Will preclear work on an encrypted WD My Book?


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Not quite sure why the snarky requote, but hardware encryption is implemented in firmware, which can be modified and configured on SOME models of MyBook. You need to follow Frank's advice and GOOGLE your specific model to see if you can turn off the hardware encryption on YOUR model using WD's Security software suite.

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5 minutes ago, superderpbro said:

So, is the answer at least no to preclear working with the encryption working?

Not sure what you are asking. If you want to do an extended drive test, use the WD Diagnostic tools. If you want to add the drive to unraid with encryption enabled, it may work, since USB devices are now supported as array members, but I don't know if anyone has tried that.

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*sigh* I have not bought it yet. IF i had i would have just tried it. I am looking at one on sale. Great price but i don't want to open the shell until preclear has cleared it at least twice.. Which is why i am here asking/wondering if preclear will even work...

Edited by superderpbro
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Here is a link to the unassigned devices plugin:

 

I believe that you can run preclear operation on a USB drive using it.  You might also have to check and see if WD has put that software onto a second partition on the drive. I believe that Linux does have a utility to handle that situation if it chops up.   I would still think that you can learn a lot about the WD encryption package using google even if you can't find this particular model listed.  I would not think that they are producing only one model drive with this scheme...

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I have precleard drives VIA USB before (did one last night). you dont need a plugin other than the preclear one. They just show up in preclear option but not the unassigned discs.

 

WD makes 2 basic externals.. one with encryption and one without (essentials IIRC). The ones with are always the ones on sale. Guess i wont buy it. Don't really want to waste my time/money in case it cant be run with their weird encryption. I was just hoping i would catch somebody who had done it before. A "yes it works" or "no it does not" kinda thing :)

 

I did look around google .. i did not see any way to remove.

Edited by superderpbro
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I did a quick google re: this issue, and this thread states that he tried an encrypted MyBook drive in another enclosure and it failed, but attaching directly via sata allowed him to format it without issue. No mention of hidden partitions or HPA-type stuff though...

 

EDIT: More info. Sounds fairly safe to shuck these (Buy at your own risk though :)). A user in the aforementioned thread states

 

Quote

Again, this does NOTHING to stop backblaze or whomever else to shuck the drives.
The HD itself is a normal blue or red drive (both are actually greens) (depending on what they use) and can be used like a normal HD. The controller is the one adding encryption without user notification or consent and leaving the key up to WD.

If you use the software to actually set a password, then, that is what you wanted, so people shouldn't complain about anything.

 

Final Edit. From further down the thread, this person who may or may not be affiliated with WD states that the encryption comes from a chip in the case, and not built into the drive

 

Quote

The different drives come with different pre-installed software programs, but all feature the WD Security. The application is used ONLY to set a password. You can set a password from the OS too or from another third-party tool. When you have the WD Security on the drive you will be asked for this password every time you plug the drive in your system or any other system.
There is no second layer of encryption, just the one done by the chip in the case. :)
Here's some more info on the WD Security application: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=fDOOpj

 

Hope that helps! Goodluck! If you do buy one and try it, make sure to post back and let us know how it worked inside of the unRaid environment! :)

Edited by DoeBoye
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Thanks for the time and research.. I knew all of this though. Heh. I have opened a few in my day for every day use and accepted the risk. I specifically wanted to know if preclear will run on them in their stock state. I don't want to open them until they have been cleared a few times to minimise the risk taken before "shucking". :)

Edited by superderpbro
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Does opening these enclosures damage them, or can you do so without damaging? From the threads I read, if the drive is indeed "just a drive", if they don't preclear via usb, and you can can open them without damaging the enclosure, why not do so? If the drive is flaky, pop it back in the enclosure and send it back...

 

Another option if you can't open without damage, and preclear doesn't work over USB because of the encryption, is use the WD Data Lifeguard software. It may not be as thorough as a preclear, but it should certainly give indication of an obviously faulty drive... I guess it comes down to how good a deal it is...

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  • 1 month later...

Did you go ahead with this? I'm currently running preclear on one. 12 hours per drive, so I should be able to see tomorrow if it's recognised. I've also run the WD Extended test on both drives and they seem to be 100%

 

The plan is to swap with 2 3TB WD reds from my array and sell it on as a 6TB MyBook. Even if I can't it's a steal at €400 for 2 WD Red 8TBs.

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Just a quick comment on the enclosure, if it is one of the new WD drives the enclosure is pretty easy to open without doing any damage, the older ones nearly always resulted in broken clips when I tried to open them. For the new ones, I use guitar picks to open it, it takes about 5 of them but it results in the drive being removed with no damage to the enclosure.

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On 4/21/2017 at 5:26 PM, crowdx42 said:

Just a quick comment on the enclosure, if it is one of the new WD drives the enclosure is pretty easy to open without doing any damage, the older ones nearly always resulted in broken clips when I tried to open them. For the new ones, I use guitar picks to open it, it takes about 5 of them but it results in the drive being removed with no damage to the enclosure.

 

The MyBook Duo can be opened without any tools. The drives are user replaceable. There is a spring loaded latch and then a thumbscrew thing. The drives just slide out from there.

 

FWIW it finished the preclear, but when I swapped a disc into the server it didn't show as precleared. Sill, cheap WD reds - whats not to like!

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You can run preclear on them, no worries

 

But when you put them in the array, I don't think they will have the proper preclear signature, so they won't add to the array.

 

I did this, but replaced smaller drives, so they rebuilt. But used preclear to test them out.

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I bought a MyBookDuo16TB and pulled the drives, and stuffed them in my dobo5N, and now another that I'm using to get that data off the drobo5N so I can reuse those drives in my unraid cube server in a Node804 case, then load that data back onto the unraid server, building back up from the data drives from the two 5N's, then load the drobos up with my out of warranty drives and try to sell them preloaded with drives and a spare.

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