WD SmartWare using too many resources

[Kjarvel]

Downloaded 1.4.3.4 of WD SmartWare. No improvement. This software is a total joke. Please, please WD, hire a real programmer to implement this. On my machine, after every re-boot WD SmartWare WDFME.exe takes about 50-99 % CPU for about 8 minutes. My computer is totally useless during this time.

It does not matter if I have the drive inserted or not.

To Lawrence, about the option "Backup Speed - Pause backup until computer is idle"... this is a joke too.

Have you even tried this option?

It is probably not even implemented to do anything useful. I have tried starting a lot of CPU- and disk intensive applications when Windows starts to see if "WDFME.exe" will relax, but after a while, who is there taking all CPU, starving out all the other processes? Yes, you guessed it: "WDFME.exe". The option is TOTALLY useless.

And how a software application for _disk backup_ can use so much CPU is another question? What complex calculations are you doing? I would like to see the code for that one.. My guess is: while (wait_for_disk) { /* Do nothing except eat all CPU */ }.. The "developer" of this software should really be ashamed (an so should WD). 

So please WD, since I guess you are not able to fix this software now, please implement a simple button in  "WD Quick View" that says: "Temporarily disable" (this crap).

So that we can choose for ourselves when the computer should be unusable.

[jono101]

Message to Lawrence and Bill,:

Just to prove a point.

1. My WD drive is not connected to my PC

2. Smartware settings are set to only do backup when PC is idle AND backup has been set to Stop

3. I monitored my windows task manager and lo and behold captured this http://twitpic.com/3vzk38/full

I know your job is to defend WD, but can you explain why WDFME.exe is using 63% of CPU resources under the above conditions?

Do you have any other suggestions?

[Prodigal_Son]

I know that wasn't addressed to me but-

Just UN-INSTALL 'Smartware' for God's sake!

[PatDen]

I'm another one experiencing difficulties with the "WD F-ME" (how appropriate) executable.  I have the latest version as of Feb 17, 2011, I have .NET and everything else WDFME could or should want to have. Etc, etc, and so on.  Is anyone satisfied with this software?  Is there some magic configuration of hardware and software on which WDFME mercifully coexists?  I've searched comments on this site and others, and the reaction seems to be unanimously negative.  Most people want to know how to purge it from their life.

And for good reason!  This thing eats resources without any restraint at all.  I have (or I should say HAD) a blazingly fast machine and this software drags it to a halt.  Unless I kill the WD processes, the machine is unusable for doing anything.  No hyperbole, here... you can't even type in notepad.  I insist that this is the worst piece of software I've encountered in years.  There's some freeware out there that's worse, but this could very well be the worst software produced by an actual commercial vendor I've ever encountered.  That's over 25 years of heavy computer usage.  So... congratulations on that?

I don't know what it could possibly be doing that consumes 100% of my CPU cycles every 10 seconds, but that's what it's apparently designed to do.  It doesn't stop, either.  I can let it run for hours and it keeps swamping the system on and off and on and off and on and off.  I'll have five to ten seconds of access to the CPU where I can type or click on things and then the machine will freeze again while WDFME vacuums every clock cycle for about 10 seconds and then I'm free to type again.  Rinse, repeat.  It's not doing this occasionally, it's doing it CONSTANTLY.  Anyone foolish enough to try to function will experience lots of missed clicks and typos.

Since I have stock in WD, I'm sincerely hoping that someone will take this issue more seriously than the WD Community search record suggests.  You have a very serious problem with this product and it directly affects reputation. Internally, you should be asking who decided to approve releasing this virus on your products.  You should be asking if they've been fired, yet.  If they haven't been fired, you should be asking why.  Only Seagate should be happy that you released this software.

[Alvasin]

As we, the computer-savvy netizens of the (physical) world, continue to amass more and more digital media and create endless bytes of data, storage has become increasingly important in our everyday lives. Along with the ability to save and backup all of one’s digital treasure trove, being able to secure all those 1s and 0s has also become more desirable. Thus, it came as no surprise when Western Digital  its entire external drive lineup with password protection, encryption, and built-in backup software

[jallo]

PatDen is right. This thing is a terrible resource hog ... my previous fast machine is unusable after reboot.  

Unless I can find some workaround/fix. I'll need to remove.

Otherwise, next stop will be the Costco website to complain !!! Someone over at WD needs to take some leadership on this issue.    

[Ole-Pete-Backup]

Found a work around for this. It's ugly and I don't know why it appears to work but here goes....

Open a command prompt

type "services.msc" to open the services panel

find the service named  "WD File Management Engine"  - it will be set to start automatically, set it to manual start. Make sure you have the right one and NOT the one entitled "WD File Management Shadow Engine"

exit the services panel.

exit the command prompt window.

open wordpad and create a new file called "c:\WDstarter.CMD" (or similar)

type in the following two lines:

cd C:\Program Files\Western Digital\WD SmartWare\Front Parlor\WDFME
net start wdfme

Now save the file.

You may have to alter the first line if you are running W7 64 bit as the program file directory is the (x86) one in that case.

Go into windows explorer, find the file and create a shortcut to the file.

place this shortcut in your windows startup folder.

For some reason, the later start of the service seems to make the world of difference

[Klimboom]

I removed WD Smartware  but not because of all the problems mentioned above. This software maintains constantly 4 outgoing connections from my computer to the internet ( ...\WD Drive Manager\WDDM Status.exe). I don't like that. It smells like malware.

Antonius, Eindhoven.

[Karlitofingers]

Hi, new here, but not new to the problems everyone is experiencing.

Info -

I have Acer Aspire - AMD duel core (2 GHz) - 4GB RAM - 320 GB HDD.

I'm using a WD Passport essential 500 GB.

I have been backing up my system with the drive for about 2 years maybe. I've not yet had to restore from it, I'm praying that it'll work when I need it to!

WDFME.exe using up to around 60% of CPU at times.

I've ticked the box in settings to only use software when computer is idle.

The 'Smartware' is really slow to load, change screens and options and actually back my files up.

It takes ages for  the software to register that I've selected to do a back up and will only show that's it's backing files up after about 10-15 mins of it being plugged in. Sometimes I've had to reboot with the drive plugged in and leave it for a while to do it's thing.

The cable is terrible, move it even a little bit and the connection is lost.

I'd like to just use a drag and drop method in future maybe.

I always update to the latest software and firmware versions.

Questions!

Does ticking the box only apply to when my drive is plugged in? Or will it stop the WDFME.exe from starting when it's not plugged in?

Can someone give my a straight, definitive answer on how to remove the 'Smartware' software without compromising the 200+ GB of files on my WD drive? I'm worried it will be rendered useless afterwards.

I can have 0% showing on the WDFME.exe process, I open it and it uses around 30%-60%, so why when I close it does it continue to use the same amount?

I know this thread has been going for a long time and some of the questions may have been answered but it would be nice to have them written clearly and simply for all to understand.

Many thanks to those who can help.

Karl.

[PStechPaul]

Here is a link to a knowledge base article that shows how to remove the VCD which is causing all these problems. The VCD manager may also be on the drive, as mine was, and I just made a copy.

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3835

This continuing debacle has reinforced my negative opinion of WD and I will not purchase their products again. Seagate makes a nice drive for about the same price, and does not come prepackaged with malware