WD MyBook Studio Crapware; is it stil a problem?

[Tragedies]

I've been interested in picking up Western Digital's fairly new MyBook studio, the one with an eInk display on the front and I read about the crapware that comes automatically installed. I also read a couple months ago that it isn't removable, and am wondering; to anyone who has the new MyBook Studio, have you been able to remove the crapware? I also heard there's a disc icon that stays on your dekstop, is that removable?

Appreciate the help guys.

-mikey

 

[smoked]

I have two and like them. I don't recall any crap ware. It does install a drive manager in your menu bar like growl does but it is unobtrusive. If you are running sl server there is an issue with it constantly logging something about popping an autorelease pool. You do get the normal FireWire drive icon on your desktop.

 

[MikhailT]

I've been interested in picking up Western Digital's fairly new MyBook studio, the one with an eInk display on the front and I read about the crapware that comes automatically installed. I also read a couple months ago that it isn't removable, and am wondering; to anyone who has the new MyBook Studio, have you been able to remove the crapware? I also heard there's a disc icon that stays on your dekstop, is that removable?

Appreciate the help guys.

-mikey

Better to visit this forum instead.

Dumbest move by WD ever. I hate the Smartware crap. It turned me off WD completely.

And no, even to this day, you still can't remove it. Last firmware update turned out to brick the drives as well, they pull it off. Just visit the forums to get an idea.

I honestly don't recommend their external drives right now.

I have two and like them. I don't recall any crap ware. It does install a drive manager in your menu bar like growl does but it is unobtrusive. If you are running sl server there is an issue with it constantly logging something about popping an autorelease pool. You do get the normal FireWire drive icon on your desktop.

You probably have the older or different model that didn't come with the Smartware installed. Smartware a feature of the firmware that has a virtual CD partition that mounts for software install and it does this every time you plug in as well if you're using passport. You can't dismount or remove it at all. You're stuck with it forever.

 

[reebzor]

I don't know what you guys are talking about but I had no problem removing the smartware crap off my WD Essential. There is about a million topics about this if you just google and you just need to follow a few instructions. No big deal.

 

[MikhailT]

I don't know what you guys are talking about but I had no problem removing the smartware crap off my WD Essential. There is about a million topics about this if you just google and you just need to follow a few instructions. No big deal.

Some models can, some models can't. There's no solid answers from WD about this. My sister's my book studio won't work with the removal tool at all, she gave up and told me to leave it alone.

The fact that there are millions of topics about this is a problem. Better to avoid it in the first place, that's why the thread is created, the OS doesn't know.

 

[amoergosum]

Any news?

 

[amoergosum]

I wish Western Digital would release a Mybook Studio HD without Smartware...does anyone know if they plan to do this?

 

[kirsch92]

Western Digital posted a new firmware yesterday (12/9/10). On Amazon's page for the drive, it says new firmware just came out, Smartware does not have to be used with drive, however on the WD site, its kind of vague as to what that means.
I've been putting off getting this drive for these reasons.
How 'bout an owner try out the new firmware, tell us what it does...

 

[CylonGlitch]

I have just purchased two WD Essential drives, both came with SmartWare that is a CD image that is mounted when plugged in. On my kids PC I installed it and it worked very smoothly. On the one I'm using for Mac, I didn't install it; and then reformatted the drive for use with TimeMachine and it is gone.

So where can it not be removed from? Your PC/Mac? It's easy to NOT install, at least on the Mac. I haven't tried removing it from a Mac. On the PC side I haven't tried uninstalling it, but I don't see it as a problem.