Passport shouldn't require any software installation to work properly

I agree. This and the unremovable VCD are the reasons keeping me from getting a new Passport. While I love the WD passport series, if this isn’t fixed soon I’ll have to search for another line of external drives.

Software should be an option, not a requirement!

Please let us use the WD passport like a normal external drive.

No VCD, No WD SES Device only usb external drive.

And please change usb cable to standard one.

The usb cable have problem to stay plugged in.

Thanks

Please let us use the WD passport like a normal external drive.

No VCD, No WD SES Device only usb external drive.

And please change usb cable to standard one.

The usb cable have problem to stay plugged in.

Thanks

i agree with everything this guy has said bar the part about the cable

Agree on everything.

About cable - even standard mini USB is much better.

I agree that no installed software should be required to us external drive.

Agree on everything.

No VCD, No WD SES Device only usb external drive. This makes the disk no portable anymore!

can i install WD smartware in  my  passport essential WD3200ME?

I would like it to be totally self-contained password protection - so I can access the files from any machine without installing any software.

Smartware is completely useless - slows down pc to unacceptable levels and won’t allow you to specify the files to backup.

I love my little Passports (I have 18 of them).  I would love to have external powered Passports (probably a new model) with 7,200 rpm & USB2.0 and/or 3.0 (mini USB plug is fine). 

I travel a lot and would like to have a smaller footprint drive, such as the Passport, for backing up video recorded with my Sony hard drive camcorder.   The 7,200 rpm drives would need an external power source (115 volt wall plug), rather than be USB powered.

Also, I really appreciate that different color cases are available.  I buy different color Passports to better organize, and quickly retrieve, my drives.  Additionally, I use a marker to label them by number for easy organizing.

I’m a IT professional (Hardware and software reselling, installing, IT teaching, etc.). Recently, 2 of my clients came to my shop with new WD external HD they were given to, and I discovered this new software based system, “smartware”. How could you imagine a external HD that can not be read of several different OSes ?

Of course it’s written somewhere that your disks are not compatible with Linux, but having imagined this kind of impossibility just shows me how sick is your new business vision…

“smartware”, huh ? I’m not a very good english speaker, but does’nt “smart” mean “intelligent” ? How ironical…

Well, anyway, I’ve decided to stop using, selling, and telling any good advice about anything coming from your company from now on.

I hope, I’m sure that a lot of other small IT resellers like me will do the same. An external storage media must continue to be usable on any kind of system, except for some very exceptional security reasons in some specific professional considerations. But, hey, not being able to share our holiday photos with our friends just because they don’t have the same OS, it stinks…

Um… if y’all don’t want the extras that the SES driver provides, then why buy a Passport, and not a bare drive like an Elements?

Pay extra for features you don’t need, and then complain the extra features are an inconvenience??

Makes no sense.

You don’t have to install anything on other machines to unlock it… that’s WHY the unlocker app is on the VCD and goes with the drive… any computer you connect the Passport to has access to the unlocker.

I to am experienceing the terrible application that WD SmartWare is.  I have over 20gb of documents within the documents library.  Only 2gb of those documents is backing up.  There is no way to pick and choose what is getting backed up and what isn’t.  I don’t mind an application that works, but forcing me to use a terrible application is just sending me over to seagate faster… WD PLEASE FIX T HIS!

You’re not “forced” to use Smartware.  I’ve never installed it.  You can use any backup/sync program you want.

I have to agree that Smartware is a pain.  I installed it without thinking much about it and now, several downloads later, I can’t get it disabled.  I’ve read all the directions from WD, updated firmware and software, and when I get to the crucial moment the button I’m told to click in Smartware  isn’t even visible.  It’s ok to have security programs on the HD, but they shouldn’t be this hard to disable.

I have a 1 TB Essential SE, and saddly I must say I am thinking of returning it simply because of the stupid “virtual” CD drive it makes.

Windows 7 had no problem installing the driver or service “needed” to use the drive. But ummm, my friend needs diffrent software to use the drive on his XP machine?? It says on the box (on the top, hard to see) “Formatted NTFS for Windows XP, Windows Vistia (*shutters*) and Windows 7”. Ok no problem.

It DOSEN’T say that  it NEEDS to install the extra software to even use the drive. If I would have known that, I would have gone with a diffrent brand! Sorry Westren Digital, but you really dropped the ball on this one. I paid good money for this drive, it was a bit exspensive. Sandisk flash drives have password protection software on them, but it is very easy to remove the software and isn’t required to use the drive.

And as to lack of Linux support, pppfffttttt. You should make it clear on the box that your “Essential” drives not only offer no support for Linux, but it’s almost impossable to use it with that OS! I can’t find any drivers for it on your website. Sure, allot of hardware says it is “Windows Aproved” and such, but at least I can plug it my Linux box and it will run. This drive isn’t “next generation” at all, it’s just another periphery device. If it was, you wouldn’t restrict the usage of your hardware to just two OS’s, owning there are many other (and growing) options to Windows and Mac OS.

Linux can read and write to NTFS drives with no problem, but not this one. I can’t even “unlock” it. I could reformat it apprently to use it with Linux, but that would destroy all my data now wouldn’t it? But owning the software is built into the drive (including the “unlocker”) I still wouldn’t be able to use it even then!

I agree completely. The last three external/portable drives I’ve purchased have been Toshiba, because they are bare, no extra SW you are forced to load, no extra drivers, no extra hidden VCD partitions you can’t get rid of. I buy NOTHING but WD internal HDs, because they are the best, and I’ve never had one fail. I had one in my original Dell bought back in 1996, and which ran literally non-stop (I never turned off the PC) until I shut down that PC two years ago – that’s 14 years of 100% performance without even a reformat. I have a Passport, but these new ones are just too cluttered for serious folks. If nothing else, just do like Toshiba does and create a ‘bare bones’ version for us, and knock off $20 from the price. Keep up the good work, but don’t do like Microsoft has and force us into a child’s OS like Windows 8!! :wink: Keep it real, and keep rocking!

I didn’t realize this was the case. From now own I’ll be purchasing my HD from another manufacturer like Segete. WD, you cannot possible anticipate everything that what we the users may be intending to use your HDs for. I for one am a Linux user so anything that must have software X to run the HD means I won’t be buying that HD. I would prefer to have all more HDs in the ext4 file system format so that also means wiping out whatever junk you’ve placed on the drive beforehand.

I would like to be able to backup my other external hard drive (my book) without purchasing any additional software.

Hi Commuity

I have problem using my WD because I have typed incorrect password to many times. How to access this device? Any ideas. Please help

Best regards

Steinar

I spent almost 2 C notes for this 2 TB back up. Since I bought it online through Alienware, (Dell), w/ my M-17r it has not worked. It did not come with any software, or any instructions, & now it wants a pass word that I have no idea what that would be, fore I never entered one. Need help with this expensive paper wieght!?!