SanDisk Professional G-RAID storage systems are widely used by creative professionals, businesses, and enterprises for high-speed, high-capacity storage. However, when a RAID rebuild fails, the system may prompt users with the error “You need to format this drive before you can use it,” making all stored data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical business and creative files from a SanDisk Professional G-RAID 4-disk RAID array, after SanDisk support was unable to recover the data and referred the client to us.
As Cambridge Data Recovery, with 25 years of experience, we used RAID metadata reconstruction, file system repair, and deep sector-level recovery techniques to restore lost data.
The Challenge: G-RAID Asking to Be Formatted After Failed Rebuild
A business client contacted us after their SanDisk Professional G-RAID system stopped functioning properly, with the following issues:
- The RAID array prompted “You need to format this drive before you can use it.”
- File Explorer showed the drive as RAW, with no accessible files.
- A previous RAID rebuild attempt failed, making the data inaccessible.
- SanDisk support attempted recovery but was unsuccessful, recommending our services.
Since formatting the RAID would erase all remaining data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the SanDisk Professional G-RAID (4-disk RAID setup) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and file system diagnostic. Our findings:
- RAID metadata corruption – Preventing the system from recognizing the RAID structure.
- File system corruption (HFS+/APFS/EXT4) – Making stored data unreadable.
- No mechanical failures detected – Meaning logical recovery was possible through RAID reconstruction.
Since RAID failures often occur due to metadata corruption during rebuild attempts, we prioritized manual RAID reconstruction and NAS volume recovery.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All RAID Disks to Preserve Data Integrity
To prevent further corruption, we:
- Created sector-by-sector forensic clones of all RAID disks.
- Used advanced recovery tools to extract readable data despite metadata corruption.
2. Rebuilding the RAID Array & Repairing the File System
Since the RAID metadata was damaged, we:
- Reconstructed the RAID structure manually, using forensic RAID analysis tools.
- Repaired the file system (HFS+/APFS/EXT4) to restore lost file directories.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business & Creative Files
Once the RAID array was rebuilt, we:
- Recovered project files, multimedia content, and business documents.
- Checked all recovered files for integrity and usability.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID reconstruction and metadata repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the client’s lost files, including:
✅ High-resolution multimedia and creative project files
✅ Business reports, financial records, and customer databases
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy access
The client was able to regain access to all essential files, preventing business downtime and creative project losses.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful RAID recoveries, we are the leading G-RAID and NAS data recovery specialists in Cambridge and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ RAID rebuild failure recovery & metadata reconstruction
✔ HFS+/APFS/EXT4 file system repair & missing data extraction
✔ Multimedia, video, and business document retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential RAID data recovery services
If your SanDisk Professional G-RAID system is asking to be formatted, showing as RAW, or preventing access to critical files, stop using the device immediately and contact us for expert RAID data recovery.