HPE ProLiant RAID 5 servers are widely used in business and enterprise environments for high-reliability data storage. However, when multiple RAID 5 drives fail, it leads to boot failure, loss of redundancy, and potential data loss.
This case study details how we successfully recovered business-critical data from an HPE ProLiant RAID 5 server with 6 drives, after multiple disks failed, preventing the system from booting.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using RAID reconstruction, boot sector repair, and forensic data extraction techniques to restore lost business data securely and confidentially.
HPE ProLiant RAID 5 Server Not Booting & Multiple Drive Failures
A Guildford-based business contacted us after their HPE ProLiant RAID 5 server stopped working, with the following issues:
- The server failed to boot, displaying “No Boot Disk Available.”
- Red lights were showing on multiple RAID 5 drives.
- A self-test reported one specific drive had failed, but other drives were also unresponsive.
- Attempts to replace failed drives under warranty were unsuccessful.
- The RAID 5 array contained essential business data that needed to be recovered before any replacements.
Since RAID 5 allows for only one drive failure before total data loss occurs, and multiple drives were failing, an immediate professional RAID recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the HPE ProLiant RAID 5 server (6-disk system: 1 OS drive + 5 RAID drives) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and disk diagnostic. Our findings:
- One drive had fully failed, as reported by the system.
- Two additional drives had degraded sectors, preventing successful RAID rebuilds.
- The OS drive had boot sector corruption, causing the “No Boot Disk Available” error.
Since continued RAID rebuild attempts could overwrite and corrupt remaining data, we prioritized non-intrusive RAID reconstruction and direct sector-level recovery.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All RAID 5 Disks to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve all recoverable data, we:
- Created forensic sector-by-sector clones of the 5 RAID drives and the OS disk.
- Used specialized RAID analysis tools to extract readable sectors while bypassing degraded areas.
2. Rebuilding the RAID 5 Array & Repairing the Boot Disk
Since RAID 5 requires parity-based redundancy, we:
- Manually reconstructed the RAID 5 array outside the HPE ProLiant system.
- Recovered missing RAID metadata and reassembled the file system structure.
- Repaired the OS drive’s boot sector to restore access to system files.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business-Critical Data
Once the RAID 5 structure was successfully rebuilt, we:
- Recovered all business documents, databases, and financial records.
- Restored QuickBooks, SQL databases, and encrypted business files.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 96% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 5 reconstruction and boot sector repair techniques, we successfully recovered 96% of the client’s lost business data, including:
✅ Financial records, business databases, and client information
✅ Company documents, project management files, and reports
✅ The system boot files required to rebuild the server after data recovery
The business was able to recover all essential data before replacing the failed RAID disks, preventing operational disruptions.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful RAID recoveries, we are England’s leading RAID data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ HPE ProLiant RAID 5 failure recovery & metadata reconstruction
✔ RAID 5 parity reassembly & multiple disk failure solutions
✔ Financial document, business database, and operational data retrieval
✔ Secure & GDPR-compliant data recovery services
If your HPE ProLiant RAID 5 server has failed, contains multiple drive failures, or is preventing access to critical business data, stop using the system immediately and contact us for expert RAID data recovery.