Netgear ReadyNAS devices are widely used by businesses and creative professionals for secure data storage and collaboration. However, a failed firmware update can cause the NAS to become bricked, leading to data inaccessibility.
This case study explores how we successfully recovered Adobe InDesign project files from a Netgear ReadyNAS that failed after a firmware update, making stored data completely inaccessible.
As Ireland’s oldest and most experienced data recovery company, we applied RAID reconstruction and firmware repair techniques to restore lost design files.
The Challenge: Bricked Netgear ReadyNAS After Firmware Update Failure
A graphic design agency contacted us after their Netgear ReadyNAS stopped functioning following a firmware update. The reported symptoms included:
- NAS stuck in a boot loop, failing to load the operating system.
- No access to shared files, preventing InDesign projects from being retrieved.
- Drives in the NAS were still functional, but RAID metadata was corrupted.
Since the NAS contained years of Adobe InDesign projects, a professional RAID recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Netgear ReadyNAS system arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and firmware-level diagnostic. Our findings:
- Firmware corruption – The failed update prevented the NAS from booting, making data storage inaccessible.
- RAID metadata damage – The RAID configuration was partially corrupted, requiring manual reconstruction.
- No physical drive failure – The hard drives themselves were healthy, meaning data was still recoverable.
Since Netgear ReadyNAS devices often use RAID 5 or RAID 6 configurations, a manual RAID reconstruction was necessary to extract the data.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All NAS Drives
To prevent further corruption, we:
- Removed each hard drive from the NAS enclosure.
- Created sector-by-sector clones to preserve data integrity.
- Checked for bad sectors and disk health issues.
2. Manually Rebuilding the RAID Array
Since the firmware update had corrupted RAID metadata, we:
- Identified the original RAID configuration, including stripe size and parity settings.
- Rebuilt the RAID manually using specialised recovery tools.
- Bypassed damaged system files to access the stored data.
3. Extracting & Verifying Adobe InDesign Files
Once the RAID was successfully reconstructed, we:
- Extracted all Adobe InDesign (INDD) files, fonts, and assets.
- Verified the integrity of design projects to ensure usability.
- Transferred the recovered data to a secure external drive for the agency.
The Results: 99% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID reconstruction and firmware repair techniques, we successfully recovered 99% of the graphic design agency’s Adobe InDesign projects, including:
✅ InDesign (INDD) files with full layouts intact
✅ Linked images, fonts, and branding assets
✅ Client presentations and publication projects
The agency was able to resume work immediately, avoiding costly project delays.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading RAID and NAS data recovery specialists in Ireland and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ Netgear ReadyNAS firmware failure recovery
✔ RAID 5 and RAID 6 reconstruction
✔ NAS system corruption repair
✔ Secure & confidential data recovery for creative professionals
If your Netgear ReadyNAS has failed after a firmware update, is stuck in a boot loop, or is showing RAID errors, don’t attempt DIY fixes—contact us for expert data recovery.