I’m just curious… Why did ya’ll buy these drives when it’s a well known function of this hardware?
When I went shopping, I compared the drives and picked the Elements instead. Why did ya’ll choose the Passport if you didn’t want this software?
I can’t speak for others but, the packaging for the drive gave no indication that the software was installed onto a hidden partition that could not be removed. It did not give any indication that there was a hidden partition. I’m sure many of us knew that a folder with software would probably be on the drive but, that has always been an optional item before. As far as I can remember, and I’ve purchased tons of WD drives, you were not forced to keep the software. I still have the packaging that my drive came in and it is misleading as to what you are actually getting (software and VCD). Many probably was not aware of this forum until after they purchased the drive, figured out the “WTF” situation, and did a search for a way to remove the software/VCD since regular formatting does not work.
After this situation, I am very reluctant to use or recommend any WD portable drives. I have a total of 10 1TB MyBook drives prior to the VCD software being forced down any unsuspecting buyer’s throat.
TonyPh12345 wrote:
I’m just curious… Why did ya’ll buy these drives when it’s a well known function of this hardware?
When I went shopping, I compared the drives and picked the Elements instead. Why did ya’ll choose the Passport if you didn’t want this software?
Hey Tony,
What made you pick the Elements, instead? Was there any indication on the box that clued you in?
Simple. The Comparison grid online shows a bunch of checkmarks next to features I had no need for, while the Elements is just a “Plain Ol’ Disk.” That’s what I wanted; just a straight up no-frills, USB-powered drive.
Never even read the box.
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I wish more people would do that, instead of, “ooohhh, shiny…”
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It’s not just the “ooohhh, shiny…”
Locally, a 1TB MyBook Essential goes for $99.99 in a big-box store, and next to it on the shelf, the 1TB Elements SE is $139.99
You can’t really expect your casual consumer to consciously spend $40 more for what is essentially the same thing (only without the VCD).
At least the 1TB Passport is marked at $169, so you should get more people choosing an Elements over a Passport (when they have Elements in stock) , but you’re still going to get people choosing the Essential over the Elements, and then complaining about the VCD.
WD has issued an update to the firmware which allows one to “hide” the VCD content. I ran it on two of my drives and now, the VCd does not mount on the desktop. It’s like the old drives once again. Sure the VCD info is still there but at least now, after the update, it’s easy to forget about it as it doesn’t mount any more when I plug it in… Since I can’t get rid of it, this works for me.
RoofingGuy wrote:
It’s not just the “ooohhh, shiny…”
Locally, a 1TB MyBook Essential goes for $99.99 in a big-box store, and next to it on the shelf, the 1TB Elements SE is $139.99
You can’t really expect your casual consumer to consciously spend $40 more for what is essentially the same thing (only without the VCD).
At least the 1TB Passport is marked at $169, so you should get more people choosing an Elements over a Passport (when they have Elements in stock) , but you’re still going to get people choosing the Essential over the Elements, and then complaining about the VCD.
I had no idea that the price points were reversed between the two drives.
But my point still stands - and this is just my opinion (which means you can ignore me if you want) - people tend to buy without knowing what they’re getting into. We all tend to make a lot of assumptions about how we think a product will work. A little more research before buying would clear a lot of that up, especially with computer electronics; and even more so with the internet making information so easily available. Personally, I just got tired of living with buyer’s remorse.
Yes, your point does still stand… people do just grab whatever catches their eye (whether it’s shiny packaging or a cheap price) without any thought to what they want/need – or even worse, they buy what the salesman points them to/tells them they “need.”
But my point still stands, as well. I know this is a Passport thread, but as long as the Essential is cheaper than the Elements, you’re always going to have people buying the Essential, even if they do their homework. If anything, the price points are even more likely to cause consumer frustration… “Why should I have to pay $40 more to get the same thing without the VCD I don’t want??” (says the owner of 2 1TB Essentials – for me having an extra 450MB or so wasn’t worth $40, especially when $80 more would have got me a 2TB drive – I had $100 to spend, and got the largest drive I could afford.)
(Technically, the local retail price for the MyBook is $119.99, but in the last 18 months or so, I’ve never not seen it as being on sale for $99.99, but even going by the local “regular price” the Elements SE Portable is still $20 more. I also don’t quite get why the local price for an Elements SE Portable is $139.99 Canadian, when the WD site lists it as $179.99 U.S. MSRP, but that’s neither here nor there. You could, in theory, get a 1TB Elements Desktop (not the “Portable”) for the same $99.99 as the MyBook, but they don’t seem to stock them locally. On paper, you’re not “forced” to get the MyBook if you’re looking for a $99 drive, but the MyBooks are pretty much the only thing they have on the shelf if you just walk through the door.)
RoofingGuy wrote:
It’s not just the “ooohhh, shiny…”
Locally, a 1TB MyBook Essential goes for $99.99 in a big-box store, and next to it on the shelf, the 1TB Elements SE is $139.99
Seriously???
Wow. At Best Buy, a 1 TB Elements is going tor $89, and a 1 TB MB Essential is going for $99.
Your store is backwards. :)
TonyPh12345 wrote:
Your store is backwards. :)
- *> * * *
RoofingGuy wrote:> …Canadian…
Nuff said? :smileyvery-happy:
Those appear to be BestBuy’s prices up here.
Hi, I brought a passport essential and I have no idea on what people talking about here, cause when I plug my passport on any computer nothing pops up like the vcd that people are complaining, I just use my passport like a portable hdd or tranfering picture,music or movies from 1 computer to another w/o any delay,or maybe bacause im using it manualy, by drag and drop the file to the drive (E) where my passport is located.
Probably because you have one of the new ones, where the VCD partition is hidden.
You may have no problem with your computer but if you try to use it as an external drive
to a PS3 or XBOX or as PVR etc then you will understand. Customers want to be free to use
their external disks freely wherever they want (as disks from other brands do) or at least be
clearly informed about any restriction BEFORE THEY BUY the product.
The question is the following :
When you bought it did the containg box had any indication that this drive has a PERMANENT FIRST
PARTITION (the VCD) ? This is causing all the problems and restrictions that most customers complain about.
P.S. Not many complaints anymore as most of them realized that WD is going to do nothing about it.
At the same time most of the complaining customers declared that they will never buy again a WD disk.
I asked the same question over a year ago but was told it couldn’t be removed. Along with everyone else in this posting I too hate to be forced using this backup software. I did find a way to get rid of it but not recover the lost 35+gb space on my 500gb drive. I used EASEUS Partition Master 6.5.2 Home Edition to reformat the drive and it got rid of it but couldn’t find or remove the hidden partition but at least I now have a 465gb drive without the WD startup problem.
If anyone finds a better solution, please share. WD will not change this practice so we have to figure it out.
chas638 wrote:
If anyone finds a better solution, please share. WD will not change this practice so we have to figure it out.
The answer has been given hundreds of times…
Since the Lock/Unlock stuff _ HAS _ to be on a separate partition for it to work at all, if you don’t want a drive with a separate partition for the Lock/Unlock bits, then don’t buy one of the encryptable drives. Not a single one of the non-encryptables comes with the VCD; _ ALL _ the encryptables come with the VCD.
Or, would you rather just load the drive up with data, lock it, and then never ever be able to unlock it and read the data back off the drive? Because that’s what removing the VCD would do. It would seem, in that case, as if you’d be better off just sending your files to the Recycle Bin, and not bother buying a drive at all.
I encrypt my files so I would rather have the 35gbs this locking system uses. You are right, because WD doesn’t give the option to remove, next time I will buy another make drive.
SOLUTION: Traded in for full 500gb Seagate external drive without 3.0. I really like WD but don’t need the backup partition forced on me. If they ever come up with a fix, I’ll be back. But until then, Seagates my drive.
