I want to create a shared folder for a Quicken data file that my wife and I will both have access to from our laptops. Should that be a subfolder under Public or a shared folder outside of and at the same level as Public?
Thank you!
If you haven’t already you should read the embedded My Cloud Dashboard Help and or the My Cloud User Manual (https://support.wdc.com/product.aspx?ID=904). They both explain how to create Shares and Users along with how to set a Share to Private and assign user permissions once private.
When a Share is created through the My Cloud Dashboard, that Share is created at the top level, same level as the Public Share (folder/directory) and the other default Shares. Furthermore when a User account is created through the My Cloud Dashboard, a subsequent Share with that Users name is also created. The My Cloud does not currently allow one to create subfolders within existing Shares. Instead one can use Windows File Explorer, Mac Finder, or the various WD programs/apps/MyCloud.com web portal to create and or remove subfolders within Shares. Currently all subfolders (and files) within a Share inherit the public or private setting (set through the My Cloud Dashboard) of that Share.
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Thanks for the post, Bennor. I downloaded the user manual and started to look through it.
There really will be just 2 users, my wife and myself. I didn’t seem to have to create an account for her. When her laptop boots, the WDMYCLOUD appeared automatically in her Network area.
Any further thoughts?
Brooks
That’s normal. The My Cloud should appear in the network area/neighborhood if things are configure correctly on the computer. Read the My Cloud User Manual and the My Cloud Dashboard Help to gain a better understanding of the features/options the My Cloud has.
Just a few comments on security. Its important to understand the security implications of an NAS and the files one stores on it. Any file stored in the main Public directory or in any Share configured for Public through the My Cloud Dashboard will be visible/accessible to anyone who accesses your network (assuming you haven’t segmented your local network to isolate the My Cloud or other computer/devices). This means any friends/family who you allow to access your local network will be able to access any files in Public Shares. This also means anyone who hacks into your WiFi network (assuming you use one) will also have access to the Public Shares. And if one isn’t using any WiFi security anyone could jump on the WiFi and access the Public Shares.
The My Cloud Dashboard provides the ability to configure any Share other than the main Public Share as a Private Share. Once configured for Private one can assign User permission (again through the Dashboard) to that private Share. Those permissions include No Access, Read Access, Full Access. One would then need to enter a User name and password to access that private Share and its contents. Note that if Media Serving is enabled any media files will still be accessible to any DLNA client regardless of the Public/Private setting on a Share. DLNA doesn’t honor/respect password settings on Shares at this time. The workaround to keep a Share entirely private is to disable Media Serving on that Share using the My Cloud Dashboard > Shares page.
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Wow Bennor, you are very knowledgable, thanks!
You convinced me that I should set up a non-public folder and make it private - which I did. But now it won’t let me open the folder, even when I’m the admin.
Here’s the error:
What am I doing wrong?
Brooks
Please ignore the last question. I restarted the computer and now I can access the folder. Thx.
The second paragraph of that error message is telling you what your doing wrong. Windows won’t let you use two different user names (created through the My Cloud Dashboard) to access a Private Share on the My Cloud. Its a Windows limitation NOT a My Cloud issue. Disconnect or unmap all mapped shares, then remap the Share using the correct User and password. If mapping multiple Shares you will unfortunately have to use a a single User that has permission to access the private shares you wish to map.
