Thanks for your reply Bennor, but I disagree with you. I can accept “the end of support” because technology evolves, but not in 5 years when the device is a storage cloud device - so that it contains lots of data. Moreover, the offer of WD is 20% discount to substitute completely the HW. My personal opinion is that the behaviour of WD is not serious. It is not a matter of few euros (300 euros upgrade do not destroy my balance) but is a matter of trustability and - not trivial - a bit of work (transfer data, re-setup user access, re-configure disk quotas). Suppose I will buy a new device: where I can found the minimum time period of supporting? I have to take the risk of buying a new supported OS5 and maybe 2 years later have the same situation? Competitor products could be the same, cloud services of AMZ or Google or some other could be the solution.
One is not going to loose their data. One’s My Cloud will continue to operate just as it does now for local network access. One can disagree all they want but its a fact of life that electronics manufacturers and software makers stop supporting certain products that they have determined have reached End of Life Status. Some are better than others when it comes to how long they’ll support their products. But in the end, most do not support their products indefinitely.
WD lays out their support policy in the following link.
Western Digital Product Lifecycle Support Policy
https://www.westerndigital.com/support/software/software-life-cycle-policy
Nine years after a product’s release, we may discontinue all updates, including critical software security updates. Western Digital may also discontinue cloud service support for a product in this phase. If a product feature depends on cloud services to function, that functionality will end.
The affected My Cloud devices (Product Release date – End of Support date):
My Cloud (P/N: WDBCTLxxxxxxx-00) August 2013 - April 2022
My Cloud Mirror March 2014 - April 2022
My Cloud EX2 March 2014 - April 2022
My Cloud EX4 March 2014 - April 2022
Currently WD indicates they will support OS5 through December 2026 on OS5 supported devices.
Again, one has options. One can setup their own method of remote access (VPN) to regain some or most of the “cloud” functionality they are loosing when WD terminates OS3 support in April. Setting up one’s own VPN access means one isn’t reliant on WD’s servers and their outages that have occurred (sometimes lasting weeks).
Or one can do what many others have done. Move to a competitors product that offers more capability and features. Yes one is likely going to have to pay a bit more money but they are generally gaining better (often newer) hardware and a more mature operating system with that extra cost.
Unfortunately, vendors tell you nothing about support. Neverthless, if you are happy with WD, I’m happy for you, but I’m not.
Sincerly yours.
Many of us are not happy with the My Cloud device(s) so we purchased better units from other manufacturers. Many of us have complained about various issues, security vulnerabilities, GUI interface issues, and other general problems with the My Cloud devices over many past years. The lower end models were always a very basic consumer home use NAS device with limited remote access/cloud access support and limited features. The hardware on the single bay model is very long in the tooth at this point with the second gen single bay model barely able to run the OS5 firmware. The single bay/single drive My Cloud is what it is. Some of us, me included, have tried to squeeze the most we could out of the single bay My Clouds.
How do I connect my “MyCloud OS3” that is incompatible for OS5, to my computer so I can use it locally. It is currently connected to my switch box that is connected to my router. I need to be able to access the files as an external drive. What connections do I need? I already purchased a new WD EX2 Ultra for remote access. Please help ASAP.
You don’t need to directly connect your My Cloud to your computer. You can leave it connected to your local network router. If your router supports the option, see if the router can block broadband access to the My Cloud.
My Cloud OS3 End of Service
https://www.westerndigital.com/support/software/my-cloud-os/os3/os3-eos
Q: Will my device stop working if I can’t upgrade to My Cloud OS 5? Will I lose access to my data?
A: Once the services have been shut down, you will still be able to access the device on a local network. However, access through the My Cloud OS 3 mobile app or web app will not be possible. Email notifications also won’t be delivered. Devices that have auto-update enabled will receive a final firmware update to disable remote access and outbound traffic to cloud services. Then, support will end and you’ll have to use the local network to access the device.
You keep defending them but these are “My CLOUD” devices, NOT “My local network drive” devices - eliminating the primary reason most of us purchased these. This is not a great way to keep customers - especially when the discount is meager and the only cloud offerings that we can use it on are expensive. These were not cheap when I bought them for myself and my father five years ago - very disappointed.
Simply pointing out reality is not defending WD. It is simply the reality of how things stand with the OS3 My Cloud devices that cannot be updated to OS5. The reality is the OS3 My Cloud devices are network attached storage devices at their core that had basic remote access capabilities as a feature. The devices are still network attached storage devices even though WD has ended their OS3 supported remote access capability to them.
As previously indicated we end users of affected OS3 devices that cannot be updated to OS5 still have some options for remote access now that OS3 supported remote access has been ended. We can use insecure FTP to remotely access a My Cloud. We can setup a VPN server (OpenVPN for example) on our local network to remotely access a My Cloud. Or one can find other methods of remote access. Or one can choose to buy a newer NAS that has remote access capability. This mess is what it is and I don’t think anyone with an affect OS3 device is happy with it.
#WDUserRewards
I am clearly late to the party.
How do I access My Cloud OS 3 on a local network? I need to move files to my new My Cloud.
Any and all assistance will be great.
I figured out how to access my files with twonky. Now how do I get them on My Cloud duo?
For local network access using a computer one would use either Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder to access a local network My Cloud device. There are other access options that depend on the specific My Cloud models one is using. It may be possible to use the My Cloud Dashboard included backup feature called either Safepoint or Backup to copy the data from one My Cloud to another. Or one could attach a USB hard drive to the My Cloud’s USB port, copy the data to it, then move that USB hard drive to the new My Cloud and copy the data from the USB drive to the My Cloud. One could even use SSH on My Cloud devices to copy data from one My Cloud to another using the Linux rsync command. One could even enable FTP access in the My Cloud Dashboard > Settings section to copy files to/from a My Cloud device.
One can “map” My Cloud Shares to make access easier.
How to Map a My Cloud or NAS Device on Windows
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9323
How To Map a My Cloud or NAS Device on macOS
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/24148
If one is using Windows and they do not see the My Cloud listed in the Network section of Windows File Explorer one should check that Windows has SMB1.0 enabled and that the Windows Network Profile is set to Private.
How to Enable SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support on Windows 10 and 11
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4155
Note: If one has bought a My Cloud Home or My Cloud Home Duo device they should be aware that the My Cloud Home line of devices are not the same as the My Cloud line of devices. The My Cloud Home line may have different methods of access in addition to different features, options, and settings.
#WDUserRewards
Twonky is a (DLNA) media server used for file playback/streaming. You would still need to use Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder, or some other method of access (FTP, mobile file manager app, etc.) to copy files to or from a My Cloud device. Note: if one has a My Cloud Home device, that device isn’t the same as a My Cloud device. My Cloud Home devices have different features and options.
An example of how one can see and access a My Cloud device in Windows File Explorer. The highlighted (in red) My Cloud entries are how one can access the unit to copy files to and from the device.
#WDUserRewards
Will I be able to transfer from my Cloud over to the new OS5 device easily?
As indicated in previous recent posts in this discussion; copying files from one local network My Cloud to another local network My Cloud (or other NAS) is as simple as copying and pasting between them, or drag and dropping between them, when using Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder. As previously mentioned in recent replies above, there are other methods of copying files from one My Cloud to another using the My Cloud Dashboard Safepoint/Back, or using SSH and the Linux rsync command, or using a external USB hard drive, or even using FTP.
For OS3 devices that support being updated to OS5, its simply a matter of installing proper OS5 firmware for your device. Post update one may have to wait for the OS5 indexing to finish indexing which, depending on the My Cloud version/model, may take a significant amount of time.
My Cloud OS 5: Firmware Availability and Supported Devices
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29230
My Cloud OS 5 How to Update From My Cloud OS 3
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29813
My Cloud OS 5 Cloud Access Content Indexing FAQ
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/30021
Best Practice for My Cloud OS 5 Cloud Access and Indexing
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/30014
#WDUserRewards
Thanks for the reply.
How do I access and download my photos and videos from twonky? It’s really confusing.
You would use the local network access methods previously mentioned. The general way is using Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder or a file manager app on your mobile device. Basically the same way you copied the media to your My Cloud from your local computer is the same way you would copy that media back off the My Cloud to another location or to a computer.
Access My Cloud Shares On Windows
- Open File Explorer .
-
Click Network , then double click the My Cloud to access the shares.
-
Double click on a My Cloud Share.
Note: If clicking into a private share, enter your credentials and click the OK button.
- Copy your files from the My Cloud Share(s) to the local computer or other external storage connected to the computer.
Access My Cloud Shares from macOS
-
Open macOS Finder .
-
Under Locations click Network .
- Click the My Cloud to access the shares.
- Double click on a My Cloud Share.
Note: If clicking into a private share, select Registered User , enter your credentials and click the Connect button.
- Copy your files from the My Cloud Share(s) to the local computer or other external storage connected to the computer.
We need to put a class action suit together
Don’t waste you time. The only people who get paid are the lawyers.
Just go somewhere else for a new NAS.
