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Beware the WD MyBook Studio 2TB External HDD

MacDawg

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,505
"Between the Hedges"
Just want to give y'all a heads up on the Western Digital MyBook Studio 2 TB external HDD
Western Digital My Book Studio 2 TB FireWire 800/400, USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WDBAAJ0020HSL-NESN

WD2TB.jpg


I purchased this HDD through Amazon and it arrived today
I plugged it in to the power source and to my MBP
And low and behold it has major crapware installed
It is called "SmartWare" but trust me, this is crapware

It isn't so much the software itself, it is a lame backup and password solution with a graphical interface

The problem is, it is installed on the HDD as a virtual CD
This virtual CD automounts any time the HDD is connected
You cannot eject it, because it simply remounts
Any time the HDD is connected, it sits on your desktop

You also cannot get rid of it by erasing and formatting the drive with Disk Utility

Edit: Everyone keeps referring to to this... it does not work on this drive
If you search, you will find the solution to be...
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdsmartwareutilitiesmac
1. Update the firmware
2. Run the VCD Manager and uninstall

I downloaded both, but the firmare updater will not recognize this drive
This is a known issue with WD
And you cannot run the uninstaller without the firmware update

You can read more about the issue on the WD Forums here

I just wanted to pass on my thoughts from personal experience
I packed this drive up and had it on its way back to Amazon in a flash
 
Wow how disappointing. I currently have two 1tb WD externals and was planning on buying the 2tb for my next purchase. Hopefully somebody will find a way to get rid of the crapware
 
Thanks for the heads up. I don't know why WD puts this crapware on their drives. It's terrible software and both Mac and Windows have better built in methods to back up.
 
There is a way to permanently disable smartware, I've done it with my new WD external, but I can't find the link...I believe it was some firmware download from WD since they've received so many complaints. I'll look for the site that had the fix...
 
mr.thedaniel said:
There is a way to permanently disable smartware, I've done it with my new WD external, but I can't find the link...I believe it was some firmware download from WD since they've received so many complaints. I'll look for the site that had the fix...
Click to expand...

The firmware download works on MOST of the WD drives, but not this one
That's the point... cause if it had worked on this drive, I would still be using it
Trust me, I went through the whole search and destroy process and WD admits the firmware update does not work on this new drive
They are in the process of trying to develop a fix... but not yet

The links to the firmware upgrade are listed above as well as the discussion about it for this drive
 
I had recently some problems with swapping out HD's between WD enclosures. I think it also related to the crapware and firmware. In my case its a 1TB MyBook.

I actually liked the WD MyBook drives but with their crapware I'm not so sure anymore.
 
andiwm2003 said:
I had recently some problems with swapping out HD's between WD enclosures. I think it also related to the crapware and firmware. In my case its a 1TB MyBook.

I actually liked the WD MyBook drives but with their crapware I'm not so sure anymore.
Click to expand...

Same here
I have a 1TB MyBook Studio that I have had no issues with...
Which is why I went with the new 2TB

Extremely disappointed
Looking at the Seagate FreeAgent Desk for Mac right now
But still researching
 
MacDawg said:
Same here
I have a 1TB MyBook Studio that I have had no issues with...
Which is why I went with the new 2TB

Extremely disappointed
Looking at the Seagate FreeAgent Desk for Mac right now
But still researching
Click to expand...

I have the FreeAgent 1.5 TB and so far can only speak well of the product lines they sell. Both the Notebook and Desk versions have worked well on my MBP over the years.
 
Yet another reason I don't ever buy anything western digital (not to mention the entire office here at work full of dead mybooks.)

Best solution: Get an external enclosure with all the features you want, get a regular internal harddrive. No crapware :)
 
I just brought the 2TB mirror edition (with the two 1TB drives) and it didn't have anything like this. It came with all software on a separate CD.
 
BornAgainMac said:
They are doing this with all their [new] drives. I just ignore the virtual CD image. It won't install by itself or anything.
Click to expand...

solusoracle said:
I really doesn't bother me. It's not at all intrusive and doesn't run anything on my Mac.
Click to expand...

No, you are right... it doesn't install or run, but it does sit on your desktop
And you cannot unmount it, eject it or remove it
I would be fine if you could just unmount it
 
Why didn't you just buy a very nice enclosure and a very nice disk separately?
 
I noticed all the new Mybook drives had that new display and backup software. I bought the WDElements 1.5 TB instead which is just a barebones ext drive with no software--literally a black box. I use Time Machine, so who needs their crappy software anyways. Frys and Dell are selling them for $109 right now.
 
I don't like enclosures that are not designed to be opened, where the warranty of the case and disk are tied, that include an unknown and/or suboptimal disk, and that lack maximum interfacing possibilities.
 
cube said:
I don't like enclosures that are not designed to be opened, where the warranty of the case and disk are tied, that include an unknown and/or suboptimal disk, and that lack maximum interfacing possibilities.
Click to expand...

And I just want something that works :)
Unfortunately, this did not
 
If you buy from OWC, it should work. You can also get it already assembled.
 
cube said:
Why didn't you just buy a very nice enclosure and a very nice disk separately?
Click to expand...

The price of externals has come down so much that it is hard to pass up. A very nice enclosure and a very nice disk will cost much more. I used to think that enclosures were the way to go, but now I have 3 PATA enclosures that I can't upgrade because nobody makes large capacity PATA drives anymore.
 
ZebOfMac said:
I have the FreeAgent 1.5 TB and so far can only speak well of the product lines they sell. Both the Notebook and Desk versions have worked well on my MBP over the years.
Click to expand...

+1 on the Seagate FreeAgent 1.5TB, very pleased with mine.

I do have two older My Book Studio Drives (500GB & 750GB) and they work great.
 
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