Resetting NAS

[HeartWare]

How (specifically) do I fully reset my NAS?

I am handing my old NAS over to a friend and would like to have it as clean as possible. I know that there's a reset button on the back and to fully reset, I need to first press and hold until beep then release and then press and hold again.

My question is this: Should this be done with the unit OFF or ON? If ON, what will happen once it is fully reset? Will it then turn off?

 

[NSquirrel]

Mydoodads.com have a video 'How to factory reset your Synology NAS (DSM 6)', which may help at
How to factory reset your Synology NAS (DSM 6) | mydoodads.com

 

[Telos]

If you are transferring the unit to your friend without the drives present, there is nothing to do beyond removing the drives.

If you plan to transfer the unit with the drives intact, go to control panel and look for the icon for DSM updates. Under that you will find an option to do a full factory reset. This will erase your drives, however I cannot give you assurance whether this involves a forensic cleaning.

 

[Rusty]

1st wipe the data volume while your NAS is still working. That will leave only the DSM partition alive. Then you can do a long factory reset using the button on the back, while NAS is ON, and that will wipe the DSM partition on it as well.

After that is done you can turn the NAS off (using the button) and hand it over. New user will start the nas, and using the Synology Assistant locate it on its network and start with DSM install.

 

[HeartWare]

I have data on the drives that I want to remain there. I only want to reset all my settings (stored passwords, scheduled tasks etc.).

But the data I want to keep is on an expansion bay, so I could just turn off the NAS, disconnect the bay, turn it back on and then perform the "System Reset" from within DSM, right? That would erase the HDDs in the NAS unit itself (DS1817+) and leave the data on the (disconnected) bay.

I should then be able to re-attach the bay and access the data once I have re-installed the DSM on the NAS, right?

I am handing the unit over to my friend with my TV library on the expansion bay and want to use HyperBackup to back up my critical data (personal videos, photos etc.) while he can play with the unit as a payment for me having it placed at his site for off-site backup. A win-win situation...

 

[Telos]

I could just turn off the NAS, disconnect the bay, turn it back on and then perform the "System Reset" from within DSM, right?

I doubt you will be pleased. The DSM partition is mirrored across all drives. Some of what you are trying to eliminate (stored passwords, scheduled tasks etc.) is carried on the DSM partition, both on the NAS drives, and the DX drives.

 

[HeartWare]

I doubt you will be pleased. The DSM partition is mirrored across all drives. Some of what you are trying to eliminate (stored passwords, scheduled tasks etc.) is carried on the DSM partition, both on the NAS drives, and the DX drives.

Really? I'm not doubting you (I don't have enough technical know-how to do so), but when I got my DS1821+ I successfully transferred my HDDs from my old DX513 expansion bay (on the DS1817+) to the DX517 expansion bay (on the DS1821+) and there was no trouble there. I even tried setting them back in the DX513 on my DS1817+ and it accepted it without question.

Could you elaborate on what kind of issues you think I'd be encountering?

 

[Telos]

Could you elaborate on what kind of issues you think I'd be encountering?

Apparently I wasn't clear. You said...

I only want to reset all my settings (stored passwords, scheduled tasks etc.).

User accounts survive a Mode 2 reset (DSM reinstall). Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are attempting.

 

[Rusty]

I have data on the drives that I want to remain there. I only want to reset all my settings (stored passwords, scheduled tasks etc.).

But the data I want to keep is on an expansion bay, so I could just turn off the NAS, disconnect the bay, turn it back on and then perform the "System Reset" from within DSM, right? That would erase the HDDs in the NAS unit itself (DS1817+) and leave the data on the (disconnected) bay.

I should then be able to re-attach the bay and access the data once I have re-installed the DSM on the NAS, right?

I am handing the unit over to my friend with my TV library on the expansion bay and want to use HyperBackup to back up my critical data (personal videos, photos etc.) while he can play with the unit as a payment for me having it placed at his site for off-site backup. A win-win situation...

So at one point, you will reattach the expansion on the same nas but in the meantime that nas will be at a different location running a fresh install (by your friend)? If the DSM version will remain the same, then you will have no problem attaching it to your main unit at a later point, yes.

 

[HeartWare]

Apparently I wasn't clear. You said...

User accounts survive a Mode 2 reset (DSM reinstall). Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are attempting.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my original post.

Let me rewind... <whirrr>

I had a DS1817+ with two DX513 bays.
I bought a DS1821+ and (because DX513 was incompatible with DS1821+) two DX517 bays.
I managed to copy the data from my old NAS to my new NAS.
I now have my old NAS (DS1817+) with the two DX513 bays. I have emptied the one bay and the main (volume1) share.
I thus have a DS1817+ with one emptied DX513 (HDDs only, no data) and one full DX513 (with data I want to keep)
I want to give this setup to my friend, but want to reset the unit completely wiped for everything, except the data on the DX513.
I don't mind if I have to manually delete the user accounts before or after reset.

So, my goal is a DS1817+ with an empty volume, a DX513 with an empty volume, and a DX513 with the data currently on it. Only user account on the DS1817+ should be the admin account, and all packages should be removed from the DS1817+

Hope I have made myself clear this time . If you need more information, ask away...

 

[Telos]

So, my goal is a DS1817+ with an empty volume, a DX513 with an empty volume, and a DX513 with the data currently on it. Only user account on the DS1817+ should be the admin account, and all packages should be removed from the DS1817+

This will involve a lot of post reset work to remove packages and personal settings (I recently went through a DSM reinstall, aka, reset, mode 2). Even then, you may miss things.

For me, it would be simpler to perform a full factory reset (lose everything, including DX content) and then restore copy back the data now on the DX from backups.

If there is an easier way, I'll let others suggest.

 

[HeartWare]

For me, it would be simpler to perform a full factory reset

Okay... Is "full factory reset" the method described in the video above (using DSM's Update&Restore -> System Reset), or the reset-button at the back of the unit? Or are they the same?

 

[Telos]

Full factory reset returns you to an "out of the box" condition.