Western Digital makes great products and I have been using my Essential Edition 2.0 1TB external hard drive for years. Recently, my computer died, but I wasn’t too worried because I installed the WD automatic back-up software. When my new computer arrived today, I attempted to restore the files from my drive. Unfortunately, the software needed to restore does not work in Windows8 and there is no software supported to enable an easy transfer! I am now facing the daunting task of searching through 100’s of files to find the files that I need.
When I called tech support, they politely told me that there was nothing that they could do. I was advised that to prevent it in the future, I should download “WD Smartware” and pay $20 for a program that was free a few years prior. !!!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. Is there any program that works in Windows8 that can restore files from a Essential Edition 2.0??
To clarify, I can access the drive without any issues. I just can’t restore the files from WD’s previous autobackup software.
Hello,
Sounds like you were using the Windows backup app. If that’s the case, check on the Microsoft support to see if they have an option to restore the files.
Thanks for your suggestion ERmorel! Honestly, I don’t remember which software I used to back up my computer. At least initially, I used the WD proprietary software. In addition to your suggestion, I spent several hours scanning the boards for solutions, attempting them, and looking for compatible software in Windows 8, all to no avail. I am not super tech savvy, but I’m no slouch either! If there is a solution, it’s not patently obvious. However, it is very FRUSTRATING and disappointing that WD and Microsoft don’t have more help for this. Fortunately, I was able to access the hard drive from my defunct computer and copy the files that I needed.
