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Forum Discussion
w0rM
Mar 12, 2021Aspirant
Accessing a Readyshare Drive Without Router
I had a Nighthawk X6 which I just got rid of. While it was still in service at my house, I had a readshare drive going. Now that I've sold it, is there anyway to get to the files on my USB drive that...
antinode
Mar 12, 2021Guru
> [...] is there anyway to get to the files on my USB drive [...]
I'd try connecting it to a computer which is compatible with the file
system on that (unspecified) "USB drive".
Netgear didn't invent some new and exotic file storage system
especially for this.
w0rM
Mar 14, 2021Aspirant
It's a WD Easystore. I don't believe the model matters. I wasn't suggesting anything is broken. I'm trying to understand how to get files off of a USB device that was used as any readyshare drive. I'm fairly certain the issue has nothing to do with the model of the drive.
That said, the first thing I did was connect it to a Windows 10 machine and a Macbook Pro. It powers up but whatever file system it is, neither Windows or a Mac can read it. That was the purpose of my question. Sorry I wasn't more clear. I assumed most people would realize I didn't just guess that it wouldn't work and that I had actually tried to plug it into a computer before creating an account to ask for help.
So, if Netgear isn't using a proprietary file system of some kind, am I to assume it's ext3 or maybe ext4?
- antinodeMar 14, 2021Guru
> [...] I assumed [...]
I've wasted too much of my life doing that. And I learned something
from watching "Desk Set" (1957).> [...] am I to assume it's ext3 or maybe ext4?
You have my permission to assume whatever you'd like. I know nothing
about how that volume was configured (or on what), so I know nothing
except that a User Manual for a typical Netgear router with USB storage
support includes a section with a title like "USB device requirements",
where I'd expect to find a list of supported file systems.
Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your (actual) model number
-- Hint: "Nighthawk X6" is not it. Look for "Model" on the product
label. -- and look for Documentation. Get the User Manual (at least).
Read. Look for "USB".- w0rMMar 14, 2021Aspirant
Brilliant. If you don't know the answer, just keep scrolling. Poinless comments and your mindless musings aren't impressing anyone but yourself. I read the manual and spent several hours reading online before posting here as a last resort. That was obviously just more wasted time since nobody here seems to know how readshare works either.
Have a nice life, Ace.
- michaelkenwardMar 14, 2021Guru - Experienced User
w0rM wrote:
So, if Netgear isn't using a proprietary file system of some kind, am I to assume it's ext3 or maybe ext4?
The router won't format USB storage for you. It uses what you throw at it. Dig out the manual for the device that you used and look at the list: FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS with compression format enabled, Ext2, Ext3, Ext4, XFS, HFS and HFS+.
I have used various WD drives with ReadySHARE. I have never had to do anything to get them to work. It just does its stuff out of the box.
The only wrinkle is that ReadySHARE cannot handle partitioned drives. It also seems to be limited to 4TB drives. (I have a 4TB WD Elements in place at the moment)
There was once a report of someone getting a 6 TB drive to play ball, but I don't recall anyone replicating that.
w0rM wrote:
That said, the first thing I did was connect it to a Windows 10 machine and a Macbook Pro. It powers up but whatever file system it is, neither Windows or a Mac can read it.
That looks more like a problem with the USB drive. Maybe you'll have to throw some sort of repair software at it.
Does WD have that sort of thing? I have never had to rescue any of mine.