Storing files from two computers

I just bought my WD Essential a couple of days ago.  The young man who waited on me said I could create a separate file to hold the back ups from both my computers - my upstairs computer and my downstairs computer.  Now I’ve backed up everything on my one computer I can’t see how to create a file folder to put the back up stuff in - yes, I know how to create a file folder but I just don’t know how to do it in this instance - like, where do I go to place the two separate file folders?

Also, if I have a memory stick plugged into one of the USB ports on one of my computers will the contents of that stick automatically be backed up to the WE Essential?

Many thanks for helping this little old lady … LoL !!!

What is the model number of your Essentials drive?  WD has many generations of drives under the “Essentials” name and I need to know what specific one that you have before I can say how to operate its software.

Hi Jeremy … THANKS for getting back to me … the model number is WDBAAA3200ABK-NECS and on the outside cover of the back-up device it says *my passport* - hope this helps and looking forward to hearing from you again … Rosie :smiley:

Your drive came with WD SmartWare.  Are you using that for backups?  If so, SmartWare will create its own folders for each of your computers.  If you don’t use SmartWare for backups, how did you get your data onto your drive?

2 Likes

Hi Jeremy! … okay, now I see what must be the files from my upstairs computer - its called ‘sewing room’ and there is a pic of a computer with the word ‘sewing’ below it.  I’ll have to go downstairs and install my backup device on the downstairs computer and it should come up with a pic of a computer with the word ‘family’ below it as that computer is called ‘family room’ …

THANKS ever so much for your help and guidance :womanvery-happy:

Rosie

These files failed to back up.

Name              Size                  Date                                 Reason

569748 zip        39.41kb        10/1/2010 1:53:50PM    The system cannot find the path specified (Exception from HRESULT. 0x80070003)

Rosie

If you are using SmartWare for backups, what version do you have on your computer now?  The current one for Windows is 1.4.1.1.

Yes, Jeremy … that’s the version I have installed.

Rosie

SmartWare is having problems locating the data on your computer to back up.  Can you use Windows to check your internal and external drives for errors?  I also recommend that you defragment both as well.

I have defragmented both my C Drive and the G Drive (which is the WD Smartware drive).

I don’t know what  you mean when you say … “Can you use Windows to check your internal and external drives for errors?”  … How do I do this?

Also, I had hoped to be able to look at individual files/folders when I backed everything up but find instead its all lumped together i.e. pictures, other, movies, mail, documents but it doesn’t appear that it has backed up the system itself.  When I click on view the files (or whatever that says) I can’t open anything to see whats inside.  Seems my only option is to tell Smartware to reinstall everything back onto my computer. 

I guess I had some wild idea that this Smartware would actually act like a secondary hard drive and that I would be able to go into it and actually *see* what files are there.  Every time I want to back up something I really don’t want to have to back up absolutely everything on my computer all over again - that takes a huge amount of time… maybe I’ve bought the wrong product ?

Rosie

If you want to see the data through Windows that you’ve backed up, I recommend that you copy and paste data onto your drive in lieu of using SmartWare.  Please see the link below for information on using Windows to error check a drive.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/kbtip.mspx

1 Like

THANKS Jeremy … I found I could actually *see* the files I had backed up - I just had to be patient and let the Smartware process complete itself.

I also did the Windows error check - all was okay.

Again … THANKS ever so much for guiding me through using Smartware.

Rosie