Digital Trends

Western Digital My Book Mirror Edition 2TB June 18th, 2008 | by Josh Norem

Use and Testing

We took the drive out of the box and were surprised initially at how large it is, but remember there are two drives in here. It’s big, but nothing that will hog up too much of your desk space. We consulted the large, fold-out quick setup guide and found it consisted of three easy steps: put CD in tray, run software, and connect the drive.

We put the CD in the tray and once it started up we were presented with the option to install up to four different software packages: WD Anywhere Backup, Memeo AutoSync trial, MioNet trial and Google (Desktop, Picasa, Toolbar). Since the only free software was the WD Anywhere Backup (aside from Google, which we didn’t want), we installed it and found it to essentially be Memeo Backup, which was the same software used by the My Book Home Edition.

Since we’ve used Memeo before, we’ll reiterate that it’s fantastic backup software because it’s very easy to configure and backs up data instantly. Whatever folder you tell it to backup, it’ll do so, and then when you add any new files from the source folder it’ll automatically copy the files, so your data is always backed up. It’s also nice not to have to mess with backup schedules and the like, and you can either choose “smart picks” for backup, which is documents, videos, etc. or pick your own folders. You can also encrypt your backup jobs, so if someone steals the drive they will not be able to access your files without a password, which is a great feature. Just like last time, we had no issues with Memeo this time around either, and can easily recommend it.

Though we had no issues using the software, we once again came up on a small problem trying to register it. Once we installed the software it asked us if we wanted to register it or take a 30-day trial. As we learned the last time we reviewed a My Book, WD puts the registration information on a tiny sticker in the corner of the quick setup guide, on a page full of legal disclaimers and regulatory information, and we can imagine most users will not know the location of the sticker because WD never points it out, and it’s hard to see once you actually locate it. We’d like to see WD move the sticker to a more accessible location, or at least tell the customer where it is so they will know where to look when presented with the registration screen.

If you’re wondering, like we were, what the difference is between WD Anywhere Backup, which is essentially Memeo, and the Memeo AutoSync trial, it’s this – WD Anywhere Backup does backup, meaning it copies files to and from a source and target. Memeo AutoSync will sync two folders at all times between different PCs or locations. If you decide it’s worth it after the trial ends, you can purchase the full version for $29.95.

The WD MioNet is remote access software that lets you share photos or connect to your PC from outside your home or office. We didn’t install it but it’s available for $7.99 a month on WD’s website. You can download a 30-day trial from the website if you’re curious about it.

Running the RAID

Once we had finished installing the software and setting up our backup routine, the software diverted us to a window notifying us that by default the two drives in the mirror edition are mirroring each other, otherwise known as RAID 1. It told us we could keep it that way, or change to RAID 0, which stripes data back and forth on both drives, allowing for the full capacity of both drives, a full 2TB. The problem with RAID 0 is that if one drive fails, all your data is wiped out, and it’s not something we’d ever recommend for a data backup solution. Though we don’t prefer to use RAID 0, it’s nice to have the option if one wants a full 2TB of storage rather than the 1TB you get in a mirrored setup. 

Once the array is setup a little WD icon sits in the system tray, and hovering over it tells you the status of the array, which is very handy. Also, if one drive fails, the software will tell you which drive has failed so you’ll know which drive you need to remove from the enclosure. The blue light on the front of the drive is also capable of communicating array status, and will flash red if a drive fails, which is helpful.

An icon sits in the system tray and hovering over it gives you the skinny on the array’s status.