Windows user here. I purposely map OneDrive as a network drive on my PCs to break any connection MS apps have with OneDrive.
Everytime i don't do this, I'll end up with previous versions when opening it and non-existenting versions of what I was actually doing in OneDrive dedespite having the full paid plan.
Back in the days I did that, I had some issues with it being unreadable with my 3 end 4TB ones.
Something to do with it internally converting MBR in the USB to SATA controller or something like that to allow larger disks on older systems. I don't remember the specifics.
Anyway, it can be that your data becomes unreadable, and you'll have to convert it with TestDisk or so. Or make sure you'll initialize it as GPT from the first time. Not sure if that will help.
My 1GB (=Pentium 100 era), 20GB, 200GB IDE disks still worked when I connected them. Some have been unpowered for decades and saved in my shed. (-5 to 35°C and 60-85% humidity) I could open every single file on them that I tested.
You can indeed open up your PCI 1x slot with a soldering iron. or maybe via a cryptominer riser extension thing. 1x to 16x
few years ago that 199 was worth 20% more too 🤣
Buy the cheapest $/TB drives you can find (still from reputable places). Give them a 1 or 2 full write cycles to check, especially when 2nd hand. And copy all the data to them. It is the easiest and cheapest solution for media or large picture libraries.
At least you have an offline copy that way. If possible store it also in a seperate building.
For documents and my very best pictures, I use OneDrive.
Ebay? I hope you have paid PayPal. With those screenshots you should be able to receive a refund.
Holy shit. These indeed have the same casing as my 12 and 14TB ones. And I have the old 8TB upon inspecting.
Fuck WD for their inconsistent Partnumbers. They are lucky their good drives are actually very good. Otherwise, I went straight to another brand.
There are plenty of old WD reds that are CMR. Even the links in your links confirm that 🙄
Do a full writing check from beginning to end beforehand.
But I don't like my 8TB WD80EFAX ones. They run quite hot @8.8W. and IMO way more noisy than the other models I have of WD Red plus drives.
If the full check comes back clean, I would only use them for offline and external copies of data as they probably have a lot of running hours in real life. I hope you didn't pay too much.
Most WD reds are CMR are perfectly fine. Look op the individual partnumber to be absolutely sure, as there are some that are indeed SMR.
I used a shitload of WD 4TBs. The WD40EFRX since 2016 in 24/7 usage. They were my go to's before the 12TB (WD120EFBX) and 14TB (WD140EFGX)
@4.5W, 28dB and CMR, they are cool, quite, fast and durable little disks. They run what seem to be forever.
But do your due diligence beforehand as there is a wide spread in specs even within the same series within WD.
I had on Win10, Win11, at home and at work. Always with files that are left open whole days on more than 1 PC. Since it do the networkdrive trick I never had the issue.
Plus it works a lot faster, as you're actually using files on your M.2 SSD instead of checking the cloud every time you make a minor change. Let OneDrive figure it out afterwards.
You can do something like, or any other shared path that will work for your user rights.
It breaks the app connections for sure. Ever time ypu open a document LOCALLY it still refers to the https version. When you open it from X:\ It refers to X:\ which in turn refers to C:\ ...
You notice the difference in speed and behavior immediately.