Comments on: Western Digital Passport: An Excellent Option for Backing Up Your Data to an External Hard Drive http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87 Helpful Advice and Information on Personal Technology Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:55:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: e74 http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-2045 e74 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:58:00 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-2045 Nice blog, I was performing some web snooping and happened upon your website, I was wondering if you knew your blog is displaying strangely in the K-mellon browser. I can see everything but the pictures are somehow out of whack. Probably not a huge deal since hardly nobody utilizes it any longer but I am old school and still use it. Nice blog, I was performing some web snooping and happened upon your website, I was wondering if you knew your blog is displaying strangely in the K-mellon browser. I can see everything but the pictures are somehow out of whack. Probably not a huge deal since hardly nobody utilizes it any longer but I am old school and still use it.

]]> By: Keith http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-2035 Keith Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:14:02 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-2035 I was genuinely surprised to find any positive comments here. While I have a long-time affinity for Western Digital products, nothing good can be said of DMailer's imbedded WDSync pseudo-app. It is an over-engineered, hard-wired, GUI-boy piece of digital junk which takes our money abroad and provides no service in return. It is inherently dangerous and WILL result in lost data for all but the most digitally savvy users. Now, if you plan to own only one computer for the rest of your life, never make a change to a file or directory structure, never update the target device OS, and never change an application or email client, then maybe this is the software and device for you. However, never confuse WDSync with a "back-up" application. It is not. The term back-up, since card punch days, has always inferred a level of user intervention and control necessary to insure the fidelity of data. Unfortunately, ou have NO privileges as a carbon-based lifeform with WDSync. Lastly, this again may be the device and application for you if you need no customer service. Based in Marseilles, France, DMailer must obviously take their cues from Renault or maybe the Maginot Line. Having engaged them professionally, with sound questions and years of experience far exceeding their help desk personnel, I was the recipient of nonsensical techno-babble and digitally illiterate responses. Even their test tools provide only vaguely coherent responses. Do yourself a favor - get a real back-up device and tool. If you're not comfortable with tools that approximate command line actions, have someone give you a class. Even if you make a mistake or two along the way, you'll be far better off that introducing WDSynce to your home or office digital environment. I was genuinely surprised to find any positive comments here. While I have a long-time affinity for Western Digital products, nothing good can be said of DMailer’s imbedded WDSync pseudo-app. It is an over-engineered, hard-wired, GUI-boy piece of digital junk which takes our money abroad and provides no service in return. It is inherently dangerous and WILL result in lost data for all but the most digitally savvy users. Now, if you plan to own only one computer for the rest of your life, never make a change to a file or directory structure, never update the target device OS, and never change an application or email client, then maybe this is the software and device for you. However, never confuse WDSync with a “back-up” application. It is not. The term back-up, since card punch days, has always inferred a level of user intervention and control necessary to insure the fidelity of data. Unfortunately, ou have NO privileges as a carbon-based lifeform with WDSync. Lastly, this again may be the device and application for you if you need no customer service. Based in Marseilles, France, DMailer must obviously take their cues from Renault or maybe the Maginot Line. Having engaged them professionally, with sound questions and years of experience far exceeding their help desk personnel, I was the recipient of nonsensical techno-babble and digitally illiterate responses. Even their test tools provide only vaguely coherent responses. Do yourself a favor - get a real back-up device and tool. If you’re not comfortable with tools that approximate command line actions, have someone give you a class. Even if you make a mistake or two along the way, you’ll be far better off that introducing WDSynce to your home or office digital environment.

]]> By: Michael http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-2025 Michael Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:55:55 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-2025 Just to add to this thread, if you do need a professional to recover your documents, photos or other data in a fouled up WD Sync situation or just an inaccessible drive, I recommend ESS Data Recovery (datarecovery.com). They have a lot of experience with WD products and no doubt this issue as well and their service is affordable compared to other top tier recovery companies. They are recommended by Western Digital too - http://support.wdc.com/recovery/index.asp?lang=en&selregion=americas. You still have a good chance to get your data back. Just to add to this thread, if you do need a professional to recover your documents, photos or other data in a fouled up WD Sync situation or just an inaccessible drive, I recommend ESS Data Recovery (datarecovery.com). They have a lot of experience with WD products and no doubt this issue as well and their service is affordable compared to other top tier recovery companies. They are recommended by Western Digital too - http://support.wdc.com/recovery/index.asp?lang=en&selregion=americas. You still have a good chance to get your data back.

]]> By: Terry http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-1988 Terry Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:29:17 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-1988 I bought my WD passport about two months ago. I transferred files to and from my passport(ext Hard drive) and it worked fine. I edited videos, and duplicated the files and stll it was all good. Recently, I plug in my hard drive to my computer(my macbook pro), which is the same computer Ive been using and my files were all gone! I wanted to continue working on a video I was editing at the time but I couldn't because of the missing files! I plugged my hard drive into my PC and it recognized the files. It asked me to format the disk and I clicked 'no' so I wouldn't lose any files, But at least I know that the files are not completly eradicated. What the heck do I do!!! I bought my WD passport about two months ago. I transferred files to and from my passport(ext Hard drive) and it worked fine. I edited videos, and duplicated the files and stll it was all good. Recently, I plug in my hard drive to my computer(my macbook pro), which is the same computer Ive been using and my files were all gone! I wanted to continue working on a video I was editing at the time but I couldn’t because of the missing files! I plugged my hard drive into my PC and it recognized the files. It asked me to format the disk and I clicked ‘no’ so I wouldn’t lose any files, But at least I know that the files are not completly eradicated. What the heck do I do!!!

]]> By: Neil http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-1906 Neil Sat, 08 Aug 2009 10:40:31 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-1906 Hello, Thank you for the valuable information provided on this thread - thankfully I have not lost all my data by confusing "sync" and "backup"... (that deserves a class action lawsuit!) but I have still managed to lose most of my data. My problem is as follows: Having synced to my WD passport with WDsync my XP laptop recently died - but my data still exists on the WD under a profile with a folder "Sync.3.1.deposit" plus "Sync.3.1.option" and "Sync.3.1.db" files, and about 60,000 .dml and .dml.rmv files in folders called "a" a subfolder called..."a" and a subsubfolder called..."a" (the last two actually only contain a load of .dml.rmv files of 0 size). The sync.3.1.deposit folder takes up about 30GB on the passport. Since I no longer have the Master Machine, I have plugged the WD into a new XP machine, created a new profile, and tried to "Copy to PC" from my original profile (invisible to WDSync and the dmailer decryption tool until I renamed everything Sync.4.0...) but although 7000 folders are correctly recreated, they contain only 8 files :-/ The Dmailer decryption tool has managed to recovered around 50,000 files, many of them successfully, but even after using TRIid the data I really need is still "unknown", and the lack of filenames renders the rest useless, except photos. My question is this: Does anyone know why "Copy to PC" only copies folders, not files, although the data is clearly intact? Given that my original sync folder was named "...3.1.deposit", I wonder whether the fact that I was using an earlier version of WDSync.exe could cause these issues? The setup.exe file on my passport will not run (it couldn't find WDsync.exe), so I downloaded two later editions of version 7, but both behave the same. Thanks in advance for any information on this issue, Yours, Neil Gerstenberg Hello,

Thank you for the valuable information provided on this thread - thankfully I have not lost all my data by confusing “sync” and “backup”… (that deserves a class action lawsuit!) but I have still managed to lose most of my data.

My problem is as follows:

Having synced to my WD passport with WDsync my XP laptop recently died - but my data still exists on the WD under a profile with a folder “Sync.3.1.deposit” plus “Sync.3.1.option” and “Sync.3.1.db” files, and about 60,000 .dml and .dml.rmv files in folders called “a” a subfolder called…”a” and a subsubfolder called…”a” (the last two actually only contain a load of .dml.rmv files of 0 size). The sync.3.1.deposit folder takes up about 30GB on the passport.

Since I no longer have the Master Machine, I have plugged the WD into a new XP machine, created a new profile, and tried to “Copy to PC” from my original profile (invisible to WDSync and the dmailer decryption tool until I renamed everything Sync.4.0…) but although 7000 folders are correctly recreated, they contain only 8 files :-/

The Dmailer decryption tool has managed to recovered around 50,000 files, many of them successfully, but even after using TRIid the data I really need is still “unknown”, and the lack of filenames renders the rest useless, except photos.

My question is this: Does anyone know why “Copy to PC” only copies folders, not files, although the data is clearly intact?

Given that my original sync folder was named “…3.1.deposit”, I wonder whether the fact that I was using an earlier version of WDSync.exe could cause these issues? The setup.exe file on my passport will not run (it couldn’t find WDsync.exe), so I downloaded two later editions of version 7, but both behave the same.

Thanks in advance for any information on this issue,

Yours,
Neil Gerstenberg

]]> By: Hos Alkon http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-1902 Hos Alkon Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:26:58 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-1902 please help me just i couldn't access to the data on my passport after syncing, i see this message " a required resource was unavailable" then the window closed automatically please help me
just i couldn’t access to the data on my passport after syncing, i see this message ” a required resource was unavailable” then the window closed automatically

]]> By: Toni http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-1897 Toni Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:29:28 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-1897 Hi, I tried to sync my c drive (programs files, etc.) with my wd passport 320 gb., which now I think is totatly wrong. I left it on while I slept and woke up to a shut down computer. When I tried to open everything up again to check the transfer, I received the message that my device was either full or disconnected. Did I try to put to much on the device? I assumed it would tell me it there wasn't enough space. Anyway, I don't know how to access the file on the disk to at least delete them. Any advice would be helpful. Hi, I tried to sync my c drive (programs files, etc.) with my wd passport 320 gb., which now I think is totatly wrong. I left it on while I slept and woke up to a shut down computer. When I tried to open everything up again to check the transfer,
I received the message that my device was either full or disconnected. Did I try to put to much on the device? I assumed it would tell me it there wasn’t enough space. Anyway, I don’t know how to access the file on the disk to at least delete them.
Any advice would be helpful.

]]> By: joshAU http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-1889 joshAU Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:20:46 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-1889 WD are crap. Always were. Probably always will be. I am a computer tech of 10+ years specialising in data recovery. Most common faulty or dead drive - WD. Worst support - WD Worst warranty - WD Then they do crap like integrate the Usb controller directly to the drive PCB, making it a lot harder to recover data when the usb controller dies. Other branded enclosures just have a ide/sata to usb adapter, it dies, simply remove the adapter, plug the hard disk into any system and copy the data. Then their enclosures are designed to be very difficult to remove, so when it dies out of warranty end users are forced to buy a new one rather than just replace the drive. Dont get me started on their lifebooks.....lifewasters more likely. What a bunch of crap bloatware. who wants to waste hours setting up these things. Buy a <$50 usb enclosure, bang in a matching (IDE or SATA) hard disk, and of you go. If the enclosure dies, take out your drive, send the unit back. WD are crap.
Always were.
Probably always will be.

I am a computer tech of 10+ years specialising in data recovery.
Most common faulty or dead drive - WD.
Worst support - WD
Worst warranty - WD

Then they do crap like integrate the Usb controller directly to the drive PCB, making it a lot harder to recover data when the usb controller dies.
Other branded enclosures just have a ide/sata to usb adapter, it dies, simply remove the adapter, plug the hard disk into any system and copy the data.

Then their enclosures are designed to be very difficult to remove, so when it dies out of warranty end users are forced to buy a new one rather than just replace the drive.

Dont get me started on their lifebooks…..lifewasters more likely.
What a bunch of crap bloatware. who wants to waste hours setting up these things.

Buy a <$50 usb enclosure, bang in a matching (IDE or SATA) hard disk, and of you go.
If the enclosure dies, take out your drive, send the unit back.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-1885 Andrew Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:16:12 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-1885 THESE HARD DRIVES SUCK!!!! DO NOT GET THEM!!I have had 3 and all have crashed on me. I lost everything. Terrible way to back up. Go solid state. THESE HARD DRIVES SUCK!!!! DO NOT GET THEM!!I have had 3 and all have crashed on me. I lost everything. Terrible way to back up. Go solid state.

]]> By: Michelle Grech http://www.mytechtalk.com/?p=87#comment-1137 Michelle Grech Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:15:30 +0000 http://mytechtalk.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/western-digital-passport-an-excellent-option-for-backing-up-your-data-to-an-external-hard-drive/#comment-1137 I am using WD sync with my work files. I than work on the files from WD sync on my lap top at home. Today when I synchronised the WD syc with my work PC it updated all the files. However when I tried to open a word document file which I recently updated on WD sync I opened this word file a file convertion window came up asking for a choice of text encoding. When the file finally opens its completly corrupt. I tried to open it from both the WD sync and my PC and the same thing happens. Its happened before but to previous versions of files. This happened to my last version which I have been working on the last weeks. I would appreciate any help to try and restore that word file. Regards Michelle I am using WD sync with my work files. I than work on the files from WD sync on my lap top at home. Today when I synchronised the WD syc with my work PC it updated all the files. However when I tried to open a word document file which I recently updated on WD sync I opened this word file a file convertion window came up asking for a choice of text encoding. When the file finally opens its completly corrupt. I tried to open it from both the WD sync and my PC and the same thing happens. Its happened before but to previous versions of files. This happened to my last version which I have been working on the last weeks. I would appreciate any help to try and restore that word file.
Regards
Michelle

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