How do I troubleshoot issues related to external drives?

Resolution

I can't format the external drive. Why?
- Check if the external drive is properly inserted.
- Check if the external drive is write-protected. If yes, remove the write protection before formatting.
The file system of the external drive is shown as Not Supported, or the system does not create the usbshare[number] or satashare[number] shared folder for the external drive. What can I do?
- Currently, the system recognizes Btrfs, ext3, ext4, FAT32, HFS Plus, and NTFS formats. Any external drive not formatted to these types will not be recognized and the status will be shown as Not Supported.
I cannot access the usbshare[number] or satashare[number] shared folder. What can I do?
- This might result from a problem in the file system on your external drive. To fix it, please connect the external drive to a PC and perform a file system check.
Can my external drive with ext3 or ext4 format be connected to my PC/Mac and accessed directly?
- No, ext3 or ext4 is only recognized by the Synology NAS. If you would like to read data directly from your external drive with a PC/Mac, format it to FAT32.
Why do I see a folder named "lost+found" in my external drive?
- This is a system default folder that is created automatically when using ext3/ext4 file system. It is normal to see the folder on your external drive. Although administrators have the right to access and manage the content within, we strongly advise against tampering with the folder.

Was this article helpful?