Found an Old and Unused Server HDD, but I can’t make it work

Recovering an Unused 3TB WD RED NAS Drive: Troubleshooting and Tips

Introduction

Discovering unused hardware can be an exciting opportunity to upgrade or expand your storage solutions. Recently, I uncovered a 3TB WD RED NAS drive—specifically the NASware 2.0 model—that had been sitting unused for years. Eager to put it to good use, I attempted to integrate it into my NAS setup. However, I encountered some challenges during the process. In this article, I will share my experience, troubleshoot common issues, and provide professional guidance on restoring and utilizing an old NAS HDD.

Background

The drive in question is a Western Digital WD RED NASware 2.0, designed for network-attached storage systems. My father had purchased a WD MyCloud NAS device many years ago, but it never saw regular use. Upon disassembly, I found this 3TB hard drive, still in its original state. With permission to repurpose it, I aimed to connect it to my existing setup.

Initial Attempt and Observation

My first step was to connect the HDD via a SATA to USB adapter to my computer. The device was recognized by the operating system, but it indicated “no media.” Using the command prompt with DiskPart or Disk Management, I noticed the disk showing as uninitialized with a size of “0B.” To troubleshoot, I tested the USB adapter with a known working SSD—resulting in proper recognition and functionality—confirming that the adapter was not at fault.

Key Challenges Encountered

The drive appears as recognized hardware but shows “no media” or no usable data.
The disk size reports as zero bytes, indicating potential issues with drive initialization or formatting.
The drive contains important data that may be preserved or requires data recovery.

Possible Causes

Several factors could explain these issues:

Drive Age and Usage History: Being unused for years, the HDD may be in a low-power or sleep state, or it could have developed hardware faults.
Partition or File System Corruption: The drive’s previous filesystem might be corrupted, making it unrecognizable by the system.
Damage or Firmware Issues: Physical damage or firmware issues could prevent normal recognition and operation.

Troubleshooting and Solutions

To maximize the chance of successfully repurposing the drive, consider the following steps: