Brand new My Cloud Home 4TB - purchased this morning.
I have followed the installation instructions. Windows 10 File Manager can see the new drive OK (mapped as Y:). I can also access it via Chrome (My Cloud Home).
Also, I successfully created a test.txt file in Y: and, when I refreshed the Chrome web page, the text.txt file was immediately visible. This proves that the new drive is working and that files are synch’ing properly.
But, when I try to run the WD Drive Utilities App, I just get the message “attach a supported WD Drive”. Similarly, the WD Backup App fails to see the WD Cloud Home drive. It only offers DropBox as a backup destination.
I raised this with WD Support today. They replied that I’d installed incompatible versions of the WD software - but hang on! I followed the installation instructions to the letter!!
Anyway, following their instructions, I uninstalled every WP App, rebooted and reinstalled the WD Discovery App using the link they provided. I then clicked on the Apps tab and resinstalled the above apps.
But the problem is the same. None of the WD apps can detect my WD Cloud Home drive – even though it is definitely there and perfectly visible.
Does this WD device simply not work with WD’s own software?
WD Backup and WD Drive Utilities support the My Passport, My Book and other DAS products.
Backup and Drive Utilities does not support the My Cloud Home.
That’s really quite odd. I followed the instructions to install WD Discovery - which found the new drive OK. On the Apps tab, it then invites me to install WD Drive Utilities, WD Backup etc.
If they aren’t supported, why present them?
Also, please would you point me to which WD apps are compatible with My Cloud Home (e.g. backup software)?
Yes. And, after hours of time-wasting, I now realise what is going on. Firstly, WD Discovery assumes I own other WD devices besides WD My Cloud Home (on what basis? I don’t know). There is certainly nothing in the documentation out of the box about this.
So, when I then installed WD Drive Utilities (via WD Discovery) – and got the “Attach a supported WD Drive” message – it wasn’t that my installation was incorrect, it was that WD Drive Utilities was looking for some other WD device which I don’t even own.
And when I installed WD Backup (again via WD Discovery), how was I to know that WD’s own back-up software – although presented for me to install as part of my setup – is actually incompatible with the WD device I have purchased?
If it’s not compatible, why present it?
When I bought the My Cloud Home device, the physical set-up was simple – literally 5 minutes to get it up and running on my network. But the next 6 hours on the software side were an unnecessary pain – and would deter me from purchasing WD products in future.
How hard can it be for WD to document things properly? I am familiar with external network drives and also with cloud storage – but WD’s software instructions are unfortunately cr*p. What chance does one have?
Be sure to look at Applicable Products for each app you would like to use. I don’t see the My Cloud Home as was told to you in his reply above by SBrown.
Sorry, but that is beside the point. If I buy a product and, during the installation, am invited to install various apps (e.g. WD Backup), why should I somehow realise that the offered software is incompatible with the product I have just purchased?
Can’t the scribblers at WD just display some meaningful error messages?
As I said before, I set up the device in 5 minutes flat. But there was nothing in the software setup to warn me that the presented apps were incompatible with my device. Why doesn’t WD just add some warnings during the installation process?
I love research but, in this case, had no idea it was going to be necessary.
July 2020! And I spent ages looking for this as well! They should change the message to add, “please check whether this software works with the brand new item you’ve just bought from us”
Actually, It’s worse than you think. If you don’t install the apps you get continual reminders to install them and then every time there is an update to the apps you get hounded to update them.
Why WD can’t just remove those apps from the install routine is beyond my understanding … except that maybe they don’t care about their customer experience or, equally likely, their coders are incompetent.
I’m actually hoping this device fails so that I can justify buying something that works … from another manufacturer.
@Bristolian What WD Device do you own? What apps are you being asked to install?
I own two WD MY CLOUDS and I don’t recall ever being asked to install any app. I do have the ones that I want and use installed on my computers. Those are SmartWare Pro and WD Quick View. I used WD Sync for a while but didn’t like it so I stopped using it. I don’t use the latest Sync app.
There appears to be no back-up related WD-supported app or software for the My Cloud Home or (My Cloud Home Duo). You have to use third-party applications, Windows 10 File History, or Windows 7 (legacy) Backup and Restore. It really is ridiculous that WD offers - even advertizes/pushes - these apps via the WD Discovery interface when they aren’t compatible with the My Cloud Home devices. As another poster mentions, I too am waiting until this thing fails and then I’m getting a REAL NAS from another manufacturer.
Well, I’m quite surprised that my original post has resurfaced after two years. But how sad that WD hasn’t fixed this issue. In good faith, I purchased their backup device but WD’s own backup software doesn’t work with it.
Please say if WD now has compatible backup software. Certainly they haven’t had the courtesy (as a customer) of letting me know.
@sirram , No I don’t have any WD supported app or software, and I cannot find anything today, so no, they haven’t fixed this for us My Cloud Home users. I use EaseUS Backup (Data Backup and Recovery Software for PC/Server/Mac(Winodws 11 Supported)- EaseUS® Todo Backup) for my machines to the (\MYCLOUD-nnnnnn\Public\Backup) folders. The backups work nicely and go into the relevant machine name/username subfolders.
As mentioned, I’m not holding out any hope that WD will provide a proper solution …
I’ve got the My Cloud Home (MCH for short) and during installation of the device on my PC I was directed by the installati0on software to install the following apps:
WD Discovery
WD Backup
WD Drive Utilities
WD Security
With the exception of the Discovery app none of the others actually acknowledge the presence of the MCH device or actually work with it. After installation, when they refused to work, I read the compatability information and could see that the MCH isn’t listed but at the time of installation you don’t know that. Generally, if I am “asked” by an installation program to install something I expect it to work (or at least be relevant) even if I don’t want it. On the face of it though, those apps sound jolly useful.
Having discovered they don’t work with the MCH I uninstalled them (leaving Discovery installed or Windows can’t find the device). Within minutes I received a message to say I should install them again and that message crops up every time I power up the PC until I decided I would ijnstall them and just leave them alone. Then, of course, you get a message to update the apps every time WD issue a new release. Pointless, comes to mind.
Sorry for the long explanation but to say I am hacked off with this devise and WD’s absolute lack of interest in doing anything about it is an understatement.
I ordered a new Synology NAS earlier this afternoon so at least my frustration won’t be for much longer.
Yes, numerous update notifications on a daily basis for meaningless applications. Why cannot WD link their software updates to the products we have actually installed?
I won’t buy another WD device. Their whole approach is beyond comprehension.
@Bristolian - you are correct. There are no WD supplied backup applications for the My Cloud Home/Duo owners. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I too am looking at getting a “real” NAS as this WD device is far from one, even though they market it as such on their webstore page!
Like @Bristolian I am looking at a Synology device. The new 2020 models should be available in the Fall, so I am awaiting those coming to the US. If you want one right away however, the 2018 models (manufactured in '17) are available now. Also, trying to be brand-agnostic here, the QNAP devices are nice too, as well as other brands. Do your research and compare the manufacturers, as there is very little difference between comparable devices, especially between Synology and QNAP. They each have their own OSs, multiple apps, and good hardware. It really is a personal choice between the brands.
