I have no retrieval option! :(

Hello everyone!

Recently I formatted my laptop to install Windows 8 (had Windows 7 previously), so I had all my data backed up on My Passport Essential. The thing is that when I tried to retrieve all the data to its original places, WD Smartware (v 1.2.x.x) wasn’t able to do so in Windows 8. The option of retrieving to just one folder didn’t work too as it always crashed at the end of the process. I read just a few minutes ago on some post here that it wasn’t possible to retrieve the files to its original places, although it was someone who was trying to do it in a completely new laptop. So I figured out that having mine formatted and a new OS installed, that would be the same thing too. So I decided to update WD Smartware to its  latest version (2.2.1) hoping that the retrieval to “its original places” would work. But now with WD Smartware latest version, in the retrieve tab there is no volume I can select to retrieve (as shown in the picture below).

So I pressed the “i” button on the right upper corner to get some help and read that “ Note: When you have a single backed up volume on the selected external device, the WD SmartWare™ software bypasses the Select a volume to retrieve from dialog.” But how comes the “single backed up volume” not showing itself? So looks like I have NO retrieval option. Of course I copied all the data I had backed up on My Passport Essential to C: just by coping and pasting the “WD_Smartware” folder which contains all the folders with partioned data (see picture below),

but it would be a **bleep** of a headache to put back file by file to C: once they’re all dispersed in different folders. Can anyone help me with this one please? Thanks!

Hi marco83, the option to retrieve to the original places is only available for the same PC and Windows installation from where the backup was made. If you explore further the Smartware backup folder you will see all of your files, you will see that it uses the same folder structure as your PC, so it should be easy to find and copy the files back to your PC. 

Ichigo, first of all thank you for your answer! I know I can go further just by clicking on the folders as it shows on the picture above and find the same folder structure as my PC. However, lets say I want to copy the “My Music” folder back to my PC with all of its contents (music albums). The problem is that the albums are scattered among the six folders you see in the picture and I might find the same album with just some tracks on one folder and the remaining inside another. So everything is mixed up creating a “file mess”. If you could throw some light on this too… Or will I have to do everything by hand surgically? Thanks!