Backup functionality

[GalinAZ]

I've read through several threads here and concluded the following:

1) MyBook SHOULD work as a stand-alone hard drive if you uninstall or never install the WDsoftware.  Don't forget to remove the password (if used) BEFORE uninstalling the WDSoftware.

2) The WDsoftware does a continuous backup of a user; backing up multiple users or partitioned drives is not supported by tech support.

3) Windows 7 Backup Home Premium does not support backup to a network drive so if MyBook is connected as a network drive you can't back up to it.

4) WDSoftware is a resource hog that crashes your PC and/or slows its use way down.

This leaves me with a useless brick unless I spend a few hours to uninstall the WDSoftware and set up Windows backup and by some miracle that works. 

Thanks a lot (sarcasm intended).  Anyone who has successfully uninstalled WDsoftware and gotten the brick to work with Windows Backup under Windows 7 Home Premium please let me know!

[Wizer · Accepted solution]

The drive WILL work as a stand alone drive

Uninstalling the software does not take hours.. you can uninstall as any other app on your computer

since you mentioned connecting the drive to the network.. can you please let me know how is the drive setup?

Windows 7 Backup  will backup to the drive connected to the USB port 

[Vadir]

Not sure what type of My Book drive you have.  If it is a My Book LIve, which is actually the only WD network drive that uses SmartWare, then you are in the wrong forum, this one is for all My Book drives, but network drives.

On a side note Windows Backup, included in Windows 7, will only backup to a network drive if you have Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise.

[GalinAZ]

Thank you for your reply.  The WD drive is connected via USB to the PC I want to backup.

I left the WD SmartWare software installed but am not using it for the backup.

I am using Windows 7 Backup for select files and backing up to the WD drive.  

This is working fine on a weekly basis and I have verified the proper files are getting backed up and I can retrieve them.

I don't have continuous backup like I would have with the WD SmartWare software but I'm okay with that.

[Wizer]

in that case you don't even need Smartware installed

unless you are using the security features is not necessary to have it on the computer