My Cloud USB HDD Capacity

Will the USB port on a 3TB My Cloud read the full partition on a 3TB My Passport HDD? I have both 2TB and 3TB My Passports. My current router, and no routers I can find, will read the 3TB drive. Router limitations that also seem to apply on USB NAS devices. I am looking at ordering a 3TB My Cloud, but need to make sure it will read/write to the entire 3TB of the My Passport (NFTS) for backup. I see a lot of write-ups on routers, NAS, etc that talk about adding USB drives, but none talk about limitations.

Thanks,

Roger

Do not recall anyone mentioning having problems with large (over 3T) USB hard dives on the My Cloud other than the usual USB not recognized issue that plagued some of us that is not related to the USB hard drive size. The user manuals for the My Cloud (http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/?id=439&type=25) do not appear to list a capacity limit to the USB hard drive size.

Someone asked a similar question over in the EX4 subforum several years ago:

https://community.wd.com/t/usb-hard-drive-size-limit/97562

Hi Bennor, Thanks for the reply. I am thinking that since both devices are WD, and the My Cloud manual refers to using My Passport drives, it will work. But my Cisco router says it supports “most” usb drives. It does support my 2TB My Passport, not the 3TB. Has something to do with the router being linux based I believe. I am about to order a My Cloud, but don’t want to get it out here only to find it will not read the drive.

I just did a test and hooked up my 4TB My Book to my WRT-1900AC router. I was then able to map the dive to my windows system. The properties windows showed that the dirve was 4TB.

RAC

Hi Rac,

Interesting. I was able to connect a 3TB Seagate Backup Plus to my Linksys E3200, but the 3TB My Passport would not work. Linksys lists some usb drives over 2TB that work, but others do not. Just wish the vendors would prominently post compatibility lists for all products. I am looking at a linksys EA6900 (AC1900), but need to fix my storage first.

Back on subject, I just got a reply from WD support that the My Cloud usb port should handle the My Passport 3TB drive with no problem, I assume other large drives as well, and I just ordered the 4TB My Cloud. Guess I will know in a week or so. I will post the result.

Thanks for the replies

I have a 6TB cloud. I’ve also connected my 4TB that I’ve connected to the My Cloud. It also works.

RAC

Good info on both counts RAC, thanks.

Roger

Maybe its Filesystem, Fat32/NTFS thats been there all along?

Apologies for ‘waking’ it after so long.
I have had a Gen 2 4TB WD My Cloud device since 2017. I have been using it primarily as a dedicated home media server, since the 4TB had sufficed all these years; but now I have recently expanded its capacity via a 14TB WD Elements USB mass storage. I have moved all my media (music and videos) in there and configured Twonky accordingly, and have dedicated the internal hard drive for personal shares.
My question is, how do I get the USB storage capacity to show on the dashboard? I am only able to see the internal storage, and there is just no way for me to keep track of the mass storage attached via USB. I have even gone the route of doing a full factory restoration; it still won’t show.

Enable USB Content Availability in the My Cloud Dashboard > Settings > General section. By doing so the attached USB hard drive should be included in the capacity chart on the Home page of the My Cloud Dashboard.

Example of a single bay first gen My Cloud with a 12 TB internal drive and a second 12 TB drive connected via USB.


One could “shuck” the WD Elements 3.5 inch hard drive and put it into the My Cloud enclosure using one of the various “unbrick” methods mentioned in this subforum. The above example image shows it being done with a similar WD external USB hard drive (from a WD EasyStore enclosure).

Another example here:

Thank you, Bennor.
Comparing what I have with the screenshot you’ve provided, my dashboard is a bit different, unsuprisingly so since I am on OS5. This option to avail USB content is no longer available; however it seems enough to just click on the USB icon to reveal capacity and usage:

I have had a look at the topics on unbricking or upgrading the HDD in the unit. I’ve done a hard drive replacement on my 10 year old 3TB MBL, which still works to this day; but I only did it because it had crashed. This My Cloud unit is 6 years old now and has yet to give me problems; but I have gone on and downloaded the unbricking material I found on the forums for that rainy day. As you have mentioned, I could also shuck the Elements drive; but I don’t want to jinx myself and would rather consider that in the event My Cloud gives me problems in future.