Why can't I read an APFS disk on my mac?

[Giuanniello]

Long story short, my external LaCie Triple interface RAID enclosure apparently broke with a blinking red light, disks work, removed them and tried to read them with an external dock but MacOS (Catalina if I recall correct, it's another computer than the one I am using to type) only advises to initialise or ignore.

Any suggestion on how to retrieve the data off the RAID1 disks set?

Grazie

 

[chrfr]

Long story short, my external LaCie Triple interface RAID enclosure apparently broke with a blinking red light, disks work, removed them and tried to read them with an external dock but MacOS (Catalina if I recall correct, it's another computer than the one I am using to type) only advises to initialise or ignore.

Any suggestion on how to retrieve the data off the RAID1 disks set?

Grazie

The RAID enclosure does not use standard formatting that'll be accessible outside the enclosure. You'll need another identical enclosure in order to be able to access that data. (this is just one of many reasons that RAID is not a backup.)

 

[Giuanniello]

I know RAID not being the solution, how weird, it only protects data if one of the two drive fails in case of RAID1 otherwise totally useless...

Luckily I have another enclosure and the disks work but now the dilemma is what to do.

I habe 2x1TB I use to store photographs archive, it is done, no more space so it needs upgrade, the failed enclosure had 2x2TB WD RED (off my NAS which has 2x4TB also full and in need to upgrade but too expensive the EFRX 6TB) which served to backup photo archive and other stuff, plan was to move the 2x2TB in the other enclosure to fit more photographs and then to upgrade the NAS and use the 2x4TB in the failed enclosure, at this point I can only think of getting a USB external drive in, say, 4-6TB to serve as a backup for the primary one or to get another RAID enclosure but LaCie ones like mine are rare (I have TB to FW800 adapters and as such find the old LaCie Triple Interface usable) and expensive or a different brand with the risk to incur the same pain as above?


Grazie

 

[Slartibart]

What Mac are you using to connect the external media?

 

[chrfr]

I know RAID not being the solution, how weird, it only protects data if one of the two drive fails in case of RAID1 otherwise totally useless...

Luckily I have another enclosure and the disks work but now the dilemma is what to do.

I habe 2x1TB I use to store photographs archive, it is done, no more space so it needs upgrade, the failed enclosure had 2x2TB WD RED (off my NAS which has 2x4TB also full and in need to upgrade but too expensive the EFRX 6TB) which served to backup photo archive and other stuff, plan was to move the 2x2TB in the other enclosure to fit more photographs and then to upgrade the NAS and use the 2x4TB in the failed enclosure, at this point I can only think of getting a USB external drive in, say, 4-6TB to serve as a backup for the primary one or to get another RAID enclosure but LaCie ones like mine are rare (I have TB to FW800 adapters and as such find the old LaCie Triple Interface usable) and expensive or a different brand with the risk to incur the same pain as above?


Grazie

If you're archiving data, get at least 2 larger USB drives and copy the files to all of them. You don't want to rely on proprietary technology to be able to get at your files.
It is not rare that RAID enclosures use proprietary formatting– this has been the case for many years. Your NAS also likely uses its own formatting so you probably won't be able to read those disks outside the NAS either.

 

[Giuanniello]

What Mac are you using to connect the external media?

Both a MacMini 2014 and a 2015 Air, both through an external doc connected via USB

 

[Giuanniello]

Well I found out already unfortunately, I have a WD something with 2x1TB disks and the firmware doesn't allow disks upgrade, done with WD!

The LaCie also uses it's own file system even tho the live Linux reported it as APFS and also the NAS I use, a QNap uses it's own file system to my guess and am seriously considering dropping RAID1 enclosures, only costing twice the storage with the addition of their expensive cases and lot of trouble in such situations as above.