RAID 5 Data Recovery – Compaq Proliant Server Experts

At Aberdeen Data Recovery, we are Scotland’s leading specialists in RAID 5 data recovery, trusted by organisations for more than 25 years. When a rebuild fails or results in inaccessible data—especially within critical systems like virtualised servers—our expert team delivers precise and reliable recovery solutions.

⚠️ Case Study: Compaq Proliant RAID 5 System Failure After Rebuild

A recent client experienced a major issue with a Compaq Proliant server running Windows Small Business Server on a 7-disk RAID 5 array. When one drive failed, a replacement was fitted and a rebuild was initiated. While the system reported that the rebuild completed successfully, the server failed to boot. HP Business Support was contacted and multiple firmware updates and tests were conducted—but the problem persisted.

The client then turned to Aberdeen Data Recovery.

🛠️ Our RAID 5 Recovery Process

We received eight disks: the original seven from the RAID array and the newly added replacement. Here’s how we successfully recovered the data, including two virtualised servers.

1. Imaging All Drives

  • All functioning drives were imaged using non-invasive, sector-level cloning equipment.
  • The failed drive had a motor failure; we carried out a motor swap in our cleanroom and created a full image.

2. RAID Analysis

  • Analysis revealed that although the rebuild reported 100%, it had only progressed to 42% before stopping.
  • The partial rebuild introduced data inconsistency, which often leads to significant data corruption.

3. Virtual RAID Reconstruction

  • We virtually reconstructed the RAID 5 array, excluding the partially rebuilt sectors.
  • Our engineers used RAID metadata and parity structures to restore the most recent valid data state.

4. Multi-Layer Virtual Machine Recovery

  • The server hosted two virtual machines, each with its own file system and storage layers.
  • We manually decoded the virtual disks (VHDs/VMDKs) and extracted data from within the virtual environments.

5. Data Verification and Delivery

  • Recovered data from both virtual servers was verified and fully reconstructed.
  • Files were returned with original directory structures intact and confirmed bootable by the client’s IT team.

💻 Supported RAID 5 Systems

We recover RAID 5 arrays from:

  • Compaq / HP Proliant Servers
  • Dell PowerEdge, IBM xSeries
  • NAS Devices: Synology, QNAP, Netgear ReadyNAS, Buffalo
  • SAN and DAS Enclosures
  • RAID Controllers: Adaptec, LSI, Intel, Areca, HP Smart Array

🧰 Supported File Systems & Virtual Platforms

File Systems:

  • NTFS, FAT32, ReFS (Windows)
  • EXT3, EXT4, XFS (Linux)
  • HFS+, APFS (macOS)

Virtual Platforms:

  • VMware ESXi (VMDK)
  • Microsoft Hyper-V (VHD/VHDX)
  • Citrix XenServer

💼 Why Choose Aberdeen Data Recovery?

  • 🧠 25+ Years of RAID Recovery Expertise
  • 🧪 Advanced Virtual RAID Emulation Tools
  • 🧹 Cleanroom for Hardware Repairs
  • 🔐 GDPR-Compliant and Secure Handling
  • 💬 Free Diagnostic – No Data, No Fee
  • ⚡ 48-Hour Critical Data Recovery Option

From government departments to SMEs and global enterprises, organisations across the UK trust us to recover data others can’t.

📞 Contact Us for RAID 5 Data Recovery

If your RAID 5 server won’t boot after a failed or partial rebuild—or if virtual servers are affected—Aberdeen Data Recovery has the tools and expertise to restore your business-critical data.

Aberdeen Data Recovery – Scotland’s trusted experts in RAID 5 data recovery.