Storage

[callisto]

Hoping someone can advise, I've tried searching forums and found nothing that seems to work or matches what I'm experiencing.

I have 8TB unit, and I have a second 8TB unit that was set for automatic backup to mirror the first.  All seemed to be working fine and I can see the backup files are on the second unit.

I have had a hard disc failure on the first, and replaced it.  I now wish to recover the files from the backup unit.  But a large number of the files seem to have bad security permissions set.  I am using Windows 7 on all PCs, and the list of accesses for everything seems to be:

- Everyone

- root (Unix User\root)

- root (Unix Group\root)

When you look at the detailed permissions, only the "root (Unix User\root)" has special permissions, while the other 2 entries have None.  For the accessible files, all 3 listed have special permissions.

I am not using any kind of file access restrictions on the web admin screens, I leave everything open for any PC on my home network to access.  But I am now unable to access those folders and files, even to copy them across to the main unit.  I cannot find the options in the admin screens to unlock these files, and can find no obvious suggestion as to how to copy them off this backup unit onto the main unit.

Can anybody suggest something I am missing or any brilliant ideas please!  I am quite worried that all my other backups are going to be locked as well and making the backup quite useless.

[Jotin]

I've seen this happen before with Windows 7 files. In order to restore access the interface must be restored. This is not a gaurantee but I have seen it work. Go to system, restore/erase and choose restore. This will restore the interface and try and reset any permissions on the files.

[callisto]

Thanks for the suggestion, I tried it and the box reset and rebooted but still the files have the same security permissions.

I wondered if there is any other way to reset this security, or how else can I force access to be correct.  And how can I stop it happening!  It seems strange that it only happens on some files / folders and not others.

[Jotin]

That should have worked... I have seen some users use linux with the user of 1000 with no pass be able to go into the files and change the permissions. I don't know how to do it and linux isn't supported, but it is a suggestion that you could try.

[callisto]

Thanks, I'm no expert on linux at all but remembered some things from years ago and had a bit of a try of Ubuntu.  I don't think it worked, but I am not entirely sure I was able to do everything.

I'm not sure what user 1000 is but I was able to install it under a VMware player, and could ftp into the box (login as admin account), navigate the folder structure, and see the listing of folders in the backup storage area.  I did not know how to get access to the box except by ftp.

Folders that I can access in windows have permissions = drwxrwxrwx

Folders that I cannot access in windows have permissions = drwx------

I was unable to access the folders, or change those permissions in linux and my knowledge is not good enough to know what else to do.  Strangely, I am able to rename these folders (also in Windows) but that is all.

Is there no way to take over the account that is tagged as the Owner of these files?  This is the Unix User\root account?  It seems such a simple thing to do but frustrating the files are inaccessible even though I put them there!