A small photography studio in Newcastle Upon Tyne contacted Newcastle Data Recovery after their WD My Book Duo (2-disk RAID 1 setup) stopped working. The reported issues included:
- One of the two drives failed, causing the WD Duo system to become unresponsive.
- The RAID 1 array did not allow access to the remaining disk, preventing data retrieval.
- The external drive contained business-critical photography files, client work, and archived projects.
- No backup was available, making professional RAID 1 data recovery essential.
Since RAID 1 is designed for redundancy, failure to access the working disk suggests RAID metadata corruption or hardware failure, requiring forensic recovery techniques.
Our Expertise in WD My Book Duo RAID 1 Data Recovery
With 25 years of experience, Newcastle Data Recovery specializes in:
✔ Recovering data from RAID 1 arrays with one or more failed disks
✔ Forensic-level RAID metadata repair and disk cloning
✔ Using advanced tools like Acelabs PC3000, R-Studio RAID, and DeepSpar Disk Imager
Diagnosis & Recovery Process
Upon receiving the WD My Book Duo, our engineers conducted a detailed forensic assessment. The key findings included:
- One disk was physically failed due to mechanical degradation.
- The remaining disk was intact but unreadable due to RAID metadata corruption.
- The WD RAID controller prevented standalone disk access, requiring manual extraction.
To successfully recover the client’s photography files, we implemented a multi-step forensic RAID 1 recovery strategy:
Step 1: Secure Imaging of Both Disks
- Used DeepSpar Disk Imager to create sector-by-sector forensic clones of the remaining working drive.
- Performed mechanical repair attempts on the failed disk, but it was unreadable.
Step 2: RAID Metadata Repair & Virtual Rebuild
- Used R-Studio RAID and UFS Explorer RAID Edition to analyze and reconstruct the RAID 1 structure.
- Successfully extracted all files from the working disk without needing RAID controller access.
Step 3: Data Extraction & File Verification
- Manually recovered RAW image files, client photography projects, and archived edits.
- Verified file integrity to ensure all images were accessible and undamaged.
Step 4: Data Validation & Secure Transfer
- Successfully transferred the restored data to a secure external SSD, formatted for macOS and Windows compatibility.
- Provided guidance on RAID 1 maintenance, hard drive health monitoring, and backup best practices.
The Result
We successfully recovered 100% of the client’s photography files, including:
✅ RAW image files, edited projects, and final client deliveries
✅ Archived wedding shoots, commercial photography, and portfolio work
✅ Lightroom catalogs, Photoshop files, and video editing project files
The client was able to restore their photography work without losing any essential files.
Why Choose Newcastle Data Recovery for WD My Book Duo RAID Recovery?
✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in RAID 1 failure and external drive recovery.
✅ Forensic-Level Data Restoration – Extracting data even when RAID controllers prevent access.
✅ Fast & Reliable Service – Trusted by photographers, creatives, and businesses for 25 years.
If your WD My Book Duo is unresponsive due to a failed drive, contact Newcastle Data Recovery today for expert RAID 1 data recovery services!