Step-by-Step Guide: How to Backup Your PC to WD My Cloud Home

What is WD My Cloud Home?

WD My Cloud Home (click here) is a cloud-storage device from Western Digital that lets you store videos, music, photos, documents, and Office 365 files, with the aim of making it easy to back up and protect your data. It consists of a local hard drive and a cloud service.

With this cloud-based backup solution, you can easily upload and share files from anywhere you have Internet access. It also lets you plug your hard drive directly into a Wi-Fi router to back up the content on it. If you want to give friends or family members access to your WD My Cloud, you can set up accounts for them and choose passwords.

It lets you share and collaborate seamlessly, anytime, anywhere, with backup to the cloud from OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

Set up WD My Cloud Home

To use the device, you'll need to connect it to an Ethernet network, set up software access, and activate the product. The steps below will walk you through each of these tasks.

1. Plug the power adapter into the DC power jack on the back of your My Cloud Home device. Then, plug the other end of the power adapter into an electrical outlet.

Step 2: Wait for the device to turn on automatically.

Step 3: Download and install the My Cloud Home app on your smartphone or tablet (must be connected to the Internet).

Step 4: Accept the WD End User License Agreement.

5. Let the app find your WD My Cloud Home device.

Step 6: The system should automatically detect your device, and you just have to tap “Connect.” Your phone will then display a graphic of the WD My Cloud Home, along with a security code.

Step 7: Tap Create Account.

Step 8: Type a valid email address and click Continue.

**Step 9:** Enter your email address again, and click “Continue.”

Step 10: Type a password you can remember and click Next.

Step 11: Type your first and last name, and then create an account. The app will begin to scan your device.

Step 12: After the successful pairing, the My Cloud Home app displays a list of available Wi-Fi networks. Choose the preferred network that you want your device to connect to.

**Step 13:** Next, you'll see an Allow Analytics prompt. Choose Allow or Don't Allow.

Step 14: Make sure Auto Backup is enabled in the My Cloud Home app.

Step 15: Your WD My Cloud Home device is now ready to use!

Back up data from your PC to WD My Cloud Home

To sync your PC to WD My Cloud Home, use the Backup and Restore feature in Windows 7/8/10/11. Here's how:

Step 1: Go to the Start menu, type “backup,” and then choose Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

**Step 2**. Click on "Set up backup" in the upper-right corner. Wait for "Set up Windows Backup" to appear.

Click on “Set up backup”.

Step Three: Click “Save to the Cloud.”

Click "Save to the Web."

Step 4: Click “Browse” to locate your WD NAS device. You can also type in its IP address. Enter your username and password, then click “OK.”

Click “Browse”

Step 5: Select the location to which you want to add the network, then click “Next.” Choose “Let Windows choose (recommended).” This will allow Windows to choose the default backup location for you. Click “Next.”

Select the network location to add

6. In the window that appears, click Change schedule to specify how often you want to back up your PC to the WD My Cloud NAS. Then click Save settings and run backup.

Click Change schedule.

Note: To use Windows Backup and Restore to back up your PC to WD My Cloud, your device must be running Windows 7/8/10/11 Pro or Enterprise.

Restore a Backup from WD My Cloud Home

For the detailed steps to restore a backup, you would need to use the WD SmartWare software. This allows you to recover backed up or lost data from the device and transfer it to:

1. The selected folder for search content
2. The source location on the original device

Here is how to do it:

Step 1. Download and install the WD My Cloud Home desktop app on your computer.

2. Connect your computer to the NAS.

Step 3: On the main screen of the Front Desk app, select both the Target Device and Source Device.

**Step 4:** Select the backup volume from which you want to recover your files.

5. Choose where you want to save the recovered file (i.e., the original location).

Step 6: Specify the files and folders to search.

Step seven: Retrieve the document.

The Advantages of Using WD My Cloud Home for Backup and Storage WD My Cloud Home is a convenient and secure solution that offers several advantages for managing and protecting your data. Here are some key benefits, preserving HTML tags: 1. Seamless Integration: WD My Cloud Home easily integrates with your computers, phones, and tablets, providing automatic backup regardless of whether you use Windows or Mac. 2.

Cloud Access: You can access your files anytime, anywhere over the internet with just a simple login, making your data readily available.

3. Security Assured: It offers strong encryption to protect your data during transfer and storage. Additionally, you can set a personal password for added security. 4.

Large Storage Capacity: Choose from various storage capacities, from TB to multiple TB, to accommodate your extensive file storage needs.

5. Family Network Sharing: The entire family can access WD My Cloud Home, allowing easy sharing of photos, videos, and other files to enhance family interaction. 6.

Version History: If you accidentally delete or modify a file, you can revert to previous versions using the version history feature, preventing loss of important data.

7. Eco-Friendly Design: The device features an energy-saving mode that automatically enters sleep mode when not in use, benefiting both the environment and your electricity bill. WD My Cloud Home serves as a centralized, reliable backup and storage hub for your digital life, ensuring your cherished memories and crucial files are always safe and secure.

WD My Cloud Home has the following advantages for backup and storage:

• Unlimited storage capacity, up to 8TB.
• Compatibility with multiple devices, including Mac, Windows, and iOS.
• Supports USB connectivity.
• Designed for mobile devices.
• Priced more affordably compared to other NAS devices.

Additional Tip: How to Back Up Any Hard Drive to the Cloud Backing up your hard drive to the cloud is a smart decision to ensure the safety of your data and accessibility from anywhere. Here's a general process to achieve this: 1. **Choose a Cloud Storage Service**: First, you'll need to select a reliable cloud storage service like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Amazon S3. Research their storage capacity, pricing, and security features, then choose one that suits your needs. 2. **Create an Account**: Sign up and create your account with the chosen cloud storage provider. Most services offer a certain amount of free storage; additional space can be purchased if needed. 3. **Install Client Software** (Optional): Many cloud services provide desktop apps that make uploading and managing files easier. Download and install the client software for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux). 4. **Connect Your Hard Drive**: Connect your external hard drive to your computer. Ensure it's properly inserted and recognized by the system. 5. **Select Files and Folders to Backup**: Decide which files and folders are important and which ones to back up. You can directly choose files from the hard drive or backup the entire disk as a volume. 6. **Start Uploading**: In the cloud storage client, choose the "Add File" or "Add Folder" option, then browse and select the content from your hard drive to upload. Large files or entire disks may take time, so it's best to do this when you have a stable internet connection. 7. **Set Up Automatic Backup**: To keep your data up-to-date, configure regular automatic backups. This can usually be found in the settings of the client software, with options for daily, weekly, or monthly backups. 8. **Confirm Backup Completion**: After uploading, check the web interface or the client of your cloud storage service to ensure all files have successfully uploaded. Now, even if your hard drive fails, your data is safely stored in the cloud. Remember, while cloud backup offers convenience, consider data privacy and security. Make sure your cloud service has adequate encryption measures and that your own devices are free from viruses.

The best third-party hard drive to cloud backup tool is tools Todo Backup Free. With this software, you can back up your entire PC hard drive, operating system, and system files to cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and tools Cloud.

It also offers advanced backup options, such as:

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1. Schedule backups
2. Encrypt backups
3. Differential vs. incremental backups
4. Enable mirror retention policies, and so on

To use this software to back up your hard drive to the cloud, follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose what you want to back up.

Step 2: There are four backup categories: Files, Disks, System, and Mail. Click Disks.

Step 3: You can back up your entire disk or a specific partition. Choose the option you need and click “OK.”

Step 4: Choose where you want to save your backup.

Select the backup destination location

Step 5. For disk/partition backup, you can choose to save the backup to a local drive or NAS.

Step 6. Once the backup is completed, the task will be listed on the left. Right-click on any task to manage your backups further, such as restoring them or creating an incremental backup.

Todo Backup also enables you to recover vital data from the cloud, whenever possible. This swift process allows you to restore backups to their original locations or replace existing files. This is crucial for data recovery after loss. The cloud backup solution provided by Tools is secure, flexible, and cost-effective. It offers you 250GB of free storage space.

Other features of Todo Backup Free include: 1. Disk Cloning: You can clone an entire hard drive to another for upgrading your computer or maintaining data integrity when replacing the drive. 2. System Migration: This feature helps you easily move your operating system from one hard drive to another, for instance, from HDD to SSD. 3. Email Backup: Todo Backup Free supports email backup, ensuring the safety of your important messages. 4. Dynamic Volume Backup: For users with dynamic volumes, the software can back up these volumes, protecting your dynamic disk data. 5. Scheduled Backup: You can set up a scheduled backup plan to automate the process, eliminating the need for manual intervention. 6. One-Click Recovery: In case of issues, you can quickly use the one-click recovery feature to restore your system or files to their backed-up state. 7. Data Encryption: Backup files can be encrypted, adding an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access. 8. Backup Image Verification: After backup, the software verifies the integrity of the image file to ensure its validity. 9. Backup Compression: To save storage space, Todo Backup Free can compress backup files to a smaller size. 10. Multi-language Support: The software provides interfaces in multiple languages, catering to users from different countries and regions. Please note that specific features may vary with software updates. It's recommended to visit the official tools website for the latest information.

• Create a bootable backup to restore files after accidental deletion
• Enable backup password protection for added data security
• Boost backup efficiency
• Simplified backup management
• Restore system image backups to different hardware

If you're looking for a convenient backup solution for your Windows PC, we recommend trying out AOMEI Backupper. This software offers a free trial version that you can download and install on your computer right away to get started.