What should I do if my Synology NAS cannot recognize the installed drives?

What should I do if my Synology NAS cannot recognize the installed drives?

Symptoms

I installed the drives as instructed by the product manual of my Synology NAS, but it cannot recognize the installed drives.1

Resolution

To find out why Storage Manager cannot recognize installed drives:

  • Make sure that the drives are listed on the Synology Products Compatibility List. If not, the drives might not function properly on your Synology NAS.
  • If there are empty drive slots on your Synology NAS, insert the unrecognized drives into these slots to check if they are displayed in Storage Manager.2
  • If there are no empty drive slots, try connecting the drives to a computer to see if they work.
  • If there are no empty drive slots and you do not have a computer available, shut down your Synology NAS and take out all the installed drives. Insert the previously unrecognized drives into different slots. Restart your device and open Synology Assistant to see its status:
    • Not installed: The other drive slots also cannot recognize the drives. This may indicate a drive issue. Contact your drive reseller for a return merchandise authorization (RMA).
    • Ready: Drives are recognizable. The problem might be caused by the previous drive slots. Contact your local reseller for a repair or replacement.

Notes:

  1. For rack-mount models, make sure that you tighten the screws to secure the drive in the drive tray.
  2. For Synology NAS models that do not support hot swapping, you need to shut down your Synology NAS before switching drive slots. Refer to the Datasheet of your Synology NAS to see whether hot swapping is supported.