the only solution I can find is “check your private messages for an answer”, so unfortunately I have to ask again.
Situation…
2 different computers, 2 different 'My Passport Ultra", both computers are upgraded to
WD SmartWare Pro, Version 2.2.0.
for NEITHER computer does the software recognize any network drives or mapped network drives as possible locations to back up files to, … it ONLY recognizes the My Passport Ultra or the DropBox.
I bought this device to extend my local hard drive storage, which it is doing, but I paid extra to get the backup feature which I just can’t make work…
Any ideas?
PS One clue is, when it upgraded it didn’t give me a box to put in the activation code, it just showed in the version box as upgraded to pro.
If you need a work-around whilst this gets resolved and are under Windows 7 or 8, you could try a virtual hard disc (VHD). This is set up under Disk Management in the Computer Management program (right-click on your My Computer icon and select Manage - needs admin rights) and basically creates an image of a hard disc which is stored in a file. That file can live on a networked drive quite happily, but to Windows it appears as a locally connected hard disk.
It’s not ideal in that you can’t generally just access the files from anywhere (you have to mount the virtual disk if you want to access it, and as it’s one single file if it corrupts then the whole disk image is lost), but it may be better than nothing. It’s actually an old work-around trick for Windows Backup too, as that also cannot backup to networked drives normally but such a back-up can be done using this.
What sort of drive are you trying to back up to? I have Smartware 2.4.2 Pro installed on my machines, and it will quite happily back up to my MyCloud Mirror NAS box over wifi. If you click the help tab at the top of the smartware screen, in the lower-left hand corner of the window that page you can confirm which version (pro or regular) that you are using, if you’re not sure whether the code took or not.
I’m running Windows 7 Service Pack 1, 64 bit and version 2.4.2 of WD SmartWare Pro… on one machine.
Presumably the same version on a Windows Vista 32 bit on the other.
in both cases I’m trying to back up to a Linksys NAS, MNH410, but as far as the source computer knows its just a network drive. I can’t imagine it matters what it is…
Bought a 2TB Essentials backup drive, then paid for the upgrade to Smartware.
The drive is hanging off a remote router and configured as a NAS. Windows 7 sees the drive and I am able to map the drive to my local workstation which is running Smartware Pro.
The software will NOT recognize the mapped drive. I am feeling VERY much like I’ve been taken for a ride by WD.
Up until yesterday I had experienced a similar inability of Smartware to recognize WD external drives on my home network. This, despite these drives being plainly visible and accessible to Windows Explorer, WD Discovery, etc. Two hours spent with the help desk tech had failed to resolve the problem, and Level II support hadn’t followed up. That was a week ago. Then, yesterday it occured to me to check my network connection. It seems that at some point I had begun connecting to my home network via WIFI, rather than as I supposed via Ethernet - hard wired. As soon as I restored the Ethernet connection between my laptop and my home network, Smartware picked up the presence of both my MyBook Live and my MyCloud network drives, and began performing as per specs.
A search through the FAQ’s, this Forum and the Smartware user’s manual revealed not the slightest suggestion that Smartware doesn’t work over WIFI. Yet, this does seem to be the case, at least in my house.
