Dont know where to turn. I could retreive files directly from my passport until I downloaded a WD software/smartware update within the last 24 hours or so. Now, I can’t retrieve much of anything and have actually lost some files. I thought I was going to love my Passport but now . . .
Updating Smartware is done on the computer, not the Passport. The files inside the Passport on the smartware.swstor folder should be intact.
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Keep in mind that Smartware is not completely necessary to use your passport drive, you can use the unit as a regular flash drive or you can use any other backup application.
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Thanks . . . not to be a smart aleck, but why would we need smartware? I thought it was to improve performance of the passport for some reason. What other reasons are there for me to download smartware updates? Thanks again.
Smartware is just a bonus (Optional) backup software for automatic copies in case you don’t have your own installed in your computer already, so no real reason to use it unless you don’t have one.
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But one of my original questions remains , , , why can’t I open PDF files stored on my Passport? Do I have to send them from my Passport to my PDF player? That doesn’t work, either. I keep getting message that “the selected file cannot be opened”. I am distressed about this because these are security camera videos which captured a crime, and I really need these PDF files. What has happened that I can no longer open these PDF files? Thanks for any help.
Now I’m getting confused, aren’t PDF files opened with the Adobe reader as documents/books? What you describe sounds like a video to me… o.o
To PizzaMatrix: Seems as if I tried using the Adobe reader a few times, after you advised me to download it, in order to open the PDF files. I have tried so many things, it’s hard to remember exactly everything I did, but I did keep getting the same message that “the selected file could not be opened.” I also tried it through the PDF program on my computer. I will give Adobe another few tries and let you know what happens. Thanks again.
To ThePizzaMatrix. . . This is my follow up to you . . . tried using the Adobe reader again to open PDF files from my Passport with no luck. Keep getting “the selected file cannot be opened.” I have tried everything many times. By the way, these are videos from a security camera system, so they really are videos. I am afraid I have lost them permanently for reasons that remain unknown to me. I am able to open all other files now, except the PDF files. Is it possible to change them to another file type? I tried sending them to my documents, and opening them there, but they still remained a PDF file and could not be opened. RATS !! Thanks for any help you can offer.
Hi Claudia
Have you checked your security camera documentation to see how to view camera footage with the software provided with your camera system.
That is how we have to do it on our security camera system. we have to select the camera and times the footage is then exported to a file which can be viewed on a pc.
Ayhan
Hello Ayhan_Dursun. . . Thank you for your reply. Yes, we do have a proprietary playback system with our security camera system, but I used to be able to retrieve these saved PDF files from my Passport and then play them when I needed to on that proprietary system. Now I can’t even open them. Something happened, and I just don’t know what it is. This happened after I downloaded some updates from WD and had problems with it downloading at all. My passport was plugged in when this download was going on and some things changed after that was finally completed. I guess I am giving up on ever getting these videos back . . . they recorded a crime, and I needed them for the police. Yikes !! Forever lost??? Thanks again for your help.
Hi Claudia.
Just wish someone could help you.
Have you tried a right click on one fo the files… Click open with… Then browse for a program to open them with. The only thing I can thing of is VLC media player which can play just about any video file.
Or something to do with file type associations. Control Panel. File type associations.
Ayhan
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Hi, Ayhan. . . Yes, I have tried right clicking on the files and then browsing for anything that will open them. Same message was received that “selected file cannot be opened.” I tried reformatting them to another file type, but was unable to do that. I am assuming that it because they ARE video files. I wish someone could help me too, but I sure do appreciate your help and assistance with this over the past few days. I’ll let you know if I end up recovering anything, but I have pretty much given up hope of doing that. I am very disappointed, but such is the tech world sometimes these days. A big OH WELL !!! Thanks again so very much. Claudia
Hi Claudia.
If I do happen to think of anything that may be of help I will of course post it on here.
I really do hope you find a way to open them.
Regards
Ayhan
Ayhan . . . THANKS !!! I do too !!! I have another idea which I am going to try tomorrow or the next day, depending on how much time I have. I’ll keep you posted if it works (or not!). Thanks so very much for your assistance. CLAUDIA
Hi, again Ayhan. . . Well, so much for my experiment with moving my PDF files from my passport, back to my computer, so that I could play these PDF videos on the proprietary playback system. I attempted to send them (right click) to my computer (drive C), to the program data files, to the download files, so that the proprietary viewing system could play them back for me and/or the police since this was a record of a crime committed. I tried everything, but was unable to move these files to any place other than my desktop as an icon, or shortcut. I was unable to move it from the desktop to the desired place (program data/downloads). RATS again !!! I am officially giving up on retrieving these PDF files from my passport, unless someone can tell me how to move them from the passport to the program data/download files. I am wondering if I am doing something wrong ?? Thanks for any help. Claudia
After reading throug the entire threat I would like to know what if the name of the software that you use to create this PDF video files, becuas after investigating a little was unable to find anything alike.
Are you sure they are not FLV instead of PDF?
Hi Claudia.
Sorry you have not been able to make any progress.
Do you get an error if you just try to copy them from the passport (right click, copy) and then paste them to the destination?
Ayhan
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Hi, Moon1 , , , I will try to find out if they are a different file type other than PDF when I have a little spare time over the next day or two. Thanks for the question , , , Claudia
Hi, again, Moon1 . . . the software (proprietary) is used by American Dynamics, which is the only name I have. How else would I find out about which software they use? Claudia
