WD External Hard Drive

Review

I was excited to get my new hard drive, and I really wanted to get one that was portable (I already had an external hard drive, but it is a little big & heavy & needs to be plugged into a electrical socket). The order came quickly, and I was ready to get it up and running.

Upon opening, I knew that I needed to format this drive to my Mac computer (it was only formatted for PC). However, there was little instructions on how to do so. The hard drive does not come with a hard copy of the manual, and only has a “Quick Start” guide. To get the full manual you have to go online to the Western Digital website, then search aimlessly through a pdf file. The manual itself was not very helpful in explaining how to format the drive to a Mac. I was disappointed more that I could not figure out how to format the drive to be able to go between PC and Mac computers (since my fiance has a PC, and sometimes will pass stuff onto me). After a couple of days of my fiance & me looking through the manual, we eventually were able to format the hard drive for Mac only.

On another note. the USB cord for the hard drive I got did not stay in very well into the connection on the drive, which made the drive disconnect form the computer with the slightest motion. I had to find a new cord that actually stays in, but it works fine now.

Overall, the hard drive is excellent, and it is very nice to have an external hard drive I can easily carry around with me as needed.

Feature

• Automatic, continuous backup
• Visual backup control center
• Password protection and 256-bit encryption
• USB 2.0 interface
• Several colors to choose from including Black, Pacific Blue, Real Red, Cool Silver

Overview

The world’s most popular portable drive is now smaller than ever. And it’s smarter than ever with WD SmartWare data management and backup software that backs up your data automatically and continuously, shows your backup as it happens, and restores lost files effortlessly. Password protection and military-grade, 256-bit hardware-based encryption lets you secure your data. One of the five beautiful colors is just what you need to make you look smart (and very stylish). WD’s smallest portable drive ever – WD is an expert in portable storage, so they designed a smaller, high-quality integrated USB hard drive inside a stylish package. With a variety of fun colors, there’s sure to be one to suit your style. WD SmartWare – control center for your drive that gives you the power to: Protect your data automatically – Relax. Your data is secure. Automatic, continuous backup will instantly make a second copy whenever you add or change a file. See your backup as it happens – Seeing is believing. Visual backup displays your content categories and shows the progress of your backup. Bring back lost files effortlessly – Retrieve your valuable data to its original location whether you’ve lost all your data or just overwritten an important file. Take control – Customize your backup, set drive security, run diagnostics, and more from the WD SmartWare control center. Drive lock – Gain peace of mind knowing that your data is protected from unauthorized access or theft with password protection and military-grade 256-bit hardware-based encryption. Ready to plug-and-play with Windows PCs – if you’re a Mac user, check out our Mac version of this product. USB 2.0 powered – Powered directly from the USB port on your PC. No separate power supply is needed*. * An optional cable is available for the few computers that limit power from the USB port. Planet friendly – We designed a small box that uses recycled material and minimizes waste. We encourage you to recycle it.

Specifications

The world’s most popular portable drive is now smaller than ever. And it’s smarter than ever with automatic, continuous backup software and password protection. Choose your favorite fun color to look smart and stylish.

Our smallest portable ever. We designed a smaller, high-quality, integrated USB hard drive inside a stylish package. With a variety of fun colors, there’s sure to be one to suit your style.	See your life safe in one place. WD SmartWare software – A visual control center with a single screen view of all your data. From it you can back up, retrieve, and secure your files.	Password protection. An extra level of security with password protection and 256-bit hardware-based encryption.

Features at a glance Automatic, continous backup Visual backup control center Hardware encryption, password protection WD SmartWare software 2-years limited warranty

Our smallest portable drive ever - We’re experts in portable storage, so we designed a smaller, high-quality, integrated USB hard drive inside a stylish package. With a variety of fun colors, there’s sure to be one to suit your style.

WD SmartWare™ – A control center for your drive that gives you the power to:

– Protect your data automatically – Relax, your data is secure. Automatic, continuous backup will instantly make a second copy whenever you add or change a file.

– See your backup as it happens – Seeing is believing. Visual backup displays your content in categories and shows the progress of your backup.

– Bring back lost files effortlessly – Retrieve your valuable data to its original location whether you’ve lost all your data or just overwritten an important file.

– Take control – Customize your backup, set drive security, run diagnostics, manage the power settings, and more from the WD SmartWare control center.

Find out more about WD SmartWare™

Drive lock – Gain peace of mind knowing that your data is protected from unauthorized access or theft with password protection and 256-bit hardware-based encryption.

Ready to plug-and-play with Windows PC’s – if you’re a Mac user, check out our Mac version of this product.

USB 2.0 interface – Powered directly from the USB port on your PC. No separate power supply is needed*.
* An optional cable is available for the few computers that limit power from the USB port.

Planet friendly – We designed a small box from recycled materials to minimize waste. We encourage you to recycle it.

Ideal For

• Protecting your data with automatic, continous backup
• Retrieving lost data effortlessly
• Adding extra storage space for photos, videos and music
• Securing private or sensitive data

Compatibility

Formatted NTFS
Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7
Mac OS® X Tiger®, Leopard®, Snow Leopard™ (requires reformatting)

Note: Compatibility may vary depending on user’s hardware configuration and operating system.

What’s in the box

Ultra-portable hard drive, WD SmartWare software, USB cable, Quick Install Guide.

Backup software you’ll really use � WD SmartWare Five great reasons to love it:
1. It’s easy – Data backup can be a chore, but it’s your family photos, your movies, your music – your life – and it’s important to protect it. So we made this software extra easy because we really want you to use it.
2. You can see your life safe in one place – See your content displayed in easy to understand categories like movies and photos. Watch the progress of your backup as it happens with the instant-feedback color bars. Now you can truly be sure that all your stuff is backed up. A unique visual interface lets you see the drives connected to your computer. WD SmartWare will automatically scan your computer and find all of your personal files, including e-mail. Content category gauges show how much information you have to be backed up in each category. You can even mouse over a category to see a file count. Simply click Run Backup and WD SmartWare will automatically start backing up your files. As your backup is running the category gauges will change color showing you the backup as it happens. When finished, you’ll see a status screen and information about your backup. You only have to do this once. After the first backup your files will be backed up automatically every time you change or add a file.
	3. It’s always on the job – WD SmartWare is always watching your computer, so when you change a file and save it, create new files, add new pictures, movies, or songs, WD SmartWare will instantly back them up.
4. You can bring back lost files effortlessly – If you ever accidentally delete an important file, or need to get an earlier version of a file, you can find and retrieve it in seconds with this easy-to-use interface. Restore files and folders by categories – photos, music, video, for example. Find a lost file with the search function. Go back in time to retrieve an older version of a file.
5. You’re in control – WD SmartWare software is also a control center for your external drives. From it you can: Customize your backup Set drive security Run diagnostics Manage the power settings, and more…

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 03, 2010 12:20:12

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