Studio IV Firmware Updater - system restart required

WD External Drives External Drives for Mac
1

Hi

I’ve updated the firmware as per the instructions on  http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/wdsmartwareupdate/Step1.asp?pid=070C&os=MAC .

I am surprised that this is a cumbersome 2-stage process for the firmware and software update, but I’m only doing it because I’m hoping that is will enable me to disable it!

However, I’m shocked that the firmware update part requires a system restart.  Why would it ever require the Mac OS to restart is beyond me.  And this is not mentioned on the above page.

WD, your hardware is great.  Your software is appalling.

Thanks.

2

Well, without restarting the Mac doesn’t recognise the external drive, so I had to.

However, on stage 2 of the update for the Mac OS X software, on  http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/wdsmartwareupdate/step2.asp?id=wdfPID2&os=MAC , the instructions actually state that you do have to restart.  But this turns out not be the case.

The WD SmartWare still displays the “Update Software…” button, even though I’m on the latest version, have already updated and have automatic update notifications on.  Pressing this button does absolutely nothing, no even letting me know that it is up to date.  So, to make sure it’s not a malfunction, you have to check the website for the latest version number.

Oh, and no option to stop the pathetic full hard drive scan on startup.

What an atrocious piece of software.

3

For anyone wanting to disable the software, there is the Virtual CD Manager for Mac, available here:

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/wdsmartwareupdate/utilitiesstep1.asp?id=wdfPID2&os=MAC

This should, of course, have been made available in the [not so] SmartWare software.