Is there a good reason for Synology to change the support of “Unverified Drives” in DSM?

Synology has long been regarded as one of the most user-friendly and reliable NAS brands in the market, balancing intuitive software with a wide hardware range that appeals to both home and business users. However, in recent years the company has taken an increasingly controversial path by enforcing strict compatibility requirements for hard drives and SSDs. Beginning with DSM 7 and escalating into the 2025 generation of devices, Synology now only certifies and supports its own branded storage media, effectively locking out many widely used alternatives from Seagate, Western Digital, and Toshiba. While Synology positions this move as a way to ensure system stability and consistency, the decision has sparked significant backlash among users who feel restricted in their options and burdened by higher costs. As competitors expand their ecosystems with more openness and flexibility, this proprietary approach risks damaging Synology’s reputation, raising questions about whether the company has prioritized profit margins over user choice.

What is the MAIN PROBLEM(s) with this decision by Synology?

The most immediate problem with Synology’s hard drive policy is the loss of flexibility that once made their systems so appealing. For years, customers could select from a wide range of industry-standard drives from Seagate, Western Digital, or Toshiba, tailoring storage to their budget, performance requirements, or regional availability. This freedom not only allowed users to balance cost and capacity, but also gave small businesses and home enthusiasts the ability to reuse existing drives, upgrade incrementally, or take advantage of promotions from different vendors. By restricting DSM compatibility to Synology-labelled drives, that flexibility is gone. For many users outside major markets, Synology’s drives are harder to source, priced higher than the competition, or limited in available capacities. What once felt like an open platform now increasingly resembles a closed ecosystem, where users must accept the vendor’s terms even if it means compromising on affordability or performance.

Another dimension of the problem lies in how Synology has communicated these changes, which many see as evasive or disingenuous. Officially, the company justifies the restriction as a move toward greater reliability and predictable system performance. The argument is that by narrowing the range of drives tested and supported, Synology can optimize DSM to work seamlessly with drives that have firmware tailored for its environment. In practice, though, the same underlying hardware often originates from Seagate or Toshiba, with only minor firmware adjustments and new branding. This creates a perception that Synology is overstating the technical benefits while quietly using the policy to secure higher margins. For long-time users, the contrast is stark: older models happily ran third-party drives with few issues, which makes the sudden insistence on “certification” seem less like an engineering requirement and more like a business maneuver. The result has been a significant erosion of trust between the company and its community.

The wider impact of this strategy has also been felt across the storage industry. Resellers have reported declining sales of Synology’s Plus series devices as customers explore alternatives such as QNAP, TrueNAS, or newer entrants like UGREEN and UniFi. For Synology, this shift is particularly damaging because its reputation has historically rested on attracting less technical buyers who value simplicity and reliability over DIY solutions. Now, even these entry-level and mid-range users are questioning whether they should commit to an ecosystem that limits their choice of drives and increases their costs. At the same time, hard drive manufacturers like Seagate and Western Digital are also affected, as Synology’s decision reduces the number of channels through which their products reach end customers. The ripple effect is therefore twofold: Synology risks alienating its base of loyal customers, while storage vendors lose a once-reliable partner, creating tension that could ultimately push more buyers toward competing NAS brands.

How Can Synology Solve This (if they want to)?

One path forward for Synology would be to adopt a hybrid compatibility model, where its own branded drives remain the recommended or default choice but third-party alternatives are still officially supported. This compromise has been proven by other vendors such as UniFi and QNAP, who sell their own labelled drives while maintaining compatibility lists for major manufacturers like Seagate, Western Digital, and Toshiba. By following this model, Synology could continue promoting the reliability benefits of its branded hardware without alienating customers who prefer flexibility. In practice, this would preserve a sense of choice for users while ensuring Synology can still highlight its “optimized” solutions as the safer, supported route.

 

 

Finally, Synology could address the availability and pricing concerns around its own branded drives. In many regions, these drives are either difficult to source or significantly more expensive than equivalent Seagate or Western Digital models. Improving distribution channels, ensuring consistent stock, and narrowing the price gap would make the transition more palatable to users who are willing to adopt Synology’s ecosystem but feel penalized by limited access. By focusing on accessibility and fairness rather than exclusivity, Synology could rebuild goodwill while still driving revenue from its hardware strategy. Taken together, these steps would not fully reverse the controversy but would demonstrate responsiveness and provide a clearer path to balancing stability, customer choice, and profitability.

Is there a way to FORCE a Synology NAS to accept unverified Hard Drives and SSDs in DSM?

For users unwilling to accept Synology’s restrictive stance on storage media, the community has developed reliable workarounds that re-enable full functionality for third-party hard drives and SSDs. The most widely adopted method involves injecting a script into the NAS system that bypasses DSM’s compatibility database, allowing otherwise unsupported drives to be used for installation, storage pools, caching, and expansion. Synology’s 2025 Plus-series models, such as the DS925+, block DSM installation if only unverified drives are present and issue constant warnings in Storage Manager. To overcome this, users first employ a Telnet-based flag during initial setup that tricks DSM into accepting the installation, followed by a more permanent fix applied through SSH. At the heart of this solution is Dave Russell’s (007revad) GitHub project Synology_HDD_db, which modifies DSM’s internal drive compatibility files. Once downloaded and executed via SSH, the script detects the NAS model, DSM version, and connected drives, then patches the system to treat them as officially supported.

The process is reversible, non-destructive, and works across multiple DSM versions, including DSM 7.2 and later. Additional features allow removal of persistent warning banners, full use of NVMe drives as storage volumes, and optional disabling of intrusive monitoring services like WDDA. To ensure ongoing stability, users can also configure a scheduled task in DSM’s Task Scheduler that re-applies the script at every boot, guaranteeing compatibility survives updates, reboots, or new drive insertions. While the script is robust and actively maintained, there are clear disclaimers: using it involves modifying system files, may void official Synology support, and should only be attempted by users confident with SSH and terminal commands who have reliable data backups. Nonetheless, for advanced users, system integrators, and enthusiasts, this community-driven solution has become the de facto method of restoring the freedom to use affordable and widely available third-party drives in modern Synology NAS systems.

Example of a 30TB Seagate HDD visible and functioning inside a Synology DS925+

Note – You can follow my guide on how to use this script modification (as well as outlining the pros and cons) HERE on the blog, or watch the video below:

The Future of Synology in the eyes of new and old buyers?

Synology’s decision to enforce exclusive support for its own branded hard drives and SSDs marks one of the most controversial shifts in the company’s history, transforming how both long-time customers and potential buyers view the brand. For over a decade, Synology’s appeal rested on a combination of intuitive software, solid hardware, and flexibility in allowing users to choose their own storage media from trusted vendors like Seagate, Toshiba, and Western Digital. By removing that choice in the 2025 generation, Synology has fundamentally altered the value proposition of its systems, making them appear less like open storage platforms and more like tightly controlled appliances. While the company justifies the policy by citing stability, predictability, and reduced support overhead, many users interpret it as a profit-driven attempt to push proprietary drives into the market, especially since these are often rebranded versions of third-party disks with modified firmware and higher price tags.

The backlash has been considerable, with resellers and community forums reporting falling interest in Synology’s Plus-series devices, particularly among home and small business users who previously embraced them for affordability and ease of expansion. Competing NAS providers such as QNAP, TrueNAS, UGREEN, and UniFi have been quick to capitalize on the discontent, positioning themselves as more open alternatives that maintain compatibility with industry-standard drives. At the same time, the growth of unofficial solutions like Dave Russell’s compatibility script demonstrates how determined users are to regain control over their hardware, even at the risk of voiding warranty or stepping outside official support. This dynamic reflects a widening gap between Synology’s official direction and the needs of its customer base, many of whom would prefer to accept a disclaimer about using unverified drives rather than being forced into a closed ecosystem.

Ultimately, Synology now stands at a crossroads that will define its reputation in the storage industry for years to come. If it continues to double down on a closed, proprietary model, the company may secure short-term revenue through drive sales but risks long-term damage to its image and market share. On the other hand, reintroducing a more flexible, transparent approach—such as allowing user consent for unsupported drives or improving global pricing and availability of its own disks—could restore trust and preserve its standing as the NAS brand of choice for both novices and professionals. The availability of community workarounds ensures that frustrated users are not entirely locked out of their systems, but the very existence of these tools highlights how far Synology has drifted from its once customer-first ethos. The next few years will be crucial, as the company either adjusts course and strikes a balance between profitability and user freedom, or risks ceding ground to rivals who are eager to embrace the openness Synology has chosen to leave behind.

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Use Whatever Hard Drives or SSDs on Your Synology NAS (2025 Guide)

Note – there is a YouTube tutorial version of this guide HERE on the NASCompares YouTube Channel

Synology’s 2025 generation of NAS systems, such as the DS925+ and other Plus series models, introduced a more restrictive approach to drive compatibility. Unlike previous generations, these devices enforce a compatibility check that blocks or limits functionality when non-Synology hard drives or SSDs are used. As a result, users are unable to install DSM, create storage pools, or configure caching volumes using unverified drives. Even drives that work in earlier Synology models are now flagged as unsupported, resulting in persistent alerts or outright refusal to function. This guide provides a complete walkthrough for users who want to bypass those restrictions and enable full usage of third-party SATA and NVMe drives, including for pools, volumes, hot spares, and cache. It includes step-by-step instructions on how to install DSM with only unverified drives, how to remove system warnings, and how to automate the process for future updates or drive additions. The solutions here rely on trusted scripts developed by the Synology community and require minimal system modification, allowing users to regain control over their own hardware.

Special Thanks to Dave Russell

The ability to bypass Synology’s restrictive drive compatibility checks would not be possible without the extensive work of Dave Russell, widely known in the Synology community as 007revad. His GitHub project, Synology_HDD_db, is the basis for all the procedures outlined in this guide. The script he developed modifies DSM’s internal compatibility database, enabling full functionality for otherwise unsupported HDDs, SSDs, and NVMe drives. Dave has not only written and maintained this complex script, but also ensured that it works across different NAS models and DSM versions, including DSM 7.2 and newer. He continues to improve the tool in response to Synology firmware changes, regularly providing updates and extended options such as M.2 volume support and WDDA disablement. Users are strongly encouraged to consult the official GitHub repository, follow the provided documentation, and, where possible, support his ongoing work HERE, which remains freely available to the broader NAS community.

MASSIVE Disclaimer

Modifying your Synology NAS to allow the use of unverified drives is not officially supported by Synology. By applying the changes described in this guide, you will be altering system files and bypassing built-in compatibility checks within DSM. While these changes are reversible and have been widely tested, doing so may void your Synology warranty or affect your ability to receive technical support from the manufacturer, even in cases unrelated to storage. Additionally, although the script-based method described here is non-destructive and has proven safe for many users, there is always a minimal risk of issues following DSM updates or hardware changes. You should not proceed unless you have full backups of your data and are comfortable with SSH and terminal operations. This guide is intended for advanced users, system integrators, or home NAS enthusiasts who understand the risks and accept responsibility for operating outside of official Synology support channels.

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How to Set Up a Synology NAS with No Drives Installed to Allow DSM Installation

Synology’s 2025 and later Plus-series NAS systems will not allow DSM installation if only unverified drives are present. However, it is possible to bypass this limitation and install DSM without using any Synology-branded or officially supported drives. The method involves enabling Telnet access and overriding the drive compatibility check during the DSM installation process.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Physically set up your NAS

  • Connect the NAS to your local network using Ethernet.

  • Ensure the device is powered on, even if no drives are installed or only unverified drives are present.

• Attempt initial DSM setup

  • Use Synology Assistant or go to http://find.synology.com to locate your NAS.

  • Proceed through the DSM installation wizard. You will likely encounter an error indicating that the inserted drive(s) are unsupported.

• Enable Telnet access

  • In a browser, navigate to:
    http://<NAS-IP>:5000/webman/start_telnet.cgi
    Replace <NAS-IP> with the actual IP address of your NAS.

• Connect via Telnet

  • Open a Telnet client like PuTTY.

  • Enter your NAS IP address and connect via Telnet.

  • When prompted, use:

    • Username: root

    • Password: 101-0101 (default for this Telnet interface)

• Bypass installation check

  • Enter the following command into the Telnet window:

    while true; do touch /tmp/installable_check_pass; sleep 1; done


  • This creates a temporary flag that bypasses the system’s compatibility verification loop.

• Return to the DSM install page

  • Refresh the browser window where you began the DSM setup.

  • DSM will now allow installation to proceed, even on unverified drives.

• Finish DSM setup

  • Complete the DSM installation.

  • Create your admin user account when prompted.

  • You can now access the full DSM interface.

Once DSM is installed, you can proceed to apply the permanent drive compatibility fixes, create storage pools, and remove warning banners—all covered in the next section.

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How to Allow Unverified HDDs or SSDs to Be Used for Storage Pools, Volumes, and Caching (and Remove Warnings)

Once DSM is installed, unverified drives will still be blocked from creating storage pools, volumes, or caches. Even if the system boots, Storage Manager will display warnings or greyed-out options. To unlock full functionality, you must apply a community-developed script that updates DSM’s internal drive compatibility database. This section outlines how to download, apply, and validate that change.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Enable SSH on your NAS
  • In DSM, go to Control Panel > Terminal & SNMP > Terminal.
  • Enable SSH service and click Apply.

• Prepare SSH access
  • Use PuTTY (or your preferred SSH client) to connect to your NAS.
  • Log in using your DSM administrator username and password (not root at this stage).
• Create working directory
  • Once connected, elevate to root:

    sudo -i
    

  • Create the required folder:

    mkdir -m775 /opt
    cd /opt
    

• Download the required scripts
  • Run the following commands to download the latest versions directly from Dave Russell’s GitHub:

    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_db.sh"
    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_vendor_ids.txt"
    chmod 750 /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh
    

• Run the script
  • Execute the script to patch the drive database:

    /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh
    

  • The script will detect your NAS model, DSM version, and connected drives. It will then add those drives to the compatibility database and back up the original files.

• Check Storage Manager
  • Return to DSM’s Storage Manager.
  • If changes are not immediately visible, reboot your NAS.
  • You should now be able to create storage pools, volumes, and SSD caches with unverified drives, without warning messages.
• Optional: Disable compatibility warnings completely
  • To stop future drive alerts from DSM, you may also want to run:

    /usr/syno/bin/synosetkeyvalue /etc.defaults/synoinfo.conf support_disk_compatibility no
    

At this point, all third-party drives currently installed in the system will be fully usable and recognized as supported. The next section explains how to add additional unverified drives later and have them automatically accepted.

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What to Do When Adding New HDDs or SSDs Later for Expansion, Replacement, or Hot Spares

After your initial setup and database modification, any newly added unverified drives will still appear as unsupported in DSM until they are explicitly added to the modified compatibility database. This section outlines how to safely introduce new drives for RAID expansion, hot spare assignment, or disk replacement without encountering blockages or warning messages.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Physically install the new drive(s)
  • Power down your NAS if required (for systems that don’t support hot-swapping).
  • Insert the new unverified HDDs or SSDs into available bays.
  • Power the NAS back on and log in to DSM.
• Check Storage Manager
  • Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  • Newly added drives will appear but will be marked as “Not supported” or “Unverified.”
  • They will not be usable for volume expansion or as hot spares until added to the compatibility list.
• Reconnect via SSH
  • Use PuTTY or your SSH client to log into DSM with your admin credentials.
  • Elevate to root access:

    sudo -i
    

• Navigate to the working directory
  • Assuming you previously created /opt and stored the script there:

    cd /opt
    

• Run the update script again
  • This re-applies the database patch and includes newly inserted drives:

    ./syno_hdd_db.sh

1. Verify drive status
   • Go back to Storage Manager.
   • Refresh the page or reboot the NAS if needed.
   • The newly added drives should now appear as compatible and can be used for expansion, drive replacement, or assigned as hot spares.

This process can be repeated anytime new unverified drives are introduced. However, to avoid having to manually re-run the script every time, the next section covers how to set up a scheduled task that automates this during every system boot.

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How to Set Up a Scheduled Task to Re-Apply the Fix on Every Reboot

Synology DSM updates or certain system operations can overwrite or reset the internal compatibility database, especially after version upgrades or service restarts. To ensure that unverified drives remain recognized and fully functional even after a reboot, you can configure a scheduled task that automatically re-applies the compatibility script at every startup.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Log in to DSM and open Task Scheduler
  • Go to Control Panel > Task Scheduler.
  • Click Create > Triggered Task > User-defined script.
• Configure the general settings
  • Task Name: Name it something descriptive like Drive Compatibility Patch.
  • User: Select root from the dropdown (this is essential for full system access).
  • Event: Select Boot-up so the script runs every time the NAS starts.
  • Leave Enabled checked.

• Set the script action
  • Click on the Task Settings tab.
  • In the User-defined script box, enter the following command:

    mkdir -m775 /opt
    cd /opt || (echo "Failed to CD to /opt"; exit 1)
    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_db.sh"
    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_vendor_ids.txt"
    chmod 750 /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh
    /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh -e
    

  • This ensures the script is always downloaded fresh and applied with the -e flag for compatibility with scheduled tasks and email output (if enabled).
• Optional email notifications
  • Still under Task Settings, you can enable email alerts to be notified if the script fails or terminates abnormally.
• Save and test
  • Click OK to save the task.
  • You can manually run the task to confirm it executes correctly.
  • Reboot the NAS to ensure the script is applied at boot and unverified drives remain fully usable.

This scheduled task ensures long-term reliability and reduces the need for manual intervention whenever DSM is restarted, updated, or new drives are introduced.

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Synology’s decision to restrict drive compatibility in its 2025 and later NAS models has complicated matters for users who prefer flexibility in their storage choices. However, through a combination of Telnet access, SSH scripting, and community-built tools like Dave Russell’s syno_hdd_db.sh, it is entirely possible to restore full drive functionality—even when using completely unverified SATA or NVMe devices. By following the steps outlined in this guide, users can install DSM on unverified drives, create storage pools, use SSDs for caching, and expand or modify their RAID configurations without limitations. Setting up an automated scheduled task further ensures these capabilities persist through reboots and DSM updates. While Synology may eventually broaden official support, this method provides a reliable and reversible way to maintain full control over your hardware today.

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Should You Buy the Synology DS925+ NAS?

In practical terms, the DS925+ is the stronger out-of-the-box choice, especially for users who value simplicity, improved default performance, and do not anticipate needing higher-than-2.5GbE networking down the line. However, the long-term value proposition becomes murkier when you factor in the DS923+’s PCIe expansion, broader drive compatibility, and the potential price drops that will follow its ageing status in Synology’s lineup. In short, the DS925+ is the better NAS on day one—more powerful, faster, and quieter. But if you’re planning for day 1,000, it’s worth pausing to consider whether the expandability and media flexibility of the DS923+ may be a better fit for your storage and networking needs over the next five to seven years.

Synology DS925+ NAS		Synology DS923+ NAS
Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Check B&H for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS923+ NAS	Check B&H for the Synology DS923+ NAS

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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions   Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

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