Having some issues- please help!

Okay, I’m not gonna lie- I’m not exactly the most tech-savvy person ever to walk the Earth, so please bare with me. XD;;

My computer problems began when I plugged my new “My Passport Essential” into one of my USB slots. It auto-installed the drivers needed for the hardware, so then I went to install the “WD Smartware” software from it. However, during the installation process, it becomes stuck at “estimated time remaining: 25 seconds”. And when I click the “cancel installation” button, it again becomes stuck at “Please wait while the files are cleaned up…”, and I am forced to escape the program via ctrl+alt+delete.

So, bummer. Apparently “WD Smartware” isn’t in my near future, but from what I’ve read from all the complaints on this board, maybe that’s for the best.

However, that’s only where the problems began. Ever since this botched installation attempt, I’ve been unable to shutdown my computer, and am forced to manually shut it down. After some research on Google, I read that sometimes this can be caused by driver incompatibility (or something to that effect). So now my issue is- how do I get rid of the driver? I can’t seem to find it when I go into my system’s device manager. And is also seems to be preventing me from installing other things (like when I tried to add some software for my new TomTom to my computer today).  Nevermind- that part was just a coincidence. :3

I’m honestly not sure what the true source of the issue is. But it all seemed to start when I tried to get the “My Passport Essential” going on my computer, so that’s where I’m jumping-off from. I tried emailing customer support a couple of days ago, but have yet to hear a response.

Sorry for such a  long post! I hope someone can help me out! C:

Oh, and I have a PC with Windows XP (I’m sure that’s important, haha).

You might have some luck with the Windows Installer cleanup utility from Microsoft. (Be sure you download it directly from Microsoft when and if you plan to use it.) Also, try the System Restore function to bring your computer back to a time before you attempted the SmartWare installation.

Unfortunately, cleaning up after failed installations performed by the Windows Installer can really be a problem. You may end up backing up all of your data (to which I suggest you use the Windows backup utility) and reinstalling Windows.

I live in hope that Western Digital is going to see the light in regards to SmartWare and provide a tool to remove the darn thing with no Ifs, Ands or Buts. Until they do, I’m not buying another WD hard drive, either internal or external.