Hi
Can I attach my WD drive to a different computer than the one it has backups from and restore files?
yes if you follow a few rules.
both computers must be pc (or both mac).
you must use the “retrieve to a folder” option. (You cannot retrieve to the original locations because those locations aren’t on the new computer).
Once the retrieved files are on your new computer (in the retrieved files folder), just cut and paste them to the new folders on your new computer. They will be grouped into Pictures, Music, Videos, Documents, etc.
I think you need the same version of Smartware installed on both computers.
In preparation for the data move to a new computer, it’s best to update both computers to the same smartware (1.3.06 or similar) and firmware (2.010 or similar), but beware, this deletes all your data on the external drive, so you will need to update then re-backup, then move.
Where can I find the “retrieve to a folder” option?
I am having the same problem. On the new computer I have loaded the Smartware software and want to retrieve files from the backup created on the old computer. When I click the retrieve tab, the “My Passport” drive doesn’t show the old computer name and files. How do I get the software to offer a backup from the older computer?
make sure you have the same smartware version installed as you did the backup with. i couldnt get the restore path to show in the dialog until i upgraded the software. then it did.
Thank you for the advice. I had loaded the latest software when I attempted to restore the data on the new computer. This update may have been my downfall.
I have had numerous phone calls/emails with WD customer service on this issue and there advice is that there is nothing that they can do. They recommended that I manually transfer the files from the passport to the new computer. If you have ever gone into their file structure to find which is the latest version of the file, you will notice it is a big pain.
So I have found the key files that I needed and have wiped the disk. I plan to find a new backup software utility that will provide greater control over the backup process.
I bought the WD backup drive for this very purpose, but it sure isn’t very intuitive. I’m very disappointed in the product.
