Help w/ WD My Book Essential Ext. Hard Drive

[EvilEmpryss]

Got a new 1 TB Western Digital external hard drive, the My Book Essentials with Smartware, to use with my Mac PowerBook G4.

All I wanted was an external hard drive to be able to back up files: "drag and drop" type back up, mind you, not "copy my whole system and keep it updated" kind of back up. All I want to do is be able to copy files to the external drive.

The way the Smartware is set up, I can only choose what types of files to include in the backup rather than specific individual files. The proprietary software is useless, and I couldn't find anything on the web about disabling it. There are instructions to keep the CD image for the software from mounting to the desktop every time, but nothing for just storing files on the hard drive.

Here's my question: Is it safe to reformat the drive as a Mac OS drive using Disk Utility? Will that wipe the entire drive, remove the WD Smartware, and leave it as a basic storage device?

Thanks, guys for your help. I really don't want the hassle of trying to return this thing.

[HYHYBT]

Safe? Yes. I can't say whether it will be effective or not, though.

There isn't a regular hard disk mounted along with the CD image?

[SteeleDragon78]

you should be able to format it and use it as either drag and drop or use time warp (not sure if thats the name for the mac app or not) with it. i use the same drive for my archive drive for my dvr, and aside from some initial issues with formatting it works fine.

[EvilEmpryss]

HYHYBT, although I'm a compentant computer user, I have no idea how to get around fact that the software on the drive won't let me copy files to the drive without going through its backup program or my Mac's back up software, Time Machine. I don't want to back up the whole drive or even just all of my pics, so I thought reformating the drive might work.

Thank you, SteeleDragon. It's nice to know that someone else has successfully done what I'm trying to do.

[Eric the Grey]

you should be able to format it and use it as either drag and drop or use time warp (not sure if thats the name for the mac app or not) with it. i use the same drive for my archive drive for my dvr, and aside from some initial issues with formatting it works fine.

That would be what I would suggest. Format the drive and run Time Machine as your backup. Once the system is backed up, it should only backup changes to your files.



Eric the Grey

[HYHYBT]

HYHYBT, although I'm a compentant computer user, I have no idea how to get around fact that the software on the drive won't let me copy files to the drive without going through its backup program or my Mac's back up software, Time Machine. I don't want to back up the whole drive or even just all of my pics, so I thought reformating the drive might work.

Thank you, SteeleDragon. It's nice to know that someone else has successfully done what I'm trying to do.

Sorry. I understood what you want, but haven't used that exact product. I have an external drive that mounts a CD image of useless software as well, and still does so after reformatting and even repartitioning, which is why I said that reformatting may not help you. It also has a second icon that acts (mostly) like a normal drive. At first I didn't noticed there were two icons, among all the other junk on my desktop, so naturally it seemed at least possible that you also had one you didn't see.

[EvilEmpryss]

Actually, I think you're right on it, HYHYBT. I just tried erasing the drive and it would erase everything on one partition, but it didn't get rid of the proprietary software that plays gatekeeper and won't let me use the drive unless I go through the My Book program.

Any suggestions how I can wipe the *entire* drive?

[Eric the Grey]

Actually, I think you're right on it, HYHYBT. I just tried erasing the drive and it would erase everything on one partition, but it didn't get rid of the proprietary software that plays gatekeeper and won't let me use the drive unless I go through the My Book program.

Any suggestions how I can wipe the *entire* drive?

IF you were using a PC, I would say to delete all the partitions and recreate it using disk management. I would imagine that OSX has an equivalent, but I do not know off the top of my head where it is (I'm at home, and my MB is at work). I'll look and see what I can see.

Another option is to take the drive back and exchange it for one that is just a drive, and nothing else. You're probably paying extra for the software you don't need anyway.


Eric the Grey

[Broomjockey]

Another option is to take the drive back and exchange it for one that is just a drive, and nothing else. You're probably paying extra for the software you don't need anyway.


Eric the Grey

This. Likely it'd be cheaper and easier for you to simply purchase an enclosure and insert a HDD of the size you want.

[EvilEmpryss]

I wish I could return it, but I'm afraid I'd wind up as a story here if I tried.

I don't have the receipt or the box, got it on sale, and waited three months before I started fiddling with it, so I'm up the proverbial creek for a return. I'd rather not try to play that game, especially with all the christmas returns going on right now.

I tried using Disk Utility, the Mac program for doing things like creating partitions, reformating drives, and erasing data, but it wouldn't let me wipe the entire drive. It kept telling me there was a formating error right after I started the erase. I managed to wipe enough out of whatever was on it and set it up do that I now have two partitions: one at 70 GB with this WD Smartware crap and the other at 930 GB that I can now drag-and-drop files onto. I still have to run the Smartware program to unlock the drive to even see the drive's icon, though, and that's annoying.

I only got the thing because it was the cheapest 1 TB drive I could find at the time, and still cheaper than buying a drive + enclosure. So right now it's pretty much doing what I want it to do, I'd just like to be able to access the drive without jumping through the Smartware hoops to unlock it each time I plug it in.

[Eric the Grey]

I tried using Disk Utility, the Mac program for doing things like creating partitions, reformating drives, and erasing data, but it wouldn't let me wipe the entire drive. It kept telling me there was a formating error right after I started the erase.

See if you can find someone with a windows machine and use it. Windows won't recognize the partition types (unless said machine's owner is a real geek and has installed something that allows windows to read the Mac file system) and shouldn't give you any grief about deleting the partitions and creating one large one.

It'll be a bit time consuming because the Mac will have to recreate the entire file system, but you should not need to let windows do so, since all you need to do is remove the problem ones.



Eric the Grey

[EvilEmpryss]

See if you can find someone with a windows machine and use it. Windows won't recognize the partition types (unless said machine's owner is a real geek and has installed something that allows windows to read the Mac file system) and shouldn't give you any grief about deleting the partitions and creating one large one.

LOL! That would be me! I've got one PC and five Macs. I only have the PC for trouble shooting and so my kids will be familiar with both.

The problem is that Smartware is cross-platform, so the Windows machine runs the software before anything else happens, and I can't get past the software.

[Broomjockey]

The problem is that Smartware is cross-platform, so the Windows machine runs the software before anything else happens, and I can't get past the software.

You mean it doesn't show up in the list of drives in the "Computer" section? And I'm assuming your windows version is XP?

[Eric the Grey]

LOL! That would be me! I've got one PC and five Macs. I only have the PC for trouble shooting and so my kids will be familiar with both.

The problem is that Smartware is cross-platform, so the Windows machine runs the software before anything else happens, and I can't get past the software.

Have you tried to uninstall the Windows software, and NOT allow it to install when you plug in the drive. If there is no software controlling the drive itself, you may be able to partition...


Edit: I also found this article on how to disable parts of the software suite.

Eric the Grey

[EvilEmpryss]

I'm running XP on the PC. It showed up as a drive, but clicking on the drive started the software. When I explored the drive, I couldn't drag anything to it: I had to go through the software to use the drive.

I saw those articles, Eric, and they kept one thing from popping up everytime the drive was plugged in, but it won't allow me to circumvent the Smartware program. I just want to be able to plug the drive in and transfer files. I don't need their silly encryption and password protection.

Unfortunately, I told my husband that he could now drag and drop things to the drive once he entered the Smartware password and he went and started using it before I could finish troubleshooting the reformat. Now that he's using it this is all academic, he won't let me have it back.