free Diagnostics | Secure Handling | Technical Precision