SmartWare Enhancement: Less Restrictive Backups (Must Have for Software Developers!)

  It’s been over a year since this was posted and WD is going to implement it!  Thanks everyone for all your comments and suggestions!  I hope we get what we want in the next release! :smileyvery-happy:


_ Original Post: _

Others may have started a post about this but I haven’t seen anything get pushed up so thought I’d start my own and see if my title got people’s attention better.

I am a developer and have many .bat, .exe, .log, and tons of other files that are not backed up because SmartWare will not do it as explained in ANSWER ID3644. Any person that uses their computer for more than personal media and office documents will have this problem. I’d greatly appreciate it if no extensions where excluded at all. Only backing up the types of files that WD thinks I should back up makes me have to use another product to do my backups. As a user I want to know that SmartWare is backing up everything in a directory that I tell it to. System data and hidden files I understand but what about all those other files types that WD didn’t account for that it excludes!? I don’t want to have to look through my backup to make sure it backed up the files I wanted :frowning:

There are many ways to fix this:

     1. Whenever anyone selects Other in Detailed View for backups have Other actually include everything else regardless of file type.

     2. Provide a checkbox that says something like “Exclude Unsafe File Types”.  If this is unchecked then all those binary files we programmers made for ourselves or work can get backed up :slight_smile:

     3. Provide a new screen that allows a user to customize their own constraints.

Please, please give some kudos to this!  It’s the only thing keeping me from relying on SmartWare for my backups.  You just can’t trust backup software that backs up the file types it thinks you need.  Come on developers click KUDOS!

Thanks!

Elwyn

11 Likes

Elwyn, any I just posted the Allow Specific Folder and File selection for backup" idea.  

take a look there, I think my idea and yours could and should be combined.  It seems you do use your software though, do you see a workaround for me?  Do you recommend any other software that offers continuous backup for free until WD gets this updated?

Thanks

In addition how about a way to exclude a specific folder\file. Currently it is picking up 23G of media files located in C:\Winodws\Winsxs that I don’t need or want. so the ability to exclude specific files and or locations would be a compliment to including other files.

hmmm… some additional digging found this:

http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-Smartware/How-to-edit-the-backup-rules-in-SmartWare/td-p/3845

Hope it works and helps.

Hello, I just bought the My Book Elite 2 TB specifically for the size AND the software.  The offer of included continuous backup software sucked me right in.  Very sadly and to my dismay… the software is so limiting!!!  WHY!?!?!?

I may have to return the drive if I don’t get a free solution or the idea that an update in the future is possible to the Smartware software.  

Backing up by categories is simply not helpful in any way.  It will duplicate information accross many drives on my system, wasting space and creating a hassle of duplicate files on my backup WD drive.

What we need is the ability to choose how we want to select what is backed up.  We need to be able to either use your generic category system, which may be nice for simple users, OR the ability to simply select by folder accross multiple drives.  I have software (doesn’t do it continuous however) from 10 years ago that does this, why wouldn’t this be added here??  I have my music collection (100GB worth) on both of my internal hard drives, I don’t need both backed up continuously… but I do have other music files on that 2nd drive that I would like to backup that don’t include redoing the entire other 100GB of music again!  Get my point?

Thanks for listening, please post and let me know if this update could/will be something for a future update of the software… otherwise, as much as I hate to, I will need to return this drive in my 30 day window.

Rob 

I AGREE with this idea. I have the MY BOOK Essential 2TB, and I would like SmartWare to provide this option.

SmartWare sux when u have lots of GB on drive, but u only need to backup some…

i dont need 100GB pics backuped… i need 10GB of it, but i lose 90GB space becaus bad SmartWare soft… so i use windows backup and some other software…

Like many other people, I recently purchased the external drive, and assumed the SmartWare software was going to silently backup my complete system to help keep me safe.

Reading the documentation, I see that the software recognizes many file types, and there are many file types it does not recognize. As a result, when I think I’m completely backing up my drive (at least all non operating system files), I am not. I have confirmed that there are several file types that this software did not back up for me, even when I placed them in folders that are normally looked at by the software. I’m not sure I understand why this software even cares about “file types”. Ok, I admit, you don’t need to worry about backup up operating system files, but anything that’s not part of the operating system should be able to be backed up using this software.

I like the fact that this software will detect changed files, and back them up (with as many versions as I choose), but what would really make the software extra useful, is for me to give it additional folders, that I wish to back up (wirthout any file-type restrictions). It would be nice if you could add another tab, or expand on the “Detailed” view, to allow me to select folders that I want this software to manage. These “user defined” folders should be copied in their entirety, without any “file type” restrictions.

I am new to this forum, and just stumbled across this thread. I counted at least four other requests for this same feature:

http://community.wdc.com/t5/Software-Accessory-Ideas/SmartWare-needs-advanced-option-to-allow-backup-of-all-file/idi-p/1822
http://community.wdc.com/t5/Software-Accessory-Ideas/Allow-Specific-Folder-and-File-selection-for-backup-option-NOT/idi-p/23491
http://community.wdc.com/t5/Software-Accessory-Ideas/Radical-Concept-Fix-you-SmartWare-it-s-DumbWare/idi-p/11279

http://community.wdc.com/t5/Software-Accessory-Ideas/SmartWare-Enhancement-Less-Restrictive-Backups-Must-Have-for/idi-p/15760

WD Documentation on the website, gives readers the false impression that their systems are completely backed up. Examples:

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=450
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/AAG/ENG/4178-705131.pdf

“Works quietly in the background to protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file it’s instantly backed up.”

Obviously, this is not true. The software only backs up certain “file types” in certain locations, *it* thinks are worthy of being backed up.

It seems that this feature has been asked for, several times by others over the past year. I believe this is important enough that it should finally be taken seriously by WD.

I second the idea =)

Nice to see that such a creative, well written post get’s the recognition it deserves from a major coorporation like western digital…

Um…yeah…So people WANT mirrored back ups of selected folders and they treat you like a child and say “No, you just need pictures and videos in a completely unnavigable architecture…”

 .Do they realize the effort people put into organizing their media files into proper folders and directories? And this dumb software just says “here you go boss…” and copies it…ANNOYING.

 I should be able to click folders and tell it to maitain a mirror back up of those folders…So that you can RESTORE the architecture you worked so hard to set up. I don’t need 3,000 Jpg’s…I need them organized how I saved them over 4 years…

good post.  the folder option is needed w/o regard to content type and individual file inclusion w/o regard to type.

We are targeting the next release of SmartWare to support the ability for users to select specific files and folders to backup.

Wow… Fantastic! Thanks WD

@dojoslo

will the implementation also have the ability to exclude specific folders and files?

Any word from WD about this?

Like most people with huge hard drives these days, this feature (Include, exclude) is an absolute must and I need it badly.

SmartWare should have a simple way of viewing what files it thinks are pictures, videos, and music before you back up.  On a similar note, it should also show you what’s on your drive without having to start the “Retrieve” wizard and pick “Some Files”.

Very useful idea, also what needed is to show what extention for others (as other file types) and the option to add more extentions if needed

Hi,

Day before yesterday, I purchaseed WD Passport 500 GB USB 3 drive. I tried the Smartware application and observed a few things that can be built into the system. Right now you have the option of backing up all the content of the selected content (Documents, picture, mail etc.). It does not let me backup content that I want to target specifically.

My suggestions:

  1. There should be an option to choose file exentions that I want to get backed up rather than “Documents” in general. I may want to only backup MS office documents and not any other file extensions.

  2. In case of Other files, there must be a choice given to user to specify file extensions or go with default settings.

  3. In Mail backup option, I should be able to tell the application what file extensions in which folder can I want to get backed up. For example, I use Lotus Notes email system and it creates nsf file. In lotus notes, several system and application files are with extension .nsf. So when I only want to backup my mail file only (not any other nsf files) I may choose the particular folder in which I store my mail nsf file. This would make Smartware more precise.

  4. There should be a provision of specifying a a directory or subdirectory for full backup (e.g c:\dump\office). Makes life easier if you put all your important content in one directory tree.

  5. Have an option for scheduling backup - days of the week, time of the day and repeat interval.

  6. Provision of telling user about files are most frequently backed up. Some sort of backup index to give an idea on data update frequency.

  7. Some sort of a log which shows how much data and number of files backed up under each category (Documents, Mail etc.)  in last 15 days or backup runs.

  8. Provision of locking drive by clicking an icon (like what is already there for unlocking the drive) without logging off or restarting the PC.

As currently the Smartware is lacking in these areas, I have uninstalled it. Only using the drive encryption (password protection) feature. I understand that several users may have already suggested one or more points but still I am putting down my own compiled list.

Thanks.

SmartWare needs an advanced option to allow backup of all file types.

The default can be the way it currently operates, but please add a mode so that more experienced users can select any file of any type.

Agree, it would be nice if we could associate specific folders in C:\USERS\my login\ with one backup category.  I.E. Everything in my Documents folder would be backed up under the Documents category, regardless of file type.  This would make it easier to retrieve files.  This could be done one time under software settings.