Complete Guide for Debricking My Cloud Mirror Gen1

The WD My Cloud Mirror Gen1 is a dual-bay NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution designed to provide centralized storage and backup for home or small office users. While generally reliable, some users may face a critical issue where the device becomes “bricked.” In this state, the NAS does not boot properly, fails to show up on the network, or remains stuck with a constant white or yellow LED. This problem can occur due to corrupted firmware, interrupted updates, power failures, or disk errors. Fortunately, it is often possible to debrick the My Cloud Mirror Gen1 and restore functionality.

What Does Debricking Mean?

“Debricking” refers to the process of reviving a device that is stuck in an unbootable or non-functional state. For the My Cloud Mirror Gen1, this involves reinstalling the correct firmware on the internal drives so the system can boot and become accessible again. Unlike normal troubleshooting, debricking is more advanced and may require removing drives and using a Linux environment or specialized recovery tools.

Causes of Bricking

Several factors may cause your My Cloud Mirror to become bricked:

Failed Firmware Update – If the update process was interrupted due to power loss or unstable internet, the system files may become corrupted.

Drive Issues – A failing or corrupted hard drive can prevent the NAS from starting.

Power Interruptions – Sudden outages can damage the system partition.

Improper Shutdowns – Turning the device off without proper shutdown can corrupt its OS.

Steps to Debrick My Cloud Mirror Gen1

1. Check the Obvious First

Ensure the power supply is working.

Try a different Ethernet cable or port.

Test the device on another router to rule out simple network issues.

If the device still does not boot, proceed with recovery.

2. Remove and Prepare the Drives

Power off the NAS and carefully remove the hard drives.

Connect the drives to a PC using a SATA-to-USB adapter or directly to the motherboard.

Backup any accessible data before attempting recovery.

3. Use a Linux Environment

The My Cloud Mirror runs a Linux-based OS. To repair it:

Boot your PC using a Linux distribution (Ubuntu is a common choice).

Install necessary tools such as mdadm to manage RAID arrays.

Assemble the RAID and mount the partitions.

4. Reinstall Firmware

Download the correct firmware for My Cloud Mirror Gen1 from Western Digital’s support page.

Extract the root filesystem and kernel from the firmware package.

Write these components to the appropriate partitions on the drives.

Verify integrity before reinserting drives into the NAS.

5. Reinsert Drives and Boot

Place the drives back into the My Cloud Mirror.

Power on the device.

If successful, the NAS should rebuild its system partitions and eventually appear on the network.

Preventing Future Bricking

Always ensure stable power when performing firmware updates.

Use an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect against outages.

Regularly update firmware and back up critical data to avoid loss.

Avoid improper shutdowns; always power down through the dashboard.

Conclusion

Debricking a My Cloud Mirror Gen1 can be a challenging process, but with patience and the right steps, it’s possible to restore the NAS to working condition. The key is carefully reinstalling the firmware and verifying the health of the drives. If the process feels overwhelming or if data recovery is critical, consider reaching out to a professional recovery service. With proper precautions in the future, you can keep your My Cloud Mirror reliable and accessible.