Just got my first My Passport Ultra. I’m running Windows 8 and I’m considering to use WD Backup (fully updated). According to the manual, I should be able to get subselectors and check boxes for all of the files and folders of every internal hard drive, hard drive partition, and external drive. But no. When I click My Computer in the Select Files to Backup dialog, I get nothing. I expect to see my other harddrives in the right part of the window, but they don’t show up. I can only select libraries.
Thanks for trying to help, but the problem remains. Where the manual shows a C: drive under My Computer (p. 17), I get nothing (even if I got 8 partitions on my PC).
Same for me. Checked the PDF as well, but under Computer there is nothing visible on my PC. None of the local existing drives. I’ve updated today to the latest version of WD Backup 1.6.6060.18987
Did anyone get a reply to this? I have the same problem. Upgraded, reinstalled, rebooted, etc.
I get to the screen that says Setup Complete/IncludeFiles (Edit)
When I click on Edit, the page just has “Libraries” (all C drive). When I click on “My computer” nothing happens. There is no way to choose another drive, as it says there should be in the manual, and as the old smartware software did.
I sent a message to WD support a month ago, multiple times, and never got a response.
Since you have tried updating and re-installing the app we are looking at a system issue with regards to how the app is rendered. How did you try to contact WD Support? Which link did you use? On the other hand, did you check if the response was sent to your spam inbox?
Bear in mind you are able to use any other 3rd party backup application with your unit in case WD Backup is not working, and WD SmartWare Pro (As opposed to the standard edition) should work as well.
Thanks. You write:
"You can also choose other drives to backup that are in or connected
to your computer. "
This is exactly what I CANNOT do. There is no place where the
software allows me to “choose other drives.”
Here is a screen screen shot:
Emacs!
There are no drives or folders listed under “My computer”, even
though the software knows I have other drives (because they show up
in the dropdown box on the prior screen). As you can see, I have put
the cursor on My Computer and hit enter. Nothing happens.
If I choose “libraries” it only sees the “C” drive, not the D drive.
The other possible drives simply do not show up.
Oddly, if I take the same drive and put it on a computer with the old
Smartware software, then it correctly gives the option of backing up
“D” data, but of course that software doesn’t work with the new drives.
I now have hundreds of dollars worth of Western Digital drives that
are basically worthless to me.
I have contacted support. I got a confirming
email, but no response. I used the link on the WD
site that pulled up a contact form.
I want to use the WD software, because it does
real time automatic backups, which the others
don’t do. I don’t think I should have to pay for SW pro.
I wish WD would just upgrade the older Smartware
software, it was so much more intuitive and
worked great. It just doesn’t work with any recent drives.
I’m in contact with WD support now for several weeks. De-install WD software, re-install WD software, provide logs, update .NET framework, de-install .NET, cleanup registry, re-install .NET suspend virus scanner - no solution. Then I have asked them to provide a key for WD SmartWare Pro so that I even can backup to a non-WD-device via WD SmartWare. After some discussion they did - BUT: with this key WD SmartWare can’t be activated - same story as above. De-install, install - no change. And one additional word about this WD SmartWare - this is not compatible with WD MyBook! This only could help if you have any other non-WD big drive attached for possible backups.
Result: so far no solution. At the moment I’m using the Acronis WD edition, but there is no real-time backup as in WD.
I apologize, but it appears that I was mistaken. WD Backup is not supported for backing up “other” connected drives. It is only supported for backing up files from the computer you are connected to. However, if you can see a drive in WD Backup’s source location, then you can back up that drive’s files.
A few more things to consider:
WD Backup doesn’t do continuous backup. It does manual or scheduled backups.
Acronis also does scheduled backups. So, if you want to continue using Acronis, you can simply set up a scheduled backup.
With other connected drives to the same computer, are you using a USB hub to connect them? If so, try connecting them directly to the pc to make sure the hub isn’t interfering.
I am trying to back up from the computer I am
using, not another device. I have ONE computer. It has drives C and D.
I want to back up from the D partition.
As you can see from the screenshot, it does not
show the drive in the source location, and it
should, as per this quote from the help file:
"On the Select Files to Back Up screen:
* Select the icon for the device that has the files you want to back up:
* My ComputerWith subselectors and check
boxes for all of the files and folders of every
internal hard drive, hard drive partition, and external drive "
This is the same as what it says in the user manual on page 10:
Sourcethe computer files and folders that
you want to copy to the backup target for backup
protection. The backup source can be any internal hard drive,
hard drive partition, or any:
External storage drive
Supported cloud service account
Also, it is supposed to do continuous (at
least hourly) backups as per the user manual:
WD Backup software automatically backs up any:
- New file that was created in or copied to a
backup-protected device or folder
- Existing backup-protected file that was changed
This protection is automaticthe WD Backup
software does it for you without any
action on your part. Just leave the backup
source and target devices connected to
your computer.
Note: Whenever you disconnect and reconnect a backup target or source
device, the WD Backup software rescans the
backup source device for new or changed files
and resumes automatic backup protection according to the schedule.
So my original issue remains: Why doesn't my
software me the option of choosing a backup
source ON MY EXISTING COMPUTER from anyplace other than the C drive libraries?
Why don't you just make it so that the
existing, and much better, Smartware software
will recognize the newer My Passport drives?
You should be able to do what you’re trying to do. I just installed WDBackup on my work pc and it shows the external passport, as well as, my C: and D: drives.
Are you using Windows 8 or 8.1? WD Backup is only supported on Windows 8.1. Also, make sure you have all you Windows updates done. And, if you haven’t checked, make sure you’ve allowed permission for the D: drive to be accessible to the software.
You should be hearing from support by email. See what they have to say as well.
Thanks for trying.
Are you saying it offers up your D drive as the SOURCE option? That’s my issue.
All my updates are done. Not sure what you mean by permission; the security settings/sharing is the same as it is for the C drive, and includes the logged in user with full access.
Not sure where you heard that WD Backup is only supported on Windows 8.1. The user manual clearly states that WD backup is compatible with Windows 7/8/8/8.1/10 (see page 2). Which makes sense, so almost no one uses Windows 8.
So for me the problem is quite easy and clearly described: WD Backup simply does not show ANY local drive or partition under “My Computer” for “Select Files to Back Up” - like shown on the screenshot
Most of the time, when I install a new software, the system will ask to let it run as administrator, or something like that. If you say, no, then the program may not be able to access all of its available capabilities.
For Windows 8 support, I was looking at our support site. It only says 8.1. And you are right, no one uses Windows 8.
I’m still waiting to hear from WD support on two separate support tickets, one over 2 months old. You’d think that will all the customers having the exact same problem they would at least post a FAQ or update the help file with a troubleshooting section entitled “if you can’t choose a source location”.
I usually don’t leave bad reviews on a product but I’m about at that point.
