How do you delete backups and start over?

WD Software WD Software
1

I have a 465 G Passport Essential running SmartWare backup software.  I recently moved the drive from my old XP computer to my new Windows 8.1 computer.  Upgraded SmartWare to version 2.2.1.6  The SmartWare UI shows only 52 G left for backing up the new computer, the bulk of the drive, 413 G, is taken up by “additional files”, which I can find no information about.  I assume these are backups from the old computer, which I don’t need.  I would like to delete all the past backups and start over.  But I can’t find how to do that  The manual only tells how to erase the entire drive, including the SmartWare program, which then has to be reinstalled. Unbelievable!!! Is that what we have to do when we move the drive to a new computer or start fresh???  The bulk of the data appears to be stored in \WD SmartWare.  Can I just delete those files, will that do it?   I can’t understand why a method to do this is not given on this site 

Addition:  I tried turning off SmartWare and deleting one of the files with the long numerical names in \WD Smartware.  On opening the SmartWare UI the free space does not show in the disk space diagram.  Please tell me the program is not this lame.

2

Hello,

To delete the backup you just need to delete the backup folder called “WDSmartware.swstor” from the drive or just format the drive.

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I would like to do the same thing. When I tried to delete the WD Smartware.swstor folder, it said that if I did the system would become unstable. I don’t understand why deleting the file would cause my system to be unstable. It is only a copy of my drive. If I were to erase the drive and start all over, will it cause problems with my system??? PLEASE HELP ME!!!