My passport essential questions - re deleting files, etc

Hi.

I hope someone can help me!

I have a  WD 1tb my Passport Essential (usb 3.0/2.0)

It was set to “optimize for performance” instead of “optimize for safe removal.” I accidentally unplugged it while it was transferring files.

Is this bad?

Will the files that were transferring be corrupt?

I was worried they would be corrupt, so I erased the last few folders that had transferred from the western digital drive by going to:

mycomputer/e:/wd smartware.swstor

-I found the last few folders that had transferred and I erased them.

How do i get the backup software to automatically transfer those folders to the passport again?

-Also, I read online that if i delete files off my computer’s hard drive, then they will also get erased off the passport because the software syncs the passport to be the same as my hard drive. Is this true?? Does this mean that I cannot erase files from my hard drive without them being erased from the Passport drive???

-If I delete the backup software from my computer, and I just want to copy files to the Passport manually…

Do I copy them to the

wdsmartware.swstor folder (the folder where the backup software stored all my other files) ??

Thanks!

-js


 

 Erasing the files from the backup results on having files backup twice or corrupted backup.

To check if the drive is corrupted you can run CHKDSK or use Smartware to check the drive on the software setup tab.

joestrummer wrote:

 

 

 -Also, I read online that if i delete files off my computer’s hard drive, then they will also get erased off the passport because the software syncs the passport to be the same as my hard drive. Is this true?? Does this mean that I cannot erase files from my hard drive without them being erased from the Passport drive???

 

-If I delete the backup software from my computer, and I just want to copy files to the Passport manually…

Do I copy them to the

wdsmartware.swstor folder (the folder where the backup software stored all my other files) ??

 

Thanks!

-js

 

 

The software is not going to delete any files since this is not a Synchronization software, files deleted from your computer will remain on the drive so you can restore them any time.  The manual backup software is what I regularly do to avoid issues and to have more control over what files I transfer, so deleting the software and backing up manually is fine. And no, you don’t need to send it to the backup folder as this is not part of that backup, you can create your own folders on the drive.

1 Like

Ok thanks, but, IF I USE CHECKDISK…

Do I choose “automatically fix file system errors”

or “scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors”

or BOTH??

AND… HOW do you get rid of files on your passport drive without causing it to backup twice or to become corrupted?

ALSO… can  you answer my other questions in that question I asked in my first post…?

Thanks for your help!

joestrummer wrote:

Hi.

I hope someone can help me!

 

I have a  WD 1tb my Passport Essential (usb 3.0/2.0)

 

It was set to “optimize for performance” instead of “optimize for safe removal.” I accidentally unplugged it while it was transferring files.

Is this bad?

Will the files that were transferring be corrupt?

I was worried they would be corrupt, so I erased the last few folders that had transferred from the western digital drive by going to:

mycomputer/e:/wd smartware.swstor

-I found the last few folders that had transferred and I erased them.

How do i get the backup software to automatically transfer those folders to the passport again?

 

 

-Also, I read online that if i delete files off my computer’s hard drive, then they will also get erased off the passport because the software syncs the passport to be the same as my hard drive. Is this true?? Does this mean that I cannot erase files from my hard drive without them being erased from the Passport drive???

 

-If I delete the backup software from my computer, and I just want to copy files to the Passport manually…

Do I copy them to the

wdsmartware.swstor folder (the folder where the backup software stored all my other files) ??

 

Thanks!

-js

 

 

Yes, it is bad if you accidentally unplug your drive’s data cable while transferring files.  This will most likely damage files and can damage the partition.  Doing what Wizer says should help, but I’ve seen where it didn’t work.  That’s Windows for you.  

If you were transferring files from your pc when you pulled the plug, it is most likely that they got corrupted on the external hard drive.  

If you erase any of the folders that were saved within the .SWSTOR folder, you’ve most likely also damaged your SmartWare backup.  And, consequently, it most likely won’t back up correctly, now.  There are a couple of things you can try.  1) If you have all the data on your external drive still on your pc, then you can pause the backup, erase the SWSTOR folder altogher, and restart the backup.  Hopefully, Smartware will restart and back up all your files again.

If that doesn’t work, then you can uninstall and reinstall Smartware, and let it find the drive all over again.

what does “damaging the partition” mean?

how is that different than damaging files?

And…

If I by deleting a few folders on the passport, and then manually dragging them back over to the passport from the hard drive, in my computer…

will that have damaged my backup?  Cuz, that’s what I did. Will it only be those folders that are damaged? How are they damaged?

If I ever want to delete some files or folders from my passport how do i do it  without erasing all the files?

  what does “damaging the partition” mean?

Look at the partition as being the outer fence that surrounds your file structure.  It’s what defines the size of your drive.  If that gets damaged, the operating system won’t be able to tell what size your drive is, and will resort to asking you to start over again.  When the partition gets damaged, your drive usually won’t show up on your Computer.  Or, you will see it, but won’t be able to access it.  At least that’s my understanding of it.  Here is a link that explains it a little more.

http://www.ntfs.com/partition-recovery-concepts.htm

  how is that different than damaging files?

Damaged files are just unreadable.  You might see them, but they won’t open.  There’s no recovering corrupted files.

  If I by deleting a few folders on the passport, and then manually dragging them back over to the passport from the hard drive, in my computer… will that have damaged my backup?  Cuz, that’s what I did. Will it only be those folders that are damaged? How are they damaged?

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by deleting folders on the passport and then manually dragging them.  Once you delete something, it’s basically gone, unless you use data recovery software to recover it.  If you mean “Cut” and “Paste” then yes it damages the backup.  But only if you do that with a file or folder that’s in the SWSTOR backup folder.  Outside the backup folder, you can move files and folders off, on, and around your drive without affecting your backup.

The reason the backup gets damaged is that SmartWare indexes all those files and folders, and if something gets moved or removed it can confuse the program.

  If I ever want to delete some files or folders from my passport how do i do it  without erasing all the files? 

If they’re part of the backup, you don’t.  You leave them alone.  Anything inside that SWSTOR folder should never be touched.  If you are copying and pasting data on to the passport outside of that folder, then you can do what you want.  You won’t hurt the backup.

[edit]

My apologies to Wayne if I took over for him.  I don’t normally do this.

1 Like

@Bill_S

:stuck_out_tongue: