For missing NAS files, check the NAS recycle bin, an existing snapshot and independent backups before attempting a storage scan. A share that opens in Windows is useful for finding surviving files, but it is not the same as access to deleted data beneath the file system. Choose the next route from the actual loss and the access you are authorized to use.
Identify what disappeared
Record the NAS name, shared folder, original path, approximate loss time and user account. Establish whether the problem is deletion, changed permissions, a moved folder or a volume that no longer mounts. Try an authorized administrator’s view when appropriate; an access-denied message is not evidence that the files were erased.
Avoid unnecessary writes to the affected storage. Do not recreate the missing directory tree, initialize a storage pool or start an improvised rebuild. If members are failing, preserve the device and storage-pool history for qualified assessment. The recovery route for a readable volume differs from the route for an unstable array.
Look for an existing copy
Inspect the relevant share’s recycle bin if it was enabled and captured this deletion. Then look for a snapshot or backup from before the loss. Check the content and date of a candidate before restoring it over newer work. A copy made afterward cannot supply a version that was already missing.
Vendor recovery controls depend on the NAS version, volume configuration and permissions. Use the actual installed system’s instructions. For example, Synology’s snapshot recovery documentation describes access to existing snapshots; the presence of the feature does not prove your share has a suitable one.
Choose between remote access and member-disk work
If no suitable copy exists, determine whether the NAS storage remains readable. A remote recovery route needs more than the shared-folder password: it requires the supported storage access and privileges specified by the recovery application. A member-disk route may require preserving several disks and the array configuration. Removing one drive is not a universal shortcut to the volume’s files.
XRecovery’s documented NAS/Linux route uses SSH with root access and does not restrict the NAS brand. That describes access prerequisites, not a guarantee that every storage-pool layout or damaged file system can be reconstructed. XRecovery supports remote scanning or quick scanning of Ext4 and Btrfs. Its RAID support covers identifiable, readable RAID 0, 1, 5 and 6 arrays. Check the actual volume and array layout before selecting a route.
Validate the export
Use a destination separate from the affected source. Start with a small batch of important files. Open the exports in their usual applications and check the content you need. For projects and shared folders, check required dependencies and the intended version, not just filenames.
Record the source, account authority, software version, scan scope and output location. Keep working copies separate from any recovery attempt. If access fails, the pool is unstable or the required configuration is unknown, pause that route and resolve the specific condition instead of repeatedly scanning the same source.
Once the needed content is verified, preserve an independent copy before returning the NAS to normal work. Retrieval, restoring a snapshot and repairing a storage pool are separate operations; completion of one does not establish completion of the others.
Related reading
For existing copies, follow the Synology guide, QNAP guide or single-file snapshot route. If you only have a mapped drive, start with share access versus storage access. For a scan, use the NAS deletion workflow and the relevant Ext4 or Btrfs access guide. Compare routes in choosing NAS recovery software.
For the next step, see XRecovery scanning, preview and export steps.