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Maintenance & Recovery

Replace a Failed Drive

Replace one failed member without confusing its Linux name, bay position or serial number.

Guide difficulty⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beginner Friendly
Estimated time⏱️ Around 20–40 minutesEstimated for a first-time user.

Planned sequence

  1. Confirm the degraded member by serial number.
  2. Record the current array detail.
  3. Mark and remove the failed member in mdadm.
  4. Shut down fully before touching hardware.
  5. Replace the matching physical drive.
  6. Identify the new serial number after boot.
  7. Add the new member and monitor rebuild progress.
  8. Verify the final healthy state.
IMAGE PLACEHOLDERDrive-bay map linking mdadm member serial numbers to physical positions.
Required image: Drive-bay map linking mdadm member serial numbers to physical positions.
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