How to Backup Data from a Windows Drive to WD MyCloud using Ubuntu Live USB

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If you're looking to back up your data from a Windows PC to a WD MyCloud NAS using a simple method, this guide will walk you through the process using an Ubuntu Live USB environment. The steps below will allow you to manually copy files between both drives using an external PC running Ubuntu Live USB.

What You Need

  • Ubuntu Live USB (already created and booted into)
  • External PC (running Ubuntu Live USB)
  • Windows drive (source for backup)
  • WD MyCloud drive (destination for backup)
  • USB cables or SATA connections for connecting drives to the external PC

Steps to Backup Data

Step 1: Boot into Ubuntu Live USB

Boot your external PC using the Ubuntu Live USB. You should be at the Ubuntu desktop environment, ready to proceed with the backup.

Step 2: Connect Both Hard Drives

Connect your Windows drive (the source) and WD MyCloud drive (the destination) to the external PC. Use either USB or SATA connections as required.

Step 3: Verify the Drives are Recognized

Open a terminal and run the following command to list all connected drives:

lsblk

This will display all the connected drives. Note the device names for both drives (e.g., /dev/sda for the Windows drive and /dev/sdb for the WD MyCloud drive).

Step 4: Mount Both Drives

To access the data, you need to mount both drives:


sudo mkdir /mnt/windows_drive
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/windows_drive

sudo mkdir /mnt/mycloud
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/mycloud

Check that both drives are mounted correctly:

ls /mnt/windows_drive
ls /mnt/mycloud

Step 5: Copy Data from Windows Drive to WD MyCloud

Now that both drives are mounted, you can begin copying the data:

  • Using rsync for an efficient copy:
    • 
sudo rsync -avh /mnt/windows_drive/ /mnt/mycloud/
  • Or using the cp command:
    • 
sudo cp -r /mnt/windows_drive/* /mnt/mycloud/

    If you want to copy individual files or folders:

    
sudo cp /mnt/windows_drive/somefile.txt /mnt/mycloud/
sudo cp -r /mnt/windows_drive/myfolder /mnt/mycloud/

Step 6: Verify the Copied Data

Once the copy process is finished, verify the copied data on the MyCloud drive:

ls /mnt/mycloud

Step 7: Safely Unmount the Drives

Before disconnecting the drives, you should safely unmount them:


sudo umount /mnt/windows_drive
sudo umount /mnt/mycloud

Use the sync command to ensure all data is written to disk before unmounting:

sudo sync

Now, you're ready to disconnect the drives. You’ve successfully backed up your data from the Windows drive to the WD MyCloud.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you’ve manually copied your important data from your Windows drive to the WD MyCloud using an Ubuntu Live USB environment. This method is highly effective for transferring large amounts of data or when you encounter issues accessing your data through your primary system.

If you need further assistance or have any questions, feel free to reach out!

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