I do not want automatic backup- help?

WD External Drives WD Portable Drives
1

I do not want My Passport Essential SE to automatically back up. I want to pick whatever file and back it up. How do I do this? I have read that I will need to reformat it but if I do that then I will not be able to have a password on my passport hard drive will I? I will not keep my hard drive connected to my computer either. I mostly bought this to back up my pictures and certain documents and that’s all. How do I do this without everything being backed up?

Also, as of now I have done a back up and cannot figure out how to view all the files that it has backed up and delete certain files that I do not care to back up. HOW DO I VIEW MY BACKED UP FILES? I am so lost.

Can someone please help me?!?! I want a more simpler way of backing up certain files and not EVERYTHING!

2

You can uninstall the software and manually backup the files

you can also select the file backup option and backup only the files you have selected

the backup is located on the drive , there’s a folder called smartware_stor 

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3

How do I uninstall it? Is that the format folder on the drive? If I do this will I be able to install it again on the drive if I want it back?
Formatting the hdd will allow me to use it for my Mac book, my desktop and laptop (bOth are Windows 7)?

4

Programs and Features > Change/Remove

On Mac : Open the Smartware folder > Extras > Uninstaller

to use the drive on both Mac and win will need to format on fat32

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5

Can I click the file that is on the HDD that says “WD Quick Formatter” and clear everything out and then copy and paste certain files into My Passport?

Will this mess anything up? The dude at Best Buy actually told me thats what he did to manually back up certain files. Then he walked off so I coudln’t ask anything else.

Will this be easier for me to just deal with Windows for my HDD? It seems to troubling to save a few files from Mac so I’ll stick with PC to put on my Passport

6

You can do that…

Not necessarily has to be done on that way since the drive can be use for manual backup the way is setup now

but if you want to remove everything and start from scratch you can use the quick formatter

better yet, you can right click on the drive > select format > quick format and it will erase everything

after that you will have a plain drive to drag files to

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7

Hi,

Can I uninstall Smartware and still be able to use Password security to lock and unlock the drive?

or can I just leave the Smartware there but stop it from backing up or running in the background? and access to security function whenever I plug in the WD drive?

Thanks

8

Tony33 wrote:

Hi,

Can I uninstall Smartware and still be able to use Password security to lock and unlock the drive?

or can I just leave the Smartware there but stop it from backing up or running in the background? and access to security function whenever I plug in the WD drive?

Thanks

yup

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9

Hi Wizer,

Can you elaborate a little bit, please ?

I have a WD my passport essential SE 750gb, formatted to clear all softwares…a year ago. Backed up some music and pics

manually in there and had not touch it since then. ( I can erase all these backups if need be)

I’d like to have the security function, just lock and unlock whenever I plug in the drive . what should I do?

TIA

10

Well

The application will work even when the software is not installed

remember that you will need to use the drive on multiple computers therefore it will not be suitable to have to install an app just to unlock the drive

the software comes on a hidden partition and allows you to unlock the drive

however be careful about password protection, if you forget the password there is no master password and you will need to erase the drive

always keep files in more than one drive

11

Hi,

From what I read: “The VCD cannot be disabled if you wish to use the Drive Lock feature”

I currently have no VCD on my WD drive (hidden may be),  in order to use the Lock/Unlock function:

    I must download and install “WD SmartwareVirtualCDManagerforWindows v.1.0.7.4” ,

than enable it (just to confirm: I do not need to install Smartware for this to work) ?

Do I need to install anything on other computer(s) in order to lock/unlock this WD drive?

TIA