Enable password / encryption feature

Good evening people, I have one doubt around me from some time ago.

I have a My Passport Essential SE, which you already know it has the feature of locking/encrypting the disk (thanks to the the SmartWare software).

The thing is that when I first got it, I didn’t bother enabling this, and now I have it full of files with no security at all.

Ok,  the question is, what If i install & enable:

-SES Device driver

-Password 

-Encryption

(I don’t know if the last two are part of the same process, never tried nor installed smartware before)

Can i proceed with those steps, WITHOUT loosing any data. Is it possible? Or it requires an erase in first place?

Thank you.

Maybe you should try contacting WD’s Technical Support about this. You can do so either by phone or email.

To Contact WD for Technical Support
http://support.wdc.com/contact/index.asp?lang=en

yes you can proceed. you wont loose your data