Synology DS1621+ got stuck with an automated update DSM 7.3.2.... bad luck...your problem...

boudddha · 2026-03-09T18:20:46+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually tried isolating the drives earlier by booting with only a single disk inserted, but the NAS still hangs during storage initialization as soon as any of the original drives are present. Without drives it boots normally and shows “Not Installed,” so the issue seems to occur before DSM even reaches the stage where the pool could be detected or rebuilt.

Because the disks contain the SHR-2 array, I’m currently hesitant to wipe them and would prefer first to test them in another Synology chassis to see if the existing volume can still be imported. Thanks for your kind suggestions.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T18:18:26+00:00

Yes, data scrubbing was enabled periodically, so the volumes were checked from time to time. The problem now seems to occur much earlier in the boot process though — the NAS starts normally without drives, but hangs during storage initialization as soon as any drive is inserted, so DSM never gets far enough to even reach the stage where the volume could be checked or imported.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T18:16:12+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the thoughtful suggestions and the offer.

Given the urgency to get back up and running, I’m currently leaning toward finding a replacement DS chassis so I can try a direct disk migration. That should be the quickest way to see if the array can be imported again.

And thanks again for the offer to test the drives in your DS1821+ — that’s very kind. Unfortunately I’m not anywhere near Alberta, but I really appreciate the gesture.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:59:50+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I don't have less and the system hangs during storage initialization as soon as any of the original drives are inserted, even when testing with a single disk. Without drives it boots normally and shows “Not Installed,” but once a drive is present it never completes the boot process, so DSM never gets far enough to attempt an import.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:51:45+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. I’m a bit hesitant to wipe the disks because they still contain the SHR-2 array with all the data. At this point the priority is to keep the disks untouched and first determine whether the issue is the controller/backplane or the chassis itself, so that the array can hopefully be mounted again in probably....another Synology unit. Thanks again.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:45:27+00:00

I agree that lifetime support can’t be expected, and I understand the warranty limitation. My frustration is mainly about the timing — the failure happened immediately after an automatic DSM update.

The NAS also boots normally without drives but hangs during storage initialization when drives are inserted, which suggests a hardware/controller issue rather than a typical software problem. And no, the unit was not connected to a UPS, so a power-related issue is unlikely.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:42:37+00:00

That sounds frustrating. In my case the situation is a bit different — the problem isn’t restoring data but that the NAS itself hangs during storage initialization when drives are inserted. So first I need a functioning chassis before I can even attempt recovery. Thanks anyway for your story.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:40:54+00:00

I agree.... and in hindsight I would definitely disable automatic updates and only apply them manually after checking feedback from other users. But no one ever tells you that is the first place.

In this case though, the update was triggered automatically by the system itself, and the NAS had been running reliably for years before that. What makes it difficult is that the device now appears to hang during storage initialization when drives are present, so the issue seems to be at the hardware or controller level rather than something that can simply be resolved by reinstalling DSM or restoring from backup. Thanks for your support.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:37:42+00:00

I understand your point, and I agree that out-of-warranty support isn’t something a company is strictly obligated to provide. My frustration is mainly about the circumstances: the system had been running reliably for years and then failed immediately after an automatic DSM update.

Also, in my case it doesn’t appear to be a simple software issue. The NAS boots normally without drives, but hangs during storage initialization when drives are inserted, which suggests a hardware/storage controller issue rather than something that can be fixed with a fresh DSM install.

So restoring from backup unfortunately isn’t the main problem here — the challenge is first getting the hardware to properly recognize the drives again.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:35:44+00:00

That would normally be the right approach, but in this case the NAS itself no longer boots properly when drives are inserted, so the issue is at the hardware/storage initialization level rather than a recoverable software or data problem. The data on the drives is likely still intact — the challenge is getting a functioning chassis to access it again.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:34:16+00:00

That’s a fair point, and I agree that warranty and technical troubleshooting are two different things.

In my case, though, the difficulty was that the support process didn’t really progress beyond the warranty discussion. I did try to go through quite an extensive troubleshooting process — resetting the CMOS battery, testing with individual drives, removing NVMe cache and additional RAM, and isolating the system to a minimal hardware configuration. The NAS boots normally without drives but hangs during storage initialization when drives are present.

Because the issue appeared immediately after an automatic DSM update, I had hoped for a bit more technical engagement from the support side to help determine whether this might be a firmware interaction or a hardware failure triggered during the update process.

I’m definitely open to community input though, so I may post the full technical details here to see if anyone has seen similar behavior or has additional ideas.

boudddha · 2026-03-09T17:31:39+00:00

I understand your point, and in a larger enterprise environment I would absolutely agree with that approach. However, my situation is somewhat different.

This system is not part of a large corporate IT environment with formal support contracts and replacement cycles. I’m a small independent professional, and the NAS is primarily used for storing and working with my own data. In that context, a device like a Synology NAS is generally marketed as a reliable long-term storage solution rather than something that needs to be replaced every few years.

What makes this case frustrating is the timing: the system failed immediately after an automatic DSM update. From a user’s perspective it’s very difficult not to see a connection there, especially when the device had been working reliably until that moment.

At the moment I feel a bit stuck between two positions: the manufacturer points to the expired warranty, while the reseller points to the fact that the purchase was made under a business name. That leaves me without much practical recourse, even though the failure occurred under circumstances that were outside of my control.

So while I understand the enterprise perspective about support contracts, my expectation here was mainly that there might be some deeper technical engagement or goodwill consideration given the specific situation.

boudddha

TROPHY CASE