Frequently Asked Question
Can I move all my old QNAP drives into a newer NAS and keep the data?
QUICK ANSWER
Check the exact source-to-destination migration pairing before moving drives. Enough bays is only one requirement. QTS and QuTS hero use different file systems and do not support direct system migration between them.
Applies to: Whole-system QNAP migration; not copying one drive or importing a backup.
Work through these checks
- Record both models, their operating systems and versions, all RAID members, SSD cache and expansion units. Check the manufacturer’s current migration compatibility result for that exact pair.
- Keep an independent backup and securely retain encryption passwords and keys. Review application and licence transfer requirements; not every licence or virtual-switch setting follows the drives.
- Resolve supported SSD-cache and expansion-unit requirements before shutdown. Older legacy volumes and old hardware architectures can have restrictions even when files remain readable.
- Follow the documented compatible route with both NAS units powered off for the drive transfer, keeping original drive order. If the target asks to initialise or erase the original drives, stop and request review.
Confirm the result
After migration, check users, shares, file samples, apps, networking and backup jobs. Retain the recovery copy until all required services are verified.
Before going further: Do not switch a disk set between QTS and QuTS hero or assume a forum report proves your exact model pair is supported.
If you need help
Include these details in your ticket: Source/target models, OS versions, migration compatibility result, RAID/bay layout and encryption/cache details.
Updated 261107