Software Update - WD SmartWare Version 1.6.0 for Windows (5/9/12)

@painful. Well i deleted everything on the disc and ran a back-up which seems to have frozen after backing up half the files.

It did the same even before I deleted the old .swstor. Maybe I should have stayed with the 1.2.0.4 which came with the MyBook. At least it did backups although sometimes it flagged some files as unable to back up when in fact it did back them up. Can’t believe how much time I have wasted on this :slight_smile:

The real crime with SmartWare 1.6 is that Western Digital has not pulled the bug ridden update.   My experience was that NOT all files were being backed up.  I spent over an hour on the phone with WD Support trying to solve the problem.  I finally downgraded to 1.5.x.   Downgrading solved my problem.

 The Western DIgital rep acknolwedged that other bugs that I reported had already been sent to WD Development.  However, WD has not pulled the problem version nor have they posted a new release.

  This is real poor customer service.

Wayne

WDsmartware awoke and completed the backup successfully. All fines including pst ones were backed up. Will have to see how it behaves in the next few days.

rumin wrote

“The microsoft web page that you refer to claims that the tool is not for Windows 7. It refers me to another microsoft support page but I do not see anything useful there. As I mentioned earlier, I saw no dos command windows open during the installation of 1.6.”

Hi rumin,

Sorry I should have made clear that I am using XP. The importance of completely uninstalling SmartWare after a “bad” installation had been made in several posts in other strings.

Perhaps there is no dos command window in the Windows 7 installation.

Glad to see you’ve got it sorted anyway.

msansoucie wrote:

" no file larger than 50 MB in size will be backed up. All such files are marked as “File pending backup”."

Hi msansoucie,

This sound similar to the issue with PST files which is a design feature, in that they are only backed up once every 24 hours and when Outlook is closed.

If you look in the WD SmartWare .swstor area on your external WD drive can you see if the files are in fact being backed up?

I did ask WD about the issue of larger files not being backed up immediately  but, despite my message being acknowledged, it was closed without reply.

Thanks, Watchful.  Interesting to hear that may be a design decision.  When one clicks the “View Files” link above the “Files Not Backed Up” count, the resulting dialog headline is “These files failed to back up”.  “Failed” is a pretty powerful word!

In any case, when this originally happened I left Smartware running for about 36 hours and nothing changed.  I then stopped Backup, as was my habit with 1.4.1.1, which always completed its work when asked.  I don’t need to have constant, dynamic backup.  But what the heck, I’ll turn it on for a week and see what transpires.  After that, I’ll probably reinstall 1.4.1.1 and look for better backup software.

Thank you, and gosh it’d be nice to see something in the manual about the 50 MB limit, and some indication as to when they will actually be backed up.

Finally 1.6 managed a complete back-up but was then inactive for 48 hours. After a reboot of my pc, it supposedly did a backup and got stuck on the pst files (pending backup). This persists even if I quit Outlook. However, I see that it also did not back up some documents that I had edited or created during thw 48 hour lull. So I don’t seem to be any better off with 1.6. I have contacted WD support via email, but am not holding my breath.

I didnt verify if all files were backed up or not. But I didnt see an error either. So I am assuming that it got backed up. rumin, do you check manually to find out if all files were backed up or you have a diff tool of some sort?

On my other issue of backup using old SW not being recognized, I just moved frles from that volume to this one. Now SmartWare shows them in different color in the retrieve window. But I think I should be able to restore those if needed.

@jjayathe. No I checked manually. The back-up is still stuck trying to back up the pst files and the other edited files are still not backed up. So it seems that the system has hung :frowning:

After 3 days I gave up and removed version 1.6.0, and installed version 1.5.1.6.  Works perfectly, backs up the large files as well as the small files.  I’m sure there are things about 1.6.0 that are better than 1.5.1.6, but backup software that doesn’t actually back up all of its target files has a more serious problem than any nifty feature can make up for.

Ah well.  Anyway, here’s the last word I got from the good folks at WD Support:

[Deleted]

hi all, hows everyone getting on, i had to reinstall windows so i tried to manually copy my files from swstor folder. after a lot of fighting as it said i didnt have access rights or something i managed to get back what i wanted.

i have run all my updates and loaded the relevant software… and now my pst files are not backing up???

anyone managed to resolve this?

cheers

@painful. Since installing 1.6, following the steps that you posted, the backup software is stuck trying to back up the pst files. As a result, it is not updating the files that I have created or modified in the interim. I sent an email to WD support five days ago and am still waiting for a reply, beyond acknowledgement of receipt and the creation of a file number.

In view of the reply that msansoucie received from WD, I think I will go back to 1.2 which came with the MyBook. THe only problem there was that it occasionally claimed that it could not back up a modified file when in fact it did back up.

@rumin. i thought we had it resolved, but doesnt seem to be the case. i am going to try reinstalling 1.5 and then upgrade agaiin.

if i cant get it sorted i will try and reply to the original email i got from WD

Life is too short for fighting “Smartware” software.

I suggest you all find a reliable third party backup package and relegate this software to the dustbin of history.

I have, and I am now free from the frustration of battling this load of rubbish. :manhappy:

Lucky_Phil, any recommendations? I was in market for this sometime back. But didnt find one that does immediate automatic backup. They are usually schedule based. I have a laptop and dont have it on always.

I have gone for a scheduled backup option.

I use Retrospect 7.7 (It’s not cheap, but is reliable and takes approximately 35 mins per day to keep the backup up to date.)

There may be better and / or cheaper backup suites around, but I’m so much happier having ditched “Smartware”.

I think it may have added years to my life expectancy. :manwink:

@LuckyPhil. You weren’t kidding when you wrote “pricey”! Nova BACKUP seems to have good reviews and is more affordable. Maybe I’ll try that. After a week, I am still waiting for a reply from WD tech support :cry:

I am investigating this package, as it is an “unscheduled” real-time backup program, like Smartware is supposed to be, but apparently lighter in weight.  Still in Beta, future cost undetermined.  I haven’t installed it yet, just looking into it.  No association.

http://www.bvckup.com/

hi all,

I’ve been messing around with smartware and have come to the conclusion that 1.6 is too much of a pain to try and get it to back up pst files.

i am back on 1.5.4.5 and it seems to work ok with everything backed up in real time

however this comes at a cost to your CPU

the WDFME.exe uses anywhere from 10-75% when i am doing day to day tasks but will drop to nothing if i leave my pc alone. if i open outlook it runs for a few minutes and then settles again and the same if i change documents which i am guessing is down to this being a live backup program that backs up instantly, or when it feels like it with 1.6 when it comes to mail.

it runs for probably 10 minutes or more when i first turn on the pc as it checks your hardrives to see whats changed.

i dont need to back up everyday as i have a backup drive in my pc, so my feeling is to end the WDFME process in ctrl alt del processes until i want to run a back up.

i could even uncheck email in the advance backup tab as my mail is pop3 yahoo and i keep a copy on the server, but my contacts may be at risk

in an earlier reply from WD, version 1.5 onwards fixed a high memory usage problem and i think the 1.6 probably only does mail once a day to help with the cpu demand.

has anyone tried this http://www.genie9.com/Free_products/free_timeline.aspx  which i found recommended on one of the the copious WD smartware forum posts

Acrois True Image backup comes up as one of top backup softwares. I havent used it myself. But it lacks real-time backup when I looked at it last time.

Nova seems like a nice one. Does anybody know if it does realtime backup?