How can I find backed-up files?

I used the SmartWare software to back-up the contents of an internal storage drive. Is there any way to access these files that are now on the MyBook? When I go to the drive to explore I find a folder named WD_Smartware which contains a dozen folders with long strings of letters and numbers as names. Inside some of these folders is a folder named D_ or H_ each of which contains a hodge-podge of files, some which I can acces with the original programs that created them and some with a .dcm name. I cannot accopunt for all of the files that were supposedly transfered.

I’m not comfortable with this arrangement. Is this just the nature of the SmartWare software? That it puts the files on the drive in such a way that they can only be conveniently retreived through the use of the Smartware software and not be accessed and used through WIndows Explorer?

If so, can I ditch the Smartware software and use Norton Ghost or manually move my files to the MyBook and maintain the folder and file structure  that I am more used to?

The way WD Smartware backing up file is that it backup what you tell it to such Pictures, Documents, Movies and Other data to its proprietary structuring. To get the file back, you would need to use its Retrieve options. For example you want to retrieve a document file. You would need to go to Retrieve, Select file in its categories, then tell where you want to put them, to the original folder or desktop or any where you want it to. 

If WD Smartware is too complex for you.

You can try this suggestion below.

For example:

You could manually create a folder on the WD external drive name Back Up.

Under Backup folder you can create subfolder name My Doc, My Pictures, My Movies and so on.

Then you would just copy files from your internal drive to those folders you created on the external drive.

When you need a document file, just go to the My Doc folder. Is that simple?

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Thanks for your reply. I just deleted the partition on the MyBook drive and removed SmartWare from my system. Then I used Norton Ghost to copy the contents of the storage drive to the unallocated space of the MyBook. This gave me an exact copy of the storage drive with everything easy to find in the same places, in the same structure as the original storage drive, which is all I wanted.

How do you manually move files to the My Book, I don’t want all of my pictures backed up and how would I select the ones to back up. Once they are backed up they are removed from my computer, correct? Sorry i’m not very smart at this. Thanks