FEEDBACK TO WD from a LOYAL but totally FRUSTRATED customer

[jodipeters]

FEEDBACK TO WD from a LOYAL but totally FRUSTRATED customer

Hi:

I always used WD drives, too many years to count! I’m a very passionate supported of your hard drives. I just got my 4TB MyCloud and my 4TB MyBook. I was very excited to start using my new toys until I tried to install WD software. Great hardware and very good firmware but your software is REALLY AWFUL.

Please allow me to share my experience as feedback to you from a VERY LOYAL BUT FRUSTRATED customer:

Unpacked and plugged the disks with MyBook to MyCloud with USB… really easy and worked right away… GREAT!

Then…

1- The manual is wrong and outdated. What you see on the dashboard setup is different than what’s documented in the manual. This goes for MyCloud and MyBook. Customer is left to figure thing out on her own.

2- The Backup function doesn’t work as one would expect (of course, without a manual, it’s not clear what’s the intended behavior is). Also, sometimes I see two options (COPY and SYNCHRONIZE) and sometimes I see three (the other two plus INCREMENTAL). In one test I did, the backed up files and folders just DISAPPEARED!!! Unreliable and unsafe.

3- Software installer in the directory that comes bundled with MyBook does not install at all. It gives an error. So I used the installer in the “bin” sub-directory. While it works (i.e. it opens and starts the install process), the software it installs DOES NOT WORK.

4- I gave up on the bundled software and I downloaded the software from your website.
– Backup does not install at all.
– SmartWare installs and after I set it up, it does not work.
– Quick View installs then sometimes works and sometimes it does not.

5- When I started MyCloud dashboard, your manual takes us through a process of setting up an account on MyCloud.com. However, this is not what happened when I setup my MyCloud. It was all done without account. So I do not understand why I need a MyCloud.com account at WD?

TRULY FRUSTRATING. Please do something about your software.

BTW, I am a computer engineer and a software engineer. I have tried many things and many ways to make this work. My test system is running Windows 7 SP1.

JP

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NB: I tried to reply to this but it said new users can only submit two links in a post…! So I’m combining two replies in one and trying to edit my original post to see if I can add my reply this way

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cpt_paranoia: “Firmware good…? You’ll learn…” Ha ha… I hope I’m right But I’m starting now to see what you mean, for example…

• the crazy “shared” folders keep coming back even if I delete them!!
• the inability to copy or create any files in the “shared” folders
• the intermittent disappearance of the MyCloud drive
• the inability to see MyCloud from all computers connected on my internal network
  … … I have I will not have more issues…

And yes, I’m using the correct manual version relating to 2.x; it’s outdated and wrong. For example, the manual walks guides you to signup for a MyCloud.com account. When you actually do the setup from the dashboard, it does not do that.

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Bennor: Thanks much for your reply.

[quote=“Bennor, post:5, topic:180358, full:true”]

@jodipeters

1- The manual is wrong and outdated. What you see on the dashboard setup is different than what’s documented in the manual. This goes for MyCloud and MyBook. Customer is left to figure thing out on her own.

Make sure to download the right manual for your firmware version. WD decided to change the My Cloud Dashboard when they released the newer generation My Cloud (v2.x). Because of this there are now two different User Manual. Sounds like you grabbed the wrong user manual.

Older v4.x My Cloud: http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705103.pdf
Newer v2.x My Cloud: http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705147.pdf

[/quote] JP: I am using the correct manual for version 2.x of the firmware.

[quote=“Bennor, post:5, topic:180358, full:true”]

@jodipeters

2- The Backup function doesn’t work as one would expect (of course, without a manual, it’s not clear what’s the intended behavior is). Also, sometimes I see two options (COPY and SYNCHRONIZE) and sometimes I see three (the other two plus INCREMENTAL). In one test I did, the backed up files and folders just DISAPPEARED!!! Unreliable and unsafe.

If the User Manual is confusing or wrong, then try reading the My Cloud Dashboard Help. There are many complaints about the v2.x My Cloud Backup feature, especially its lack of a scheduling option when backing up to an attached USB hard drive.

[/quote] JP: I did, thanks. And yes, lack of scheduling is REALLY bad.

[quote=“Bennor, post:5, topic:180358, full:true”]

@jodipeters

3- Software installer in the directory that comes bundled with MyBook does not install at all. It gives an error. So I used the installer in the “bin” sub-directory. While it works (i.e. it opens and starts the install process), the software it installs DOES NOT WORK.

That is not related to the My Cloud. You should complain about that in the appropriate subforum:
http://wdstagingsplit.staged-by-discourse.com/c/wd-external-drives/external-drives-for-pc
Or
http://wdstagingsplit.staged-by-discourse.com/c/wd-software-mobile-apps/wd-software
Or download the latest installer from the WD Support web site.

[/quote] JP: I did and that’s what I used. Doesn’t work either. I will post elsewhere.

[quote=“Bennor, post:5, topic:180358, full:true”]

@jodipeters

4- I gave up on the bundled software and I downloaded the software from your website.
– Backup does not install at all.
– SmartWare installs and after I set it up, it does not work.
– Quick View installs then sometimes works and sometimes it does not.

For local access to the My Cloud there is no need to use the WD software on one’s computer. There are a variety of free third party backup programs that can be used to backup to the My Cloud as well as third party sync programs. Here are some popular programs:

EaseUS Todo Backup Free: http://www.easeus.com/
Macrium Reflect Free: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
Paragon Backup and Recovery 14 Free: http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/download.html
Free File Sync: http://www.freefilesync.org/

[/quote] JP: Thanks for the suggestions. That’s what I’m looking for now, non-WD software

[quote=“Bennor, post:5, topic:180358, full:true”]

@jodipeters

5- When I started MyCloud dashboard, your manual takes us through a process of setting up an account on MyCloud.com. However, this is not what happened when I setup my MyCloud. It was all done without account. So I do not understand why I need a MyCloud.com account at WD?

The MyCloud.com account is used for remote access. It allows you to use the MyCloud.com web portal to access the My Cloud remotely. It also allows one to setup the WD Sync, the WD My Cloud Desktop and the WD My Cloud mobile apps for Android and iOS for remote access.

[/quote] JP: Thanks for this clarification. I didn’t realize that, to access my own MyCloud remotely through my smartphone, I needed to pass through WD’s MyCloud.com hence the need for an account. Will setup.

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Thanks again guys.

JP

[rac8006]

What version of firmware is your My cloud. If it is 4.xx it is a gen1 My cloud. If it is 2.xx it is a gen2 My cloud. The gen 1 My Cloud runs Debian Linux. But compiled with 64k pagesize rather than the standard 4k pagesize. This means you can’t use apt-get on the gen1 or it will brick the device.

The gen2 My Cloud uses busybox. Which is a special linux. The dashboard is also different in the gen2.

RAC

[jodipeters]

RAC, thanks for your post. Sorry, I forgot to include my firmware version. It’s 2.21.119.

[cpt_paranoia]

Have you downloaded the right manual? There are two versions of each language, one for v2, one for the older (yes, we know…) v4, neither identified…

I don’t think the v2 is up to date.

I avoid using any WD software on Windows, and use third party backup s/w for local access. The android app is okay, if a bit limited.

Firmware good…? You’ll learn…

[Bennor]

@jodipeters

1- The manual is wrong and outdated. What you see on the dashboard setup is different than what’s documented in the manual. This goes for MyCloud and MyBook. Customer is left to figure thing out on her own.

Make sure to download the right manual for your firmware version. WD decided to change the My Cloud Dashboard when they released the newer generation My Cloud (v2.x). Because of this there are now two different User Manual. Sounds like you grabbed the wrong user manual.

Older v4.x My Cloud: http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705103.pdf
Newer v2.x My Cloud: http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705147.pdf

@jodipeters

2- The Backup function doesn’t work as one would expect (of course, without a manual, it’s not clear what’s the intended behavior is). Also, sometimes I see two options (COPY and SYNCHRONIZE) and sometimes I see three (the other two plus INCREMENTAL). In one test I did, the backed up files and folders just DISAPPEARED!!! Unreliable and unsafe.

If the User Manual is confusing or wrong, then try reading the My Cloud Dashboard Help. There are many complaints about the v2.x My Cloud Backup feature, especially its lack of a scheduling option when backing up to an attached USB hard drive.

@jodipeters

3- Software installer in the directory that comes bundled with MyBook does not install at all. It gives an error. So I used the installer in the “bin” sub-directory. While it works (i.e. it opens and starts the install process), the software it installs DOES NOT WORK.

That is not related to the My Cloud. You should complain about that in the appropriate subforum:
http://wdstagingsplit.staged-by-discourse.com/c/wd-external-drives/external-drives-for-pc
Or
http://wdstagingsplit.staged-by-discourse.com/c/wd-software-mobile-apps/wd-software
Or download the latest installer from the WD Support web site.

@jodipeters

4- I gave up on the bundled software and I downloaded the software from your website.
– Backup does not install at all.
– SmartWare installs and after I set it up, it does not work.
– Quick View installs then sometimes works and sometimes it does not.

For local access to the My Cloud there is no need to use the WD software on one’s computer. There are a variety of free third party backup programs that can be used to backup to the My Cloud as well as third party sync programs. Here are some popular programs:

EaseUS Todo Backup Free: http://www.easeus.com/
Macrium Reflect Free: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
Paragon Backup and Recovery 14 Free: http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/download.html
Free File Sync: http://www.freefilesync.org/

@jodipeters

5- When I started MyCloud dashboard, your manual takes us through a process of setting up an account on MyCloud.com. However, this is not what happened when I setup my MyCloud. It was all done without account. So I do not understand why I need a MyCloud.com account at WD?

The MyCloud.com account is used for remote access. It allows you to use the MyCloud.com web portal to access the My Cloud remotely. It also allows one to setup the WD Sync, the WD My Cloud Desktop and the WD My Cloud mobile apps for Android and iOS for remote access.

[Bennor]

First, editing your initial post to respond to down thread/discussion posts is confusing and hard to read/follow. Generally it is better to reply at the end to keep the flow and readability (as I’m doing with this post).

@jodipeters

Thanks for this clarification. I didn’t realize that, to access my own MyCloud remotely through my smartphone, I needed to pass through WD’s MyCloud.com hence the need for an account. Will setup.

For remote access using the WD My Cloud mobile apps one can configure it one of two ways. One is using their MyCloud.com account. The app will poll their account and display any My Cloud units associated with that email address. The other way to configure the mobile app is using the “code” one can generate using the My Cloud Dashboard Remote Access section. One may have to be on the local network when first configuring the mobile app with the code but from then on the mobile app should direct connect to the My Cloud.

[jodipeters]

Thanks Bennor. I will use the “code” method. I’, really not keen on passing by the WD MyCloud.com for privacy reasons. Does WD actually keep a copy of the files? If not, at least, I would think all activities and file downloads will be visible to them.

And yes, Iagree with you as to how to reply but WD is not allowing me to post more than two replies to my initial post. Weird but true…!

JP

[cpt_paranoia]

@jodipeters

Thanks Bennor. I will use the “code” method

You can also use the WD Mobile app, and connect to the device by simply entering your device username and password (not the myCloud.com credentials), and this will create the association. No need to pass codes.

@jodipeters

Does WD actually keep a copy of the files?

No. of course not. They provide a redirection server (for port forwarding mode) and comms servers (for relay mode), not data servers. You data is only stored on your device. They don’t want the expense of storing petabytes of pictures of cats.

[Bennor]

@jodipeters

Does WD actually keep a copy of the files? If not, at least, I would think all activities and file downloads will be visible to them.

No WD does not keep a copy of the files. When you make a remote connection using the WD My Cloud Desktop, WD mobile apps, WD Sync, or MyCloud.com the connection is encrypted. The files/downloads should/would not be visible to WD.