Raid 5 Recovery is actually possible but time, resources, effort and knowledge are necessary to make the recovery successful. These factors make the process one of the most technically demanding form of data recovery. RAID 5 presents some advantage and disadvantages for the process. On the other hand, parity information can increase the speed of the recovery process. Nevertheless, the nature of data storage in a RAID 5 system does tend to make Raid 5 Recovery a complex process compared to the other RAID configuration.
The data is still recoverable, depending on how the hard drives were reformatted. Reformatting a volume through the operating system, Windows for example, will make a “clean” volume while the original file will be on the “free and available” space. This reformat process is usually known as the high-level format. However, a reformat that is performed through a RAID controller utility or commonly known as low-level reformat will basically clean off every single data on a hard drive. This process is usually slower than the high-level format.
Note the following
1.The safest response to Raid 5 Recovery is to capture all cache blocks on every device individually.
2.The “copy” drive is then regulated to help recreate the original array structure and bring back the needed files and folders. This approach gives limited interaction with the media. In that way, it will help preserve the physical stability of the original drive.
3.The disadvantage of using data recovery software is that it demands the read-and-write heads to circulate simultaneously over areas of the original data which, if bodily damaged, could not just become more damaged but unrecovered as well.
4.Even if several drives fail in a RAID volume all at once, data can still be recovered.
5.The quality of the data that can be recovered will depend on how much damage each failed hard drives received.