Western Digital My Cloud Home Duo NAS systems are widely used by small businesses, creative professionals, and home users for data storage and collaboration. However, when a NAS system is stuck in a boot loop, it often indicates firmware corruption, partition table errors, or RAID metadata failure, making stored data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered essential graphic design files for a small design studio in Guildford from a WD My Cloud Home Duo NAS with 2 x WD Red NAS drives in a RAID 1 configuration, after firmware corruption caused the NAS to continuously restart.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using RAID reconstruction, NAS firmware repair, and advanced data extraction techniques to restore lost business files securely.
WD My Cloud Home Duo Stuck in Boot Loop & Not Accessible
A Guildford-based graphic design studio contacted us after their WD My Cloud Home Duo NAS failed, with the following issues:
- The NAS continuously rebooted and never reached the user interface.
- None of the five users could access their shared design files.
- Attempts to reset the NAS resulted in further firmware errors.
- The NAS contained irreplaceable client projects, Adobe files, and business documents.
Since RAID 1 provides redundancy but does not protect against firmware corruption, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the WD My Cloud Home Duo NAS (RAID 1) with 2 x WD Red NAS drives arrived at our secure cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and firmware diagnostic. Our findings:
- Corrupt firmware preventing the NAS from booting, causing a continuous restart loop.
- Partition table corruption on both drives, making manual access impossible.
- RAID 1 redundancy intact, increasing the chances of full data recovery.
Since WD My Cloud NAS devices use a custom Linux-based RAID system, we prioritized non-intrusive RAID reconstruction and firmware bypass techniques.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging the RAID 1 Disks to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve all recoverable data, we:
- Created sector-by-sector forensic clones of both WD Red NAS drives.
- Used deep scanning tools to extract readable sectors while avoiding firmware corruption.
2. Rebuilding the RAID 1 Array & Bypassing NAS Firmware
Since the NAS firmware was corrupt, we:
- Rebuilt the RAID 1 configuration outside the WD My Cloud system.
- Extracted data directly from the cloned RAID volume.
3. Extracting & Verifying Graphic Design Files & Business Data
Once the RAID array was successfully reconstructed, we:
- Recovered all Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign files.
- Restored client project folders, contracts, and invoices.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 1 reconstruction and NAS firmware bypass techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the design studio’s lost files, including:
✅ Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign projects
✅ Client proposals, invoices, and archived design work
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy workflow continuity
The studio was able to resume work without losing client projects or business records, preventing financial losses and project delays.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful NAS recoveries, we are England’s leading NAS data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ WD My Cloud firmware repair & RAID 1 data extraction
✔ RAID metadata reconstruction & Linux-based NAS recovery
✔ Graphic design project file retrieval & Adobe file restoration
✔ Secure & GDPR-compliant business data recovery services
If your NAS is stuck in a boot loop, failing to mount, or preventing access to shared business files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert NAS data recovery.