How to identify it
- Brand
- OWC
- Model
- ThunderBay 8
- Released
- 2020
- Type
- 8-bay desktop RAID enclosure
- Drive bays
- 8
- Drives
- 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch HDDs or SSDs (hot-swappable)
- RAID modes
- RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 4, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 6+, RAID 10, JBOD
- Connection
- 2 x Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s)
The model name is printed on the front of the unit or on the label on its back or underside.
Recovery methods for this RAID
- Deleted files or a reset volumeLogical recovery from drives that still workYes
We image the drives, then search the volume for deleted files and for the volume as it was before a reset. Stop using the unit straight away: new writes overwrite deleted data.
- Failed drivesDrives that click, don't spin or have bad sectorsYes
Each failed drive is imaged on its own. Hard drives that have to be opened go into our clean room, with donor parts matched to the exact drive.
- RAID reconstructionRebuilding the array from its member drivesMain method
We work out the array layout from the drive images: drive order, stripe size, parity rotation and offsets. Then we rebuild it virtually and mount the volume read-only.
About this model
- RAID is done by software on the computer (bundled OWC SoftRAID, or Apple RAID / Windows Disk Manager), not by hardware in the enclosure.
What recovery costs
Recovery from a 8-bay RAID enclosure is priced as NAS and RAID recovery: £750 – £1,500+ plus VAT, depending on the number of drives and how many have failed. Inspection is free, and you get a fixed quote before any work starts.
Estimate the cost for your OWC RAID
Answer three questions to see our standard price range. Inspection is free and you get a fixed quote before any work starts.
NAS and RAID recovery
The price depends on the number of drives and how many have failed. Bring every drive, labelled with its bay number. Standard turnaround is 5–7 working days.