DSM 7.3 Upgrade Feedback: Practical Tips for Admins
Real User DSM 7.3 Upgrade Experiences & Tips
DSM 7.3 brings meaningful improvements around security, reliability, and platform capabilities, but “real-world” upgrades can feel different depending on your NAS model, packages, directory integration, and how your users access data. Across community posts and admin discussions, the theme is consistent: most upgrades are smooth, but the problems that do show up tend to cluster around a handful of predictable areas (device behavior, authentication, staged rollouts, and post-upgrade housekeeping).
Below is what users commonly reported, what Synology’s own notes emphasize, and a practical checklist to reduce risk before you move production systems to DSM 7.3.
What users are reporting after upgrading to DSM 7.3
1) “Why don’t I see the update yet?”
A frequent point of confusion is that DSM updates may appear online before they show in your NAS UI. Synology uses staged rollouts, and community discussions reflect admins debating whether to manually install or wait.
Takeaway: if you manage business systems, waiting a short period can reduce exposure to early-edge bugs while still staying current.
2) Small device/behavior quirks (LEDs, hibernation, USB handling)
Some users upgrading to DSM 7.3 noted issues like LED control changes, hibernation behavior not triggering, or upgrade reboots that didn’t gracefully unmount USB storage.
Takeaway: These are usually fixable with settings review or point updates, but they can surprise you if your operations depend on those behaviors.
3) Directory services and access control edge cases (AD/ACLs)
In business environments, the riskiest reports tend to involve Active Directory/domain auth and ACL behavior after the upgrade. Admin threads describe scenarios where domain users could not authenticate to mounts or ACL workflows behaved unexpectedly.
Takeaway: if you’re domain-joined, treat DSM 7.3 as a change window event—test on a non-critical unit first.
4) “The upgrade felt stuck,” or the reboot phase looked scary
A few upgrade “postmortems” describe installs completing quickly, followed by a reboot phase that felt unusually long or noisy (alerts/beeps), even when the system ultimately came back fine.
Takeaway: plan a maintenance window long enough for indexing and package health checks afterward, not just the install itself.
5) License and package follow-ups
Synology’s release notes include fixes for cases where users might be prompted to re-enter license keys after updating to DSM 7.3 in certain migration/SHA-enabled situations—exactly the kind of detail that becomes painful when discovered mid-change.
Takeaway: inventory your licensed packages and keep keys/entitlements handy before you start.
Practical upgrade tips IT teams say actually help
Pre-upgrade checklist (do this first)
Confirm model + package compatibility and scan the DSM 7.3 release notes for anything tied to your features (directory services, licensed apps, migrations).
Back up your NAS configuration and validate you can restore core services (SMB shares, key packages, critical users/groups).
Snapshot critical volumes / replicate if you can (especially for shared folders supporting production workflows).
Pause or schedule heavy jobs (indexing, media processing, large backup jobs) so the upgrade doesn’t compete for CPU/disk.
Safer rollout strategy (especially for businesses)
Upgrade a non-critical NAS first (or a lab/backup unit) that mirrors your production packages and authentication model.
Stagger the rollout across sites; don’t upgrade every branch office NAS in one day.
Communicate realistic downtime: the upgrade may be quick, but post-upgrade package updates, re-indexing, and verification take time.
Post-upgrade checks (don’t skip)
Authentication tests: local admin login, AD/LDAP logins, SMB share access, and any mapped drives.
Permissions spot-check: a few sensitive shared folders where ACL mistakes would be costly.
Device behavior checks: hibernation schedule (if you rely on it), LED rules, USB storage health.
Licenses & packages: confirm licensed apps are activated, and core services start cleanly.
Synology-focused solution paragraph
Synology’s best “built-in” solution for smoother DSM 7.3 upgrades is to treat the release notes and staged rollout model as part of your change process: review DSM 7.3 notes for known behaviors and fixes, use the DSM update controls to postpone or schedule when appropriate, and prefer staged adoption so unexpected issues can be caught before wider impact. In environments running directory services or multi-site file sharing, that same approach, pilot first, validate packages, then expand, aligns well with how DSM releases are designed to roll out over time.
How Epis Technology helps
Epis Technology supports businesses by planning DSM upgrade windows, validating package and directory-service compatibility, and designing rollback-safe backup strategies before any production change. Epis Technology can also harden Synology security settings, tune storage and network performance after the upgrade, and implement hybrid backup options (including Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace protection) so your NAS remains a resilient component of your broader data protection program. For organizations with compliance requirements, Epis Technology helps align retention, auditing, and recovery testing with real operational needs so DSM upgrades improve security without introducing downtime risk.
About Epis Technology
Epis Technology provides enterprise IT infrastructure, Synology consulting, and data protection solutions. Services include Synology deployment and support, large storage system design, fully managed PC backups, and cloud-to-cloud backup for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Epis Technology helps businesses improve cybersecurity resilience, strengthen business continuity, and optimize IT performance with scalable, secure architectures.