I’ve found the hard way that My Passport Ultra (3TB) doesn’t save the most current version of files while I’m typing. In the middle of a book manuscript, my computer crashed. I have a habit of saving after every few paragraphs, so I wasn’t too concerned. I had the My Passport Ultra connected the entire time, so I figured it would enable me to simply open it, find the manuscript, scroll down to the end, and find my most recent work. When I’m typing, I can see the light in My Passport Ultra blinking constantly, which gives the impression that it is saving constantly.
But I found that My Passport Ultra doesn’t do that. The most recent work saved was a couple of hours prior to the crash.
I’ve checked my settings and I see no way to select something like “continuous backup” - just intervals of an hour or more.
How can I get My Passport Ultra to save constantly while I’m typing, so that I lose at most a few sentences in case of a computer crash?
“it simply doesn’t work that way. In fact, no external hard drive can do what you expect it to do”
How interesting. And totally contrary to the product description which induced me to buy it:
“automatic backup software works quietly in the background to help protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file, it’s instantly backed up.”
Which is exactly what I described, and what I had every right to expect. And what I’m hoping someone will tell how to activate.
Just the My Passport itself won’t do anything like that - it’s just a hard drive. As already mentioned you would need to save or back-up your manuscript file to it.
There is WD software (for example WD Smartware) which can do this automatically and I think might be what you are referring to. But it will only do so if it’s installed and configured to make such back-ups. It’s normally designed to work with WD NAS drives (the MyCloud series for example) but offhand I think it can also work with local MyPassport drives as well.
I’m also interested to know where your quote of "automatic backup software works quietly in the background to help protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file, it’s instantly backed up.” is from, as if I search for that the results are for the WD MyBook rather than a MyPassport, and are in reference to the Smartware product I mentioned before (and are on a PC World website rather than anything from WD).
It is a challenge to stay on topic when dealing with a troll, but I’ll try.
The product description that I quoted means exactly what it says. As you say, you didn’t write it so you have no credibility when you try to change it.
Typing is changing the file. The automatic program on the device does the saving. Whenever the file is changed. Instantly.
The rest of your post does not merit a response.
Since you show no interest in contributing to a constructive dialog, please go away.
Darren,
Thanks for the information.
The quote is from the product page on Amazon. Amazon tells me that they get this information from manufacturers; they don’t write it themselves.
I have the WD Smartware and it is supposedly installed. I posted here in the hope that a user would be kind enough to share his/her experience in getting it to perform as advertised.
I’ve been using this device for at least a couple of years but never had occasion to use it after a crash, so I had no idea it wasn’t saving current files as they were being created. It’s been great otherwise - just plug it in and it automatically backs up everything from video to text, although it does slow down other processes when it’s backing up video and photos, or if large numbers of files have been moved or deleted.
Smartware should do it for you (although “instant” is somewhat of a marketting spin) but you will need to set it up and of course have it running.
Basically once set up with files/folders to monitor and a destination to back up to (your MP in this case) it will watch those folders and make a backup of files in the watched folders (or file types, depending on how you set it up) when it spots them.
It’s really designed for use with always-on networked NAS boxes as I said before, but iirc it can be used with drives like the MP too. I use it routinely to the MyCloud Mirror on my home LAN network and it works well enough.
Thanks.
I have the Smartware (v.2.4.14) but it doesn’t seem to be working properly. It was working fine before. I’m in communication with tech support regarding the problem.
Thanks again for your help.
