reset TS 321 to factory setting without the drives - how to install drives without wiping them

English Storage
1

Hi there.
I had an issue with accessing a TS 321 drive and ended up resetting it without the drives.
The issue is that it wants me to Install and format at least one hard drive before using the NAS, but All the drive data will be cleared upon hard drive initialization.

Is there a workaround that doesn’t involve wiping the drive.

2

You cannot do a reset of the NAS without drives, the system of the NAS is ON the drives.

What exactly happened to your NAS?

If you are so worried about your data, I hope you have backups

3

We’d like to understand your usage scenario in more detail. Please open a support ticket, and our Support team will be happy to assist you.

4

Why not do soft reset?

Perform a soft reset (3-second reset)

If your goal is only to reset network settings and the admin password:

  1. Power on the NAS with drives inserted.
  2. Use a paperclip to press and hold the reset button for 3 seconds, until you hear a beep.
  3. This will:
  • Reset the system admin password to default (“admin”)
  • Reset network settings (DHCP enabled)
  • Not affect any user data, volumes, apps, or configurations.

This method is safe and does not wipe data.

Or another option is

Restore Factory Settings without formatting drives

If the NAS was reset (e.g., no system volume, reinstalled firmware) and you want to reinsert drives without formatting:

  1. Power off the NAS.
  2. Insert the drives in the same order they were originally used.
  3. Power on the NAS.
  4. Use Qfinder Pro to find the NAS on the network.
  5. When prompted during initialization:
  • Choose the “Restore Factory Settings” option (this keeps data and system volume).
  • Do not choose “Reinitialize NAS” unless you want to erase all data and start fresh.
  1. The system should detect the existing configuration and rebuild the system volume and apps accordingly.