Does WD Stupidware even work on the Mac?

I just got one of the new My Passport Studios with the eink label, but am having problems with WD’s crappy software.

During installation, I can get to a setup screen to change the drive label, but it does not work.  The drive registration page in the installer does not work.  Once you get the software installed, the button to check for software updates does not work (noticing a pattern here).  I had to go to the website and download the update manually and install it.

Once I get the software installed, if you connect the drive and run it, you can’t change the drive settings at all.  Going to the settings tab, you will see the software detects the drive and the button is breifly active, but it almost instantly shifts to the equivilent of greyed out and does not work when clicked.

Of course, I contacted WD support and those dolts sent me to a link to update the windows version of stupidware.  So, they did not even read the ticket before sending the default response.  You just have to love those offshored support departments.  

So, my question is, does anyone who has this drive have any luck getting the label to say anything other than “Videos 09”?  I’m about ready to return it and get a drive somewhere else.  This is just a joke.

Hello My Friend,

I am not sure which Mac and OS you are running under.

Which WD external product you have? MyBook Elite or Studio.

What firmware rev. ? Run WD Smartware/Settings/SetUpDrive/look to the lower left for firmware.

If you need the latest WD Smartware for Mac?

Here is the link to the latest WD Smartware Version 1.2.1.25 ( 03/11/2010) for Mac

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdsmartwaremac

FYI: I have WD MyBook Studio 2TB, MacBook Pro with OS 10.6 and have been working fine so far.

I can change the label name, invert the background from black to white and they are working fine.

Well, I am running OSX 10.6.2 on a 2009 Macbook Pro.  SmartWare is current at 1.2.1.25.

The problem is, you cannot even select the Set Up Drive option.  It greys out when you click over to that tab despite the software showing the drive is connected.  This the the little 640GB passport, not one of the big ones.  They just showed up in the channel last week.  Looking at the available firmware on the website, there are no updates for this particular drive yet (at least according to the release notes). 

Pretty obvious that this was never actually tested with these drives before they were released.  There are just serious flaws all through the software.

Here is how to check for the WD drive firmware from Apple System Profiler:

Click on the Apple icon on the top left hand corner

Click on About This Mac

Click on More info

Highlight Firewire (from the left pane)

then look to the right pane for WD My Passport Studio drive under Firewire Bus:

Under My Passport Unit:

Look for Product Revision Level: (it will say something like 1000)

That is the firmware revision for the WD drive.

Suggestion:

Try uninstall all of WD Smartware software.

Restart your computer.

Then re-install the WD smartware, then the update 1.2.1.25.

If after that, the Drive settings is still grayed out.

I guessed something is wrong with that drive.

You should exchange it. 

FYI: We know that WD has not release any firmware updates for the Studio product line.

But I guess, we have to wait.

I returned my drive today due to it constantly hanging but I did install the latest firmware and software on a Mac running Tiger 10.4.11 in an attempt to get it to work. The software seemed to work ok, but didn’t solve my problem. Picked up a Seagate “plug and play” drive… I put plug and play in quotes 'cause it seems the big thinkers at WD have forgotten the meaning of the phrase.

Imagine 2010 and WD can’t manage to put out a simple storage drive…

Who woulda’ thunk it?

I had heard stories years ago from Windows users about ridiculously retarded procedures to get their PC to use a drive, printer etc…

Firmware says 1009 under firewire.

Done the whole uninstall/Reinstall/update dance a few times now.  Doesn’t make a difference.

It is interesting because the virtual Cd configuration software actually finds the drive and can configure it to hide the stupid virtual cd partition.  That, plus the numerous other issues with the smartware software lead me to believe the software it self is garbage.  I guess we all ready knew that though.

Too bad, I was looking forward to a fast external drive to run my VMs on.

Just thought I would update this topic.  After consulting with Western Digital “Support”, they convinced me the drive was bad and I should RMA it.  Of course, by this point, it was out of stock at Amazon.com, so I had to try WD’s RMA.  I decided to try an advanced RMA.  Submitted it on Monday.  By Thursday, it still had not shipped yet.  At this point, Amazon had the drive back in stock so I tried to cancel the RMA.  Of course, WD is too stupid to have an email option for that.  After wading through the RMA document, I found out you had to call them to get that done.  So, I called them and canceled the RMA.  Of course, since WD doesn’t seem to know how to do anything right, the person told me the drive might still ship. [text deleted - keep it courteous] 

Conversely,  doing the return on Amazon is a joy.  It is so well thought out and executed.  You get next day shipping on replacements.  It’s good to see someone knows how to treat their customers.

Recieved the replacement drive today.  Still can’t change the label with the Mac software.  I finally figured it out, however.  I deleted the partition, then brought the drive over to a windows box and formatted it for the PC.  Surprise, Stupidware on the PC changes the drives label no problem now.  I guess I will now have to delete the partition again and reformat it for Mac.  What a stupid process.

So, I learned:

1.) WD Stupidware is absolute broken ■■■■ on the Mac

2.) WD support doesn’t have a clue (Their first response to my support request was to forward me a link to updated windows software for a drive being used on a Mac.  Then refused to admit their software was bad and made me return a perfectly good drive for no reason).

3.) WD RMA department is slower than Danica Patrick at a NASCAR race.

Not earth shattering revelations, for sure.  The kicker is they made the mistake of sending me a satisfaction survey about my support experience.  I am so going to enjoy ripping them up one side and down the other on that thing.