How do I restore my data after replacing the hard drives on my device?

What are some things to consider before and after replacing the hard drives on your device?

We've compiled the following lists to highlight some of the most important things to consider before and after replacing your hard drives on your device. 

Before Replacing Drives:

• Ensure you have a backup of your data. Login to the ElephantDrive web portal and navigate into the Files section to check and confirm you have a backup available.
• Disable all backup jobs. There shouldn't be any active backup jobs enabled for the device receiving a hard drive replacement, as the backups will detect the change from full to empty as a deletion of all the data. You can login to the ElephantDrive web portal to manage your device backups in the Backup Settings section. 

After Replacing Drives:

• If all drives are being replaced, we recommend renaming your device, e.g. if your device was named "NAS," then rename it to "New NAS." This creates a clear delineation between the old and new drive sets.
• Please DO NOT install or run an outdated version of ElephantDrive on any device. Click here to obtain the latest version of ElephantDrive.
• Please DO NOT connect your device to the ElephantDrive app or proceed until you have ensured you have the latest version of ElephantDrive installed. Over the years we have added layers of protections against potential issues during the restore process - these are very rare, but are critical to protect against.

Restoring Data:

• Review the guidelines (above) regarding before and after replacing your hard drives.
• Ensure you have the latest ElephantDrive app version installed on your device(s). 
• If possible, designate a different device for initially receiving your restored data. This device doesn't necessarily have to be the original device, but in many cases the underlying cause of the need to replace the disks may have compromised the original device or complicated the restore process. Ideally, you can restore your data from ElephantDrive to a designated alternative device, then transfer the data locally to the original hard drive/device.
• Configure a restore job. Click here to learn more about how to configure a restore job. 

After Restoring Data

• Re-enable or reconfigure backup jobs. Click here to learn more about configuring and managing backup settings.

If you have any questions or need further guidance, then please create a support ticket.