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The Western Digital My Book Live Duo offered two-drive network storage with RAID management, file sharing, and backup and media-server features. But it is now an unsupported legacy device: WD says its final firmware update was in 2015, and its security bulletin tells owners to disconnect affected units from the internet. That makes it difficult to recommend as a current network-attached storage (NAS) appliance, especially for remote access.
Is the My Book Live Duo still safe to use?
Do not treat an internet-connected My Book Live Duo as a safe current NAS. Western Digital’s security bulletin says affected My Book Live and My Book Live Duo devices were under attack and advises owners to disconnect them from the internet. The bulletin lists these Duo model numbers: WDBVHT0080JCH, WDBVHT0060JCH, and WDBVHT0040JCH. WD’s security bulletin describes remote command injection when remote access is enabled, as well as an unauthenticated factory-reset vulnerability (CVE-2021-35941); it also lists CVE-2018-18472.
WD’s July 2021 incident announcement said the vulnerabilities being exploited were limited to My Book Live devices. WD also said it had found no evidence at that time that its cloud services, firmware update servers, or customer credentials had been compromised in its investigation. Those are statements from WD’s 2021 notice, not a new independent security assessment. The notice’s advice was direct: “Immediately disconnect your My Book Live device from the Internet to protect your data from ongoing attacks.” Read WD’s dated announcement.
Does the My Book Live Duo still get updates?
No. WD’s product lifecycle listing marks the Duo as “End of Updates and End of Support.” WD said the product family was no longer sold or supported and had received its final firmware update in 2015. Check WD’s lifecycle status. WD’s policy explains that products in the end-of-updates phase may stop receiving all updates, including critical security updates, and cloud support may be discontinued. For this model, the direct lifecycle status—not a generic support timeline—is the relevant indication.
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- Massive capacity storage with auto and system backup
- RAID-0 ready out of the box
- USB 3.1 Gen 1-ready, USB 3.0 compatibility
- 2x USB 3.0 hub ports
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption and password protection
What did the My Book Live Duo offer?
WD’s firmware release notes document a web management interface, user-serviceable drives, RAID management, user access control, and a Gigabit Ethernet adapter. They also list drive standby, a media server, an iTunes server, Apple Time Machine support, Safepoint backup, and WD2go remote access. These describe its historical feature set; they do not establish that remote services still work or that the device is compatible with current clients. See WD’s firmware release notes.
The release notes also record compatibility fixes and limitations involving Windows File History, Apple Time Machine, DLNA media playback, and remote access. In practice, a feature’s presence in the documentation is not a guarantee that a particular current computer, app, or workflow will work with the Duo.
Rank #2
- Massive capacity storage with auto and system backup
- RAID-0 ready out of the box
- USB 3.1 Gen 1-ready, USB 3.0 compatibility
- 2x USB 3.0 hub ports
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption and password protection
Can you use it for local backups?
The documented Time Machine and Safepoint features show that backup workflows were part of the Duo’s intended use. The available documentation does not establish current compatibility with modern systems, so confirm a specific local workflow before relying on it. Keep a separate backup of important files: RAID management is a listed feature, not proof that a RAID configuration protects against every kind of data loss.
What does RAID do on the My Book Live Duo?
RAID is a way to configure multiple drives to work together; WD’s notes confirm that the Duo included RAID management. The material reviewed here does not establish which configurations were available for every model or quantify their usable capacity, so those details should not be assumed. RAID is also not a substitute for a separate backup of important data.
Rank #3
- Automatic and continuous backup for all the computers on your network
- Centralize all your family¿s digital content
- Best-in-class performance cutting-edge technologies to deliver high performance read
- Built-in media server for streaming music, photos and movies to any DLNA certified multimedia device such as Playstation 3
- iTunes server support Centralize your music collection and stream to a Mac or Windows PC using iTunes software.
Should you buy or keep a My Book Live Duo?
As a used legacy appliance, the Duo may still interest someone seeking its documented local storage features, but its lack of updates and support changes the decision. WD’s internet-disconnection guidance weighs strongly against relying on it as an internet-connected NAS or for remote access. A comparison with another storage option should weigh local sharing and access controls, backup workflow support, drive serviceability and RAID configuration, media-server functions, and—most importantly—current security updates and vendor support. The Duo’s documented capabilities address some of those needs; its present support status does not.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This 12V replacement power supply is compatible with Western Digital My Book Live Duo 4TB External hard drive
- The factory-fitted integrated plug fits a US 2-pin wall power socket.
- Both the power specification and the tip size of this power adaptor make it fully compatible with the My Book Live Duo 4TB External hard drive - it is the correct voltage, amperage and connector diameter.
- It includes electrical noise reduction, heat reduction and over-voltage protection, keeping your External hard drive powered and safe
- This is a modern power supply designed with low-loss delivery of power to your devices in mind, which reduces the cost of energy consumption to you
Rank #4
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