New My Book 2TB - Use with two computers

WD External and Portable SSD External SSD for Windows
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My new My Book 2TB EHD arrives today along with a new Dell XPS8700 Computer with Windows 8.1.  My old Dell 8200 with Windows XP Home SP3 is still going strong (12 years old today!).

I want to use the My Book to transfer some of the data out of the old XP machine and into the new Win8.1 machine. I also want to use the My Book to back up both machines, if possible.  

I’ve done a lot of reading and I believe I can use the My Book this way, but it’s not clear how I can keep the files from each machine separate on the My Book. Do I have to “partition” the My Book to do that?  And if the answer is yes, will I be able to retrieve the files in the My Book that are from the old machine and transfer them into the new one? I believe I did read there is an option to do that in the My Book software menu.

Will the My Book work with the two different Operating Systems like mine at the same time?  And do I have to install any software, drivers, etc. into both machines or did I read that everything’s built into the My Book already? 

Finally, if you are using the My Book with two machines, can you simply plug it into one machine, get the files you want, then unplug it and plug it into the other machine to download the files to it?  I imagine this would mess up the automatic backup feature, but I’m willing to do it manually if necessary. (My plan was to do automatic backups on the new machine and manual backups on the old one as needed). 

Sorry for all the newbie questions. Never used an external hard drive before, plus Windows 8.1 is new to me also, so I guess I have a major learning curve.

Thanks for any help.

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Welcome! Your questions are probably due, to your familiarity with external drives vs NAS devices. NAS are totally different, I recommend you first grasp the concept of what a NAS is. Here is some simple reading, but you can find plenty in the internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyKnikfyZSM

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/digital-storage-basics-part-2-external-drive-vs-nas-server/

Also read the manual. My $.02, play with it, learn how the shares, users work before you decide on the final setup/backup config. You can always reset it to defaults if needed.

Now, to answer some of your questions.

Will the My Book work with the two different Operating Systems like mine at the same time?  

Yes, it is a NAS, does not care what OS the client runs.

And do I have to install any software, drivers, etc. into both machines or did I read that everything’s built into the My Book already? 

No drivers

Backup software, it will depend what you decide to use. WD software, or Windows’ backup software, other, etc.

To access shares and files, no need to install anything

Finally, if you are using the My Book with two machines, can you simply plug it into one machine, get the files you want, then unplug it and plug it into the other machine to download the files to it? 

No, this is a NAS, not an external drive. but both machines will have access.

Never used an external hard drive before, plus Windows 8.1 is new to me also, so I guess I have a major learning curve.

Remember, get external drive out of your head :slight_smile: this is a NAS

Yes, there will be a learning curve, as mentioned earlier, play with it, learn/read about it.

Good luck!

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Thank you for your excellent response Shabuboy. The links were indeed informative too.

To clarify, I wasn’t going to use the MyBook as an NAS. My EA4500 does have a USB input for that, but it’s only 2.0, and I felt that would slow down the full capability of the MyBook’s USB 3.0.  

Just figured that once I get the files I want out of the old machine and into the new one, I’d keep it connected to the new machine for continuous backups, since that’s the machine I’ll be using most of the time. Then I’d just unplug it and plug it into the old machine only when I need to transfer a file or files to the new machine, which won’t happen often.  Should work yes?

The new machine has multiple USB 3.0 ports. (I guess the initial transfer of mega-mega-files will be brutally slow from the old machine though - it’s only USB 1.0!).

So if I do the above, then would I have to partition the MyBook so that the old machine’s copied files stay separate from the new machine’s backed up files?  And if so, I could still retrieve those old machine files in that “Volume” partition and transfer them into the new machine, yes?

I have read through the My Book user manual, but they don’t make clear (at least to me) what partitioning is all about. But from other reading, I think that’s how you set up the “Volumes.” They do show an image of one screen where two computers are shown in two Volumes, but I couldn’t see how you do that. 

I don’t want to beat this to death. I will absolutely read through the user manual again as you recommend. And I’ll probably understand things better once I actually start using the My Book.  Just trying to get it right the first time, so I don’t have to do a restore defaults, etc. 

Any other thoughts you may have are welcome. 

Much appreciate your help!

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Yes, keep reading! :stuck_out_tongue:

MBL is a NAS, there is no other choice. Also, it does NOT have a USB. If yours do, it is not a MBL 2TB.

And you do NOT partition anything nor you format. NAS have their own operating system.

Remember NAS vs extenal drives. Separate the two.

"Just trying to get it right the first time, so I don’t have to do a restore defaults, etc. "

Totally the opposite that I recommend, play with it, get to know it, how it works, config, users, shares. Copy/move/backup small files and only a few, once you fully grasp the concept of what a NAS is, restore to defaults or delete shares/users and set your final config.

Good luck!

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Well, I’m afraid we may be on different pages of the book here Shabuboy.

I have a My Book 2tb External Hard Drive, Model: WDBFJK0020HBK-NESN. It has a USB 3.0 micro connector on the back, plus the power input of course.  I didn’t even know there was another  type. 

Link to the manual:    http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705053.pdf

All of my many questions pertain to that model.  

I do think your advice about experimenting with it first is smart. 

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LOL!!!

Of course we are on different pages.

Your device is “My book USB external drive”.

This is a forum for “My Book Live”

Totally different devices, in a few words, you have the wrong forum.

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Oh good grief!

My sincere apologies Shabuboy and also to the forum. Brain overload getting whole new system integrated with old one.
Obviously never checked where I was posting.

Of course, all my questions still remain lol.

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ALB72, did you get an answer to the question re: using  your My Book 2TB with two different OS systems between computers and USB 2 and 3?  I am sitting here with a box to open that I want to do the same thing with.