Smartware firmware update

I HAVE READ A LOT OF THE POSTS REGARDING SMARTWARE.   MY QUESTION TO WD SUPPORT IS -

WHAT IS THE PROJECTED DATE FOR THE SMARTWARE FIRMWARE REMOVAL UPDATE?  NOT

COMPLAINING - JUST NEED TO KNOW WHEN.

ALSO:   ARE THE NEWEST WD PASSPORT ESSENTIALS HD’S STILL LOADED WITH SMARTWARE??

I’M LOOKING AT THE ADDING A 750GB.  I CANNOT BUY UNTIL SMARTWARE ISSUE IS RESOLVED.

SmartWare will probably not go away.  However, we have made it possible, now, to opt out of SmartWare and hide the VCD.  I don’t know yet if we’re working on a way to completely remove it if a customer doesn’t want it, though. 

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This was an excellent question and I was very pleased with the content of the response.

Can anyone tell me where can I get the instructions to “opt out” once the software/firmware has been installed?

Thanks,

WDCORD

That’s a GREAT idea!  If you have a CD you don’t want to use on your system, just load it into your CD Drive, disable the drive  and put a piece of Duct Tape over the drive door!   That way, you can “HIDE” it!  Brilliant!  You can’t use the drive for anything but you can “HIDE” that pesky CD!  (Same thing WD wants you to do!)

Doesn’t matter that you PAID for a FULL capacity drive, WD knows ‘better’ than you!

Well I have returned my new 750gig drive and got my money back.  I will not purchase anything further from WD until they take this junk off the drives altogether.  Why not just make it an optional download, problem solved, or does WD want to force its users into using their software.  Some may but not me.  WD drives are off the menu for now.

As an IT Officer for Oxford University, I am finding it difficult to find out exactly what the status is of this drive. Everyone is clearly not happy with the onboard software. Looking at Amazon I’ve seen this statement :

New Updates for WD SmartWare Software

We’ve been shipping our new WD SmartWare software for a few months now. During that time we’ve been listening to our customers. As a result of the feedback we’re getting, we’ve developed some updates for the software.

Updates:

  • Ability to hide the Virtual CD (VCD)
  • Enhanced the ability to opt-out of WD SmartWare completely
  • Exit WD SmartWare from the Windows system tray

Does this mean that you can completely disable the WD smartware on the drive itself? The drive will be plugged into linux and windows systems and it needs to be just a simple drive. I would appreciate official feedback on this matter. Thanks very much.

You can hide the VCD and uninstall SmartWare.  The drive then essentially becomes a bit bucket.   If you’re looking for a drive that is truly just an empty drive, then you might want to look at our WD Elements drive.   As for Linux, we don’t officially support our SmartWare drives on it, but there should be no reason why an Elements drive wouldn’t work.

I just bought a 2TB drive with yours smartware ■■■■ on it. I’m never buying your products again!

I’m so incredibly angry about this… I really needed a drive right now, and now I have go see if I can return this POS and get my money back…

At least label your products so that people will know they are not buying a normal usb drive.

I’m looking on here for a way to remove this smartware partition and now I find out it’s not even possible! I’m so pissed!

xigam wrote:

At least label your products so that people will know they are not buying a normal usb drive.

I don’t know about your drives, but both MyBook Essential drives that I bought, the entire back of the box is nothing but the description of the SmartWare.

Between these forums and hundreds of other websites, the fact that some WD drives ship with the SmartWare, is quite well-known.  Those who don’t want the SmartWare should simply buy one of the WD drives that don’t have it.  From what I gather, at BestBuy in the U.S., a non-SmartWare Elements Desktop is cheaper than a Smartware MyBook Essentials, and a non-Smartware Elements SE Portable is cheaper than a Smartware Passport.

RoofingGuy wrote:> I don’t know about your drives, but both MyBook Essential drives that I bought, the entire back of the box is nothing but the description of the SmartWare.

 

Between these forums and hundreds of other websites, the fact that some WD drives ship with the SmartWare, is quite well-known.  Those who don’t want the SmartWare should simply buy one of the WD drives that don’t have it.  From what I gather, at BestBuy in the U.S., a non-SmartWare Elements Desktop is cheaper than a Smartware MyBook Essentials, and a non-Smartware Elements SE Portable is cheaper than a Smartware Passport.

It is apparently not well know enough. I will do my best to spread the word to not purchase these drives.

My box says “WD Smartware Software”

“A visual control center with a single-screen view of all your data. From it you can back up, restrieve, and secure your files…”

“Automatic, continuous backup. Whenever you add or change a file it’s backed up on the spot.” This is repeated in many languages.

I would not describe that as a description of WD Smartware. There is no mention of an NON-REMOVABLE VCD, or that to ‘hide’ it you would have to install even more crapware and jump through hoops, and hope you don’t brick your drive in the process.

I needed a solution in a pinch… and I got screwed. I’ve puchased many other WD USB drives (3 500GB, and a 1TB at work)… but will not be buying any more WD USB drives… When it comes to internal drives I am of half a mind to shop another brand just because of the bad taste left in my mouth from this experience.

Although I will say I’ve had good experences with my WD GREEN and WD BLACK drives. (I’ve got 6 1.5T WD Greens in my media box and two 1G WD Blacks in my workstation).

I going to the store a in couple hours to see if I can get my money back. I am out half a day of my time. I would have had no issue if this drive could have just been reformated.

You do know that you don’t have to use SmartWare, correct?  You can uninstall it from your computer and use the drive as a typical drive.

bill_s wrote:

You do know that you don’t have to use SmartWare, correct?  You can uninstall it from your computer and use the drive as a typical drive.

But Western Digital - I PAID for backup software with my drive - and I expected it to be decent product. I agree with, and will add to the chorus of bitterly dissatisfied customers with your backup software.

The software allows little to no control, slows my PC to a crawl, the “pause backup until computer is idle” does nothing, and the software is using 256Meg (!!!) of memory (even with the drive not attached). I have the latest .Net, the latest software and the latest drivers.

This is unaccecptable from a company as large and well respected as WD.

The Smartware only backs up certain files. If you’re talking about system backup you need something like this  http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en or Macrium Free http://www.macrium.com/ReflectFree.asp I use the Acronis True Image paid version.

Joe