Not impressed

Nagrom · December 9, 2009, 9:13am

I bought a My Book Essential for PC which came with WD Smartware. I installed then updated and it dosn’t work properly. I keep getting errors all the time, crashing, not recognising drive, etc. I re-installed and it seemed to be working, yet everytime I restart my PC, the same issues happen - it doesn’t recognise the drive or the software crashes.

I finally did an un-install/re-install then started a back-up, now it won’t let me remove the drive from the computer.

Got to say Im not impressed with this software, it dosn’t even let you choose specific files to back-up, just generic ‘document’ files or ‘music’. Let alone the fact that the software/firmware updates are poorly executed.

How do I stop the Smartware running and remove the drive without having to re-start the PC and having to

un-install/re-install all over again?

Never had this problem with previous editions of WD My Books, which came with a Memeo back-up system.

JohnC · December 9, 2009, 7:32pm

If the software keep crashing it might be issues with .Net. Please uninstall .Net 2.0,3.0, or 3.5 if you have them install might need to start with 3.5 and work your way backwards. Then just reinstall .Net from the link below, and that usually will fix any type of crashing. Also uninstall WD Smartware and download it from the link below. Before you install please do the firmware update since it needed with the latest Smartware.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AB99342F-5D1A-413D-8319-81DA479AB0D7&displaylang=en

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdsmartware

Nagrom · December 10, 2009, 4:58pm

I followed your instructions and the same just keeps happening it works until I restart the PC then error message WD Smartware has encountered a problem and had to close, etc

Here are the details:

EventType : clr20r3     P1 : wdsmartware.exe     P2 : 1.2.0.7     P3 : 4af30099
P4 : tanagra.dataclad     P5 : 2.0.0.1     P6 : 4a8c3c56     P7 : 4f2
P8 : 2e     P9 : pjayx3agobqlpv3dblszxe2utv3bxvzt

AppName: wdsmartware.exe AppVer: 1.2.0.7 ModName: kernel32.dll
ModVer: 5.1.2600.5781 Offset: 00012afb

Fed up now

bluejack · December 10, 2009, 5:36pm

1st update the firmware and then update then run the vcd manager from the link bellow.
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdsmartwareutilities

JohnC · December 10, 2009, 7:34pm

Since it still crashing your going to need to contact support, but might be issuse with the computer. Please see the link below to contact support.

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

Nagrom · December 11, 2009, 1:06pm

it now says ‘no Smartware partition found’.

Can I just format the drive and use it as a plain external?

or will this mess it up even more?

JohnC · December 11, 2009, 4:16pm

You can, just simply reformat the drive and disable the vcd using the link below

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdsmartwareutilities

Gunship70 · December 25, 2009, 5:04pm

I’m having the about the same problems with my “My Book Essential”. When I double click on the icon in the tray I always get the Microsoft error saying WD has encountered an error and needs to close. I’ve updated the firmware but still have the same problems.

Gunship70 · December 25, 2009, 5:07pm

I can’t update the VCD because I can’t open the application to remove the password. Can I get a refund for this backup hard drive?

WD_Guru · December 27, 2009, 3:48am

http://community.wdc.com/t5/forums/forumtopicpage/board-id/smartware/message-id/85#M85

Mad_as_Schmidt · December 27, 2009, 4:38am

I buy a hard drive for storage only

I spent $100!

Now you want me to spend $1000 of my time with software ■■■■!!!

FIX IT **bleep**-it!!!

Mad_as_Schmidt · December 27, 2009, 4:46am

WHAT!!!

Disable something by a lengthy intall process!

Unitstall means remove all software, registry items, stored files, give me my HD drive space back, ettc

Don’t make me install your malfunctioning firmware.

make one that will REMOVE this cancer.

laboh · March 6, 2010, 6:41pm

I am a fairly competent computer user and this whole experience with the WD drive has just enraged me. I will NEVER buy another from this company and hope to return this one to Staples where I will then buy a MAXTOR. My other MAXTOR just required a plug in. No errors. No BSOD. It simply worked. My husband brought this drive home at 10:30 this morning and I have done nothing but sit here at my computer dealing with countless errors and tech support. The most ridiculous thing is that the manuals and the drivers for the device are ON THE DEVICE which is currently not working. Because of the errors, if I can somehow get the thing to work, I will never trust its reliability with my data so even having lots of space at a good price won’t make up for it. I won’t be able to bring it to help someone else with backups either as I probably couldn’t install it on another computer. I just can’t trust it. I’d have to buy a hard drive to back up my hard drive especially since I have no drivers on a CD to reinstall if I have a problem. The whole process defeats the purpose of having an external drive altogether since I can’t back up or simply use it on other computers.

My advice to anyone looking for a hard drive … Maxtor actually works.

tbarry · March 6, 2010, 8:19pm

I too had problems with the software. Tried a backup, it ran and ran, never did finish.

After a couple of tries backing up, I installed the software. (using Revo install program)

Now use the Windows 7 backup program, as i did previously with a Maxtor drive.

The drive now works fine, with no problems.

Nizzy · March 7, 2010, 11:02am

@tbarry: I have just purchased a WD Passport external HDD and up till now (3 days ownership), the software hasn’t caused me any problems. But in preparation for when/if it does, can you tell me why you opted to use Win7 backup instead of Maxtor’s own backup software?

(PS: Win7 backup is not an option for me as it currently fails to do incremental backups with Windows Media Player Network sharing enabled! Detailed here: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprogeneral/thread/50f3ff7a-2ae7-41c1-ac92-41edaed1e2f9)

martin_s · August 1, 2010, 9:37am

Since a few days, I have problems with WDSmartWare.exe, too (Windows 7). Until then it works fine. Perhaps there are some conflicts with my internet security tool (PC Tools Internet Security 2010)?

After starting Windows I get the message that there are problems with WdSmartWare.exe. Some times the PC reboots without asking.

There are two problems:

Protokollname: Application
Quelle:        WDSmartWareBackgroundService
Datum:         31.07.2010 16:26:01
Ereignis-ID:   0
Aufgabenkategorie:Keine
Ebene:         Fehler
Schlüsselwörter:Klassisch
Benutzer:      Nicht zutreffend
Computer:      martin-PC
Beschreibung:
Problem starting Memeo Background Service :Ausnahmefehler “System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Ein Aufrufziel hat einen Ausnahmefehler verursacht. —> System.Security.Principal.IdentityNotMappedException: Manche oder alle Identitätsverweise konnten nicht übersetzt werden.
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcServerChannel.StartListening(Object data)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcServerChannel.SetupChannel()
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcServerChannel…ctor(IDictionary properties, IServerChannelSinkProvider sinkProvider, CommonSecurityDescriptor securityDescriptor)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcChannel…ctor(IDictionary properties, IClientChannelSinkProvider clientSinkProvider, IServerChannelSinkProvider serverSinkProvider)
   — Ende der internen Ausnahmestapelüberwachung —
   bei System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeConstructor(Object args, SignatureStruct& signature, IntPtr declaringType)
   bei System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeConstructor(Object args, SignatureStruct signature, RuntimeTypeHandle declaringType)
   bei System.Reflection.RuntimeConstructorInfo.Invoke(BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   bei System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceImpl(BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object args, CultureInfo culture, Object activationAttributes)
   bei System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object args, CultureInfo culture, Object activationAttributes)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.CreateChannelFromConfigEntry(ChannelEntry entry)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.ConfigureChannels(RemotingXmlConfigFileData configData, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.ConfigureRemoting(RemotingXmlConfigFileData configData, Boolean ensureSecurity)” bei der Remotekonfiguration.   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.ConfigureRemoting(RemotingXmlConfigFileData configData, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.DoConfiguration(String filename, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfiguration.Configure(String filename, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei RemoteServerService.WDSmartWareBackgroundService.OnStart(String args)
Ereignis-XML:
<Event xmlns=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event”>
<System>
    <Provider Name=“WDSmartWareBackgroundService” />
    <EventID Qualifiers=“0”>0</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime=“2010-07-31T14:26:01.000000000Z” />
    <EventRecordID>25835</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>martin-PC</Computer>
    <Security />
</System>
<EventData>
    <Data>Problem starting Memeo Background Service :Ausnahmefehler “System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Ein Aufrufziel hat einen Ausnahmefehler verursacht. —> System.Security.Principal.IdentityNotMappedException: Manche oder alle Identitätsverweise konnten nicht übersetzt werden.
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcServerChannel.StartListening(Object data)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcServerChannel.SetupChannel()
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcServerChannel…ctor(IDictionary properties, IServerChannelSinkProvider sinkProvider, CommonSecurityDescriptor securityDescriptor)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc.IpcChannel…ctor(IDictionary properties, IClientChannelSinkProvider clientSinkProvider, IServerChannelSinkProvider serverSinkProvider)
   — Ende der internen Ausnahmestapelüberwachung —
   bei System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeConstructor(Object args, SignatureStruct& signature, IntPtr declaringType)
   bei System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeConstructor(Object args, SignatureStruct signature, RuntimeTypeHandle declaringType)
   bei System.Reflection.RuntimeConstructorInfo.Invoke(BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   bei System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceImpl(BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object args, CultureInfo culture, Object activationAttributes)
   bei System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object args, CultureInfo culture, Object activationAttributes)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.CreateChannelFromConfigEntry(ChannelEntry entry)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.ConfigureChannels(RemotingXmlConfigFileData configData, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.ConfigureRemoting(RemotingXmlConfigFileData configData, Boolean ensureSecurity)” bei der Remotekonfiguration.   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.ConfigureRemoting(RemotingXmlConfigFileData configData, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfigHandler.DoConfiguration(String filename, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingConfiguration.Configure(String filename, Boolean ensureSecurity)
   bei RemoteServerService.WDSmartWareBackgroundService.OnStart(String args)</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

and

Protokollname: Application
Quelle:        Application Error
Datum:         31.07.2010 16:27:31
Ereignis-ID:   1000
Aufgabenkategorie:(100)
Ebene:         Fehler
Schlüsselwörter:Klassisch
Benutzer:      Nicht zutreffend
Computer:      martin-PC
Beschreibung:
Name der fehlerhaften Anwendung: WDSmartWare.exe, Version: 1.2.0.7, Zeitstempel: 0x4af30099
Name des fehlerhaften Moduls: KERNELBASE.dll, Version: 6.1.7600.16385, Zeitstempel: 0x4a5bdaae
Ausnahmecode: 0xe0434f4d
Fehleroffset: 0x00009617
ID des fehlerhaften Prozesses: 0xedc
Startzeit der fehlerhaften Anwendung: 0x01cb30bc6b38d301
Pfad der fehlerhaften Anwendung: C:\Program Files\Western Digital\WD SmartWare\Front Parlor\WDSmartWare.exe
Pfad des fehlerhaften Moduls: C:\Windows\system32\KERNELBASE.dll
Berichtskennung: c0629ed8-9caf-11df-9e51-001e2a4bfbcc
Ereignis-XML:
<Event xmlns=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event”>
<System>
    <Provider Name=“Application Error” />
    <EventID Qualifiers=“0”>1000</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>100</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime=“2010-07-31T14:27:31.000000000Z” />
    <EventRecordID>25848</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>martin-PC</Computer>
    <Security />
</System>
<EventData>
    <Data>WDSmartWare.exe</Data>
    <Data>1.2.0.7</Data>
    <Data>4af30099</Data>
    <Data>KERNELBASE.dll</Data>
    <Data>6.1.7600.16385</Data>
    <Data>4a5bdaae</Data>
    <Data>e0434f4d</Data>
    <Data>00009617</Data>
    <Data>edc</Data>
    <Data>01cb30bc6b38d301</Data>
    <Data>C:\Program Files\Western Digital\WD SmartWare\Front Parlor\WDSmartWare.exe</Data>
    <Data>C:\Windows\system32\KERNELBASE.dll</Data>
    <Data>c0629ed8-9caf-11df-9e51-001e2a4bfbcc</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Copy from Windows Event view.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Martin

MadMike · September 4, 2010, 7:25pm

verursacht. —> System.Security.Principal.IdentityNotMappedException: Manche oder alle Identitätsverweise konnten nicht übersetzt werden.

This reminds me of a localization problem i once had on my Job.

Looks like you are using a german localized Windows.

Predefined User- and Group-Names can be localized (e.g. “Guest” = “Gast”).

So if the Developer refers to a User or Group by its name, it only works in the locale it is written with.

This might be the problem.

Mike