Red LED continuous on at new mycloud ex2 ultra

Got it 👍 — on a new WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra, a solid red LED on the front usually signals a critical issue. Since yours is continuous (not blinking), here’s what it means and what you should do:

🔴 What a Solid Red LED Means (EX2 Ultra)

According to WD’s documentation, a solid red power LED = critical hardware or system error, such as:

❌ No drives installed (if you powered it up without hard drives inside).

⚠️ Drive failure (one or both disks are not being detected or are bad).

⚡ System overheating.

🖥️ Firmware corruption or system unable to boot.

🔌 Loose or bad power/connection.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Check the Drives

If you bought the enclosure without disks, the EX2 Ultra will show red until drives are installed.

If it came with WD Red drives, ensure they are seated properly in the bays.

Pull them out and reinsert firmly until they click.

Test Boot Without Drives

Power off → remove all drives → power on without any drives.

If the LED turns blue, the NAS itself is fine — issue is with the drives.

If still red, the NAS firmware/system may be corrupted.

Check Power & Connections

Use the original WD power adapter.

Ensure the unit is not overheating (give space around it, check fan).

Access Dashboard

From your computer, try:

http://wdmycloudex2/

or http://<NAS-IP> (check router device list).

If you can log in, check System Diagnostics → it may show which disk failed.

Reseat & Test Drives Individually

Boot with only one drive installed (Slot 1 → then Slot 2).

This helps identify if one drive is bad.

System Only Reset (Soft Reset)

Press and hold the reset button (back of the unit) for 4–5 seconds (not 40s).

This resets network & admin password but keeps data safe.

Full 40-Second Reset (if firmware issue)

Power on → press & hold reset button with paperclip for 40 seconds.

This reinstalls system settings (data usually intact but RAID configs may rebuild).

⚠️ If Still Red After This

If the device is brand new without disks → Red LED is expected until drives are added.

If it came pre-configured with disks → one of the drives may already be defective.

If neither → it could be a faulty NAS enclosure → contact WD Support for replacement (RMA).