Dell PowerEdge servers are commonly used by businesses, IT departments, and enterprises for high-performance data storage. A RAID 10 setup provides both redundancy and speed, but when data appears as gibberish, it often indicates file system corruption, RAID metadata failure, or an issue with the RAID controller, making stored business-critical files inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered essential business data for a services company with 25 staff members from a Dell PowerEdge server running RAID 10 with 8 x WD 4TB SATA hard drives, after file system corruption caused the data to become unreadable.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using RAID reconstruction, deep file system repair, and forensic data extraction techniques to restore lost business data securely.
Dell PowerEdge RAID 10 Showing Gibberish Data
A Guildford-based services company contacted us after their Dell PowerEdge RAID 10 server failed, with the following issues:
- All files and folders displayed as gibberish when accessed.
- The server was still operational, but key business applications could not open data correctly.
- Attempts to restore from backups failed due to corrupted copies.
- The RAID array contained essential client records, financial documents, and business operation files.
Since file system corruption on a RAID array can worsen if not handled correctly, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Dell PowerEdge RAID 10 server (8 x WD 4TB SATA drives) arrived at our secure cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and file system diagnostic. Our findings:
- File system corruption (NTFS/XFS issues) – Preventing proper data interpretation.
- RAID controller failure suspected, causing incorrect RAID rebuild attempts.
- RAID 10 redundancy intact, meaning full data recovery was achievable.
Since continuing to use a corrupt RAID array can lead to further data loss, we prioritized RAID reconstruction and data extraction techniques.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All RAID 10 Drives to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve all recoverable data, we:
- Created forensic sector-by-sector clones of all 8 WD SATA drives.
- Used deep scanning tools to extract readable sectors while avoiding corruption.
2. Rebuilding the RAID 10 Array & Repairing File System
Since RAID metadata was partially corrupt, we:
- Reconstructed the RAID 10 configuration outside of the original Dell PowerEdge server.
- Repaired file system inconsistencies to restore lost file structures.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business-Critical Data
Once the RAID array was successfully rebuilt, we:
- Recovered all business documents, databases, and financial records.
- Restored client files, employee records, and operational data.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 10 reconstruction and deep file system repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the company’s lost business data, including:
✅ Financial documents, payroll records, and tax files
✅ Client contracts, service agreements, and archived projects
✅ Employee data, HR records, and internal business reports
The company was able to resume full operations without losing essential business records, preventing downtime and financial losses.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful RAID recoveries, we are England’s leading RAID 10 data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ RAID 10 reconstruction & RAID controller failure recovery
✔ RAID metadata repair & file system corruption restoration
✔ Business-critical document, database, and financial file retrieval
✔ Secure & GDPR-compliant business data recovery services
If your RAID array is displaying gibberish data, failing to mount, or preventing access to business files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert RAID data recovery.