Help! All data in mybook live gone and owner password unknown

Quilter1 · July 2, 2021, 4:39pm

I did an on-line chat with WD. After the chat ended, I received an e-mail with an “incident update” with a reference number. I replied to that e-mail with the information requested and copies of the log.

I’ve asked a few questions that remain unanswered as of this morning.

Pikazzo · July 2, 2021, 4:54pm

Yeah, I have been asking since day 1 from incident if they’re at least gonna patch it somehow or not and all I get are doddgy answers asking logs and only that

Zak2021 · July 2, 2021, 5:15pm

Just got off a chat with the WD support team. They took my serial numbers, but indicated that I will need proof of purchase to take advantage of any support they will offer. Anyone got a receipt for a drive they bought more than nine years ago at a store? I guess I’m screwed. I hope you all kept your receipts…

UPDATE - WD contacted me by phone assuring me that proof of purchase will not be required for the exchange for a “safe” product - I am still wary, but, now a little hopeful…

sierratango · July 2, 2021, 5:33pm

It is quite odd indeed. Really makes you wonder what their true intentions were.

Rlud · July 2, 2021, 5:34pm

Do you really want anything to do with WD anymore? If they cant help, or replace a defective product, my money will go elsewhere .

Pikazzo · July 2, 2021, 5:37pm

Receipts??? Hahah I really hope youre joking.
I mean, I registered my unit years ago, but receipt?

Its strange that the didnt firr any emails about data recovery and trade yet.

SBrown · July 2, 2021, 5:44pm

Please let me know your support case number so that we can follow-up.
Thanks

Zak2021 · July 2, 2021, 5:58pm

i am concerned about providing incident numbers on an open forum.

SBrown · July 2, 2021, 6:07pm

@Zak2021 I sent you a Private Message requesting the case number.

mkennedy · July 2, 2021, 6:09pm

Did you get any mp4 files back?

Linna · July 2, 2021, 6:19pm

Receipt really for something that was bought many many years ago, this is their screw up they should be the ones compensating us for free.

spigot · July 2, 2021, 6:57pm

I did yes, using R-studio

dracenmarx · July 2, 2021, 7:06pm

Why do they want to have a receipt? That’s always a strategy of companies to avoid that they have to pay you… It doesn’t matter where you bought it and how much it did cost. You have a unit they produced. Where should it have come from? Nobody stole it from the factory or something

Mister_E · July 2, 2021, 7:14pm

Easy answer - the electronic copy of the receipt was on the MBL that’s been erased! I obviously (incorrectly) believed I could ‘put my life on it’.

dracenmarx · July 2, 2021, 7:15pm

Actually, you can. Download and extract the latest firmware. Then use diff -rq to compare the system files. Of course, exclude the /DataVolume directory.

For MyBook Live (Uno):

# MyBook Live (Codename "Apollo NAS")
# https://support-en.wd.com/app/products/product-detail/p/231#WD_downloads
wget https://download.wdc.com/nas/apnc-024310-048-20150507.deb

# You must be root to preserve the file owners!
sudo su

# Extract DEB file
mkdir apnc-024310-048-20150507
dpkg-deb -R apnc-024310-048-20150507.deb apnc-024310-048-20150507/

# Mount rootfs.img
cd apnc-024310-048-20150507/CacheVolume/upgrade
mkdir rootfs
mount -o loop rootfs.img rootfs

For MyBook Live Duo:

# MyBook Live Duo (Codename "Zermatt", probably previously "Apollo 2")
# https://support-en.wd.com/app/products/product-detail/p/232
wget https://download.wdc.com/nas/ap2nc-024310-048-20150507.zip
unzip ap2nc-024310-048-20150507.zip

# You must be root to preserve the file owners!
sudo su

# Extract DEB file
mkdir ap2nc-024310-048-20150507
dpkg-deb -R ap2nc-024310-048-20150507.deb ap2nc-024310-048-20150507/

# Mount rootfs.img
cd ap2nc-024310-048-20150507/CacheVolume/upgrade
mkdir rootfs
mount -o loop rootfs.img rootfs

(I haven’t tested if dpkg-deb exists on the MBL. It did this on a separate Linux box.)

To recover the system files to factory default, you can do a firmware update (to the same version). It should replace all your system files but keep the data. But I am not 100% sure if it really replaces every system file.

jacyjacy77 · July 2, 2021, 8:23pm

@SBrown

I am concerned that if I break the case and remove the hard drive WD will not honor the recovery and replacement unit.
I wish WD would communicate better and not leave us guessing.

Mark213 · July 3, 2021, 12:07am

It shouldn’t make any difference on having a reciept or not. So long as you have the serial number and the physical hardware it should qualify (it’s classed as dead anyway). It’s not like you are asking for cash back to return the unit because you changed your mind on a purchase 2 weeks later. Jeez after 5+ years most actually had grown to accept these and were happy with them in their lives.

Then you pull this standard returns stunt.

This sort of poor training and attitude in support teams gets my goat. But what do you expect when their culture is likely to first dismiss claims as user error… it takes alot to go from that mindset to admitting fault and doing the right thing, no questions asked.

Come on WD stop quibbling and grow up.

Rlud · July 3, 2021, 1:16am

How many times can they ask for the same information. I’ve been asked for logs several times… and now they want a screen shot ??? If I am suppose to have this disconnected, how do they expect me to do this ? I’ll need to re-attach it and hopfully nothing happens to the data that I do have. Seems a little insane to me.

jskiba · July 3, 2021, 1:46am

It’s been obvious from the moment of the incidents that WD realized the losses would’ve been astronomical. If they were to pay up to $5K per drive taken to data recovery. So, they wanted to stall, while at the same time giving false reassurances, to avoid immediate lawsuits. The way they present the resolution makes it appear like they’re doing something. Typical corporate behaviour. They think think they can afford to lose retail market over this. They sell enough hard drives to datacenters, that they’re prepared to give little guy the finger. I’m surprised this isn’t headline news everywhere. I lost files, but I had a full proper offline backup, so I lost nothing, except 19 hours to replicate the NAS. Meanwhile WD lost a decades-long customer in IT. I will no longer buy WD drives for any of my client data repositories. I’m boycotting them over negligence and this will be the first story I’ll be telling anyone asking me which hard drive they recommend buying.

simon899 · July 3, 2021, 2:09am

Same here. All my data since 2014 wiped out. I tried to recover. It’s mixed and need years to be segregated. Please help if any solution from WD to recover properly