Am I able to do this with my NAS drive?

I would like to directly connect to my drive and access and manage my files through the file explorer in Windows. I don’t like having to use the cloud storage system for a few reasons;

  1. And I don’t know if this is always the case, but I don’t like being tethered to the internet to use the NAS drive. I would like the ability to move my files with or without internet access. Powercuts happen - I would like access to all of my files at ALL times. I understand this might be solved with a cable from the drive to my laptop (if anybody can confirm I am able to do this), but that does not solve all of my issues

  2. I don’t bloody well like using the cloud storage app. Not one bit. It isn’t user friendly for me for a few reasons I will list here;

A) Sometimes it shows me the progress bar, others it does not.

B) Often it isn’t moving all of my files over, just the folders. I look inside the folders dismayed to find that no files have been transferred. I do not have the time nor the patience to look through the thousands of folders I am trying to port over

B-2) This might be an issue tied with issue A as it is not finished moving the files, but I wait and wait and wait and wait and nothing ever shows up. I move the files themselves and they port over just fine. But again, I don’t have the time or the patience to micromanage to this degree

C) I am unable to look at the folder size I have just moved over. There simply isn’t an option. A quick and easy method to check all the files have been moved over is to check the size of the folder and how many files are in it. Obviously I am unable to do this and this is a problem for me

D) I can’t change the view to compact or make anything smaller. I am not blind. I don’t need the icons so large - I would like to see more information in one screen. This is a much smaller issue, but it’s still an annoyance when I am trying to scan for a specific archived folder

tl;dr I want to work through Windows and Windows only

Any advice on anything, and workarounds, literally anything at all will be appreciated.

Edit: To clarify I have already searched to see if I’m able to do this via Windows and as far as I can see I can’t, but I’m hoping I have misread or misunderstood or there’s some setting somewhere which can allow me to use the NAS in the way in which I need to

Welcome to the community @Leni!

Just wanted to clarify which device you currently have and the OS you’re running. Are you using a My Cloud EX2 on OS 3?

#WDUserRewards

OS3 and OS5 are similar in this regard.

In fact, the ONLY way I access my OS3 units is via windows file explorer.
To verify file transfers; I use a folder comparison program.

The OS3 web app is “no more”. The OS5 app. . .is a puddle of poo. . .and worked so well I reverted my one OS5 unit back to OS3 (and took measures to isolate the OS3 units from the internet.

For OS5; I THINK you only need the internet to register the user accounts for web use. Day-to-day use does not require internet.

All the NAS units REQUIRE a router. . . .for optimal speeds (important when transferring files) you REALLY want to have your PC wired to the router as well.

Can you wire directly from the NAS network port to a PC network port? Technically - - yes. I don’t know how. Essentially, you have to make your PC act like a router. (I just told you more than I know)

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Hi, thank you for replying.

I have Windows 10 and I am using EX2

Hi, thank you for the reply!

I’ve had to skirt around the issue by putting files into zip folders, but the issue I have with that is that I have thousands of files in which has characters that cannot be zipped or are too long. These are html files and I cannot change them - the amount of work to do so is just insane

I have no idea what the difference between OS3 and OS5 is - I didn’t know there were different web portals?

I am not able to directly plug my NAS drive into my laptop yet - I do not have the cable to do so. I have the NAS plugged into a nano router which works, but also doesn’t by design (?)

I can’t seem to work out how to use it without using the internet. As I said, I don’t have a cable to test it yet, but from what I read online it won’t work - or at least it won’t work in the way I want it to? Like you said, but I also don’t know how to do that even. Can’t find anything in settings, but a lot is going over my head anyway

But I know people with NAS drives who have file explorer access exactly how I wanted. I bought the product thinking I’d get that, but instead I’ve ended up with a very difficult to use product that is probably very unsuited to my needs.

All I wanted was to have an easy way to back up my files in two places; my portable hard drives and a long-term storage solution. I wanted to get just two simple drives that I sometimes plug into my laptop and transfer from my portables to them in turn - all I’d need is some sort of case to convert the ports so I can plug it in via USB. I know those exist and the only real issue would be having to shut down my laptop every time I wanted to disconnect - something I’m okay with.

Except my brother badgered me into getting a NAS drive because it’s “better” and “easier”. Only it isn’t at all and now I’m long past the return date and I’m stuck with something I can’t use. If I were more adept in this sort of thing, I’d have realised a lot sooner that this product isn’t something I’m able to use for what I need, but instead I spent the whole time thinking “I just need to understand it better and it will work out”.

What’s worse is that apparently if you don’t use the bloody thing for “too long” then it all but shuts down and you have to factory reset it with the small pinhole at the back. What kind of insane nonsense is that? It’s supposed to be for long-term storage, not a lesson in micromanagement.

I really just should have stuck to my original plan.

Edit: Just for clarification, that “too long” turned out to be the length of a camping trip, including the organisation beforehand. I can’t keep doing that - this is so bull

DON’T PANIC -

this should work the way you want. In fact, the ONLY way I access my drives is via file explorer.

Read my post (#51) in this thread for tips: Old Post regarding MyPassport Wireless Pro

The MPWP (mypassport wireless pro) works like an OS/3 device.
Just ignore Notes 1, 2, and 4 at the bottom (these are specific to the MPWP)

If you have a RECENTLY PURCHASED EX2 Ultra; I think it will have OS/5 installed. The methods are the same - - > except an OS/5 device WILL show up as a “computer” in File Explorer.

The device SHOULD stay running continuously. It should not need weekly rebooting - - - unless you have a house power blip.

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You don’t have to use the internet (indeed, with an EX2, you can’t) but you MUST use your local network. Make sure SMB1 is enabled and use network explorer or map the drive and use file explorer.