Install my cloud firmware for the first time (second generation) to a brand new unformatted drive

I have a OS 3 version of my cloud where the hard disk has failed (not recoverable). I bought a new identical WD Red plus NAS drive. Where can I get the OS image and then the steps to restore the OS to the new drive. I can then populate it with my data from backups. Do I need to format the new drive first?
Thanks

If you do a search for “unbrick” in this subforum you will find numerous discussions on various ways to prepare a new hard drive for use in the single bay My Cloud enclosure. Including the [GUIDE] Upgrade a working My Cloud to a bigger HDD (easy steps) discussion directly below this discussion on the subforum’s main page. User Fox_exe’s directions are one popular method of configuring either an old drive or new drive for use in the single bay My Cloud enclosure. First step is to ensure you have a second gen single bay My Cloud. Check the P/N number on the bottom of the single bay My Cloud. If it ends with “-00” it is first gen v3.x/v4.x firmware. If it ends with “-10” it is second gen v2.x/v5.x firmware. The methods used to unbrick each version are different. One cannot use the second gen directions on a first gen single bay My Cloud.

Note: The My Cloud and My Cloud Home are not the same device. If one has a My Cloud Home DO NOT use these directions. The directions and files below are only for the second generation single bay My Cloud.

The files used in this method have been archived by someone. Here is the main archive:
https://wd.hides.su/fox_exe/

Second gen directions: https://wd.hides.su/fox_exe/WDMyCloud-Gen2/_Unbricking_en.txt
usbrecovery.tar.gz: https://wd.hides.su/fox_exe/WDMyCloud-Gen2/usbrecovery.tar.gz
Alternate way second gen files:
uImage-wdrecovery: https://wd.hides.su/fox_exe/WDMyCloud-Gen2/Developing/uImage-wdrecovery
uRamdisk-wdrecovery: https://wd.hides.su/fox_exe/WDMyCloud-Gen2/Developing/uRamdisk-wdrecovery

Second gen 2.42.115 (1/18/2022) firmware:
https://downloads.wdc.com/nas/My_Cloud_GLCR_2.42.115.bin
Release Notes for the 2.42.115 (1/18/2022) firmware: https://support.wdc.com/download/notes/WD_My_Cloud_Release_Notes_FW_2.42.115.pdf

Note: Update to the last v2.x firmware before attempting to update to the latest OS5 firmware.

Second gen 5.26.119 (1/5/2023) firmware: https://downloads.wdc.com/nas/WDMyCloud_5.26.119_prod.bin
Release Notes for the 5.26.119 (1/5/2023) firmware: https://os5releasenotes.mycloud.com/

It is generally a good idea to do a 40 second reset or a System Only reset in the My Cloud Dashboard > Settings > Utilities after the initial unbrick of the My Cloud before one begins configuring it or copying any user data to it. Sometimes one may have to perform the unbrick process more than once before it works properly. If one see’s a red front LED after unbricking the My Cloud try to access the My Cloud Dashboard, if one can access the Dashboard then do a System Only reset or a 40 second reset.

My Cloud OS 3 Pin Reset and System Only Restore a Single Bay My Cloud Device
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a_id/24022

Single-Bay My Cloud OS 3 Dashboard Access
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a_id/15104

Note: Standard warning!!! One proceeds at their own risk when unbricking a My Cloud. Backup any user data before attempting an unbrick!

I completed a ddrescue from my old NAS 4TB My Cloud drive to a brand new drive. Copy was apparently successful and My Cloud booted up and I can get in via web interface and SSH.

However - there is no RAID volume so no shares even though my data copied over. I hesitate to create a RAID volume as it is likely to over-write my data … Any suggestions?

Generally it’s best to setup and configure the My Cloud, and resolve any warnings or alerts, before copying any data to it. Creating the RAID volume potentially could erase any existing data/Shares on the My Cloud. If you still have the data backed up you can restore it after triggering the RAID creation.

No worries on losing data. I backup regularly and more than one copy of vital data.
My question was more about why ddrescue did not “clone” the original drive structure - RAID volume included?
My old drive was still working in NAS my cloud, but starting to reallocate sectors (i.e. failing drive). I used ddrescue to “clone” the drive to a new NAS disk. It took 3 days (4TB). When complete, RAID volume was missing (data was there, I could mount the drive separately and see it). The WD Operating System was working (drive booted up), but no data access possible.
I ended up recreating the RAID volume and setup the shares, but unfortunately, not in exactly the same way I had them before leading to all sorts of mounting issues from my other computers. It’s getting sorted out. Then I re-started a copy from my backups. Next time I will try clonezilla.