I must say that after my having waited some time and then seeing what appeared to be actually addressed, I was disappointed that as a high priority was to fiddle with the LED blinking…instead of the reliability problems that I and others have experienced.
FWIW, I’m using Windows 8.1 and have found it an iffy proposition to actually be able to perform a backup (via TotalRecovery Pro 10) to my 4TB WD My Cloud and have it work the first time around. I’ve had to resort to performing this multiple times in order to get a backup to be accomplished without the connection to the device having a problem (perhaps a timeout is occurring on the Windows side due to unresponsiveness?). Being able to use the device as a remote disk drive should be considered a basic, essential service and should be rock solid; this should have been the focus for WDC before implementing any other features…and any other features should have been tested to make sure that they do not interfere with this primary feature.
No…I’m not using XCOPY as someone derided another when they ran into similar problems (as though using a decades-old tool that is rock-solid and has had tons of real-world use were a bad thing!). I digress, but I think it odd that someone would be quick to blame a copy utility that has been around forever before the new whiz-bang gizmo.
Prior to the latest firmware (v03.04.01-219) version, my device would constantly be thrashing away for literally days, apparently scanning for media (I believe it stated that in the Dashboard it was scanning), even though I had the media services
disabled from the Dashboard. When it started this, the device never would go to sleep.
Now, after the v03.04.01-219 firmware, the device doesn’t say it’s scanning (a plus?)…but appears unresponsive after having been left on overnight! I end up having to reboot it to have it accessible again. Is this progress? I’ve not tried a backup again just yet…but I’m not holding my breath to see if that is fixed.
BTW, to those who would suggest it: I have NO interest in reformatting my device. It is not that old (maybe a couple of months now) and it’s not like I install any other software on it. In my mind, it should be simple and reliable to use like a toaster.
Might I suggest to WD a couple of things?:
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Test your software! My company does; we do not just release software until QA gives its stamp of approval. Please use thorough, real-world-inspired tests of what is likely to be used out in the field. This is evidently not being done sufficiently. You can’t have that many hardware variations…it’s all controlled by you guys. It’s not like it’s a general purpose computer where typical users can install apps on it. If there’s problems with the firmware, it’s a problem for WDC to address…not an opportunity to have customers go on wild goose chases reformatting and resetting the device.
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Properly prioritize bug fixes! If there are serious reliability problems…PLEASE have all of your top-notch guys stop fiddling with the darn LED and whatever else and address the serious problems FIRST!
Thanks for your consideration!
