I have been backing up with the SmartWare software. I don’t know how to make the My Passport take a System Settings back up. I’d also like to view single files on the My Passport, that have already been backed up. I need to delete an older file. Also, if I have already backed up something, does it automatically back up that file from then on? (Say if it wasn’t a picture, or a document, would I have to manually back it up, or would it do it automatically? ) Before this My Passport external hard drive, I have only backed up pics and documents to a USB flash drive.
Smartware does not support a full system backup.
Certain files like Operating System and administrative files will be excluded.
Also, we do not recommend deleting files from the backup folder as this might result on a corrupted backup and future backups will be affected.
To view the backed up files, you can open the drive and look under the Smartware folder. There’s a folder labeled smartware_stor that has all of the backed up files.
If you need to backup your entire computer, try using the application that comes with your OS for that.
For more information please see the links bellow.
Supported and non-supported file types in a Category Backup in WD SmartWare Version 1.6.x and earlier
http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3644
Restoring WD SmartWare files to the backup when the files have been deleted from the WD SmartWare backup folder
http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3650
How to backup specific files and folders using WD SmartWare Version 1.6.x and earlier
http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7069
Recommendations on how to back up data
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I did figure out how to do a back up with File History. But I am not sure if this is all of my files, or not. ???
The question about backing up something not ordinarily backed up with SmartWare wasn’t clear to me. Say I right clicked and saved a program from the desktop, to my external hard drive. Will the My Passport back up all the files associated with that program, or do I have to somehow do that manually? Example: a genealogy program.
I also see on SmartWare that it shows a gray area called additional files, that are backed up to My Passport. I have no idea what that is, or why it isn’t in blue. These may be the files I mentioned, and programs, that I tried to back up to My Passport. Before I tried to look at retrieve, but all that seems to do is for me to move files from the external hard drive, not view them.
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To view the backed up files, you can open the drive and look under the Smartware folder. There’s a folder labeled smartware_stor that has all of the backed up files.>>>
The quote above you provided was very helpful. I will take a look at that.
I know the answer to the grayed out files, called ADDITIONAL FILES in the backup part of SmartWare. They are backed up uncategorized files. Also right clicking a program for the desktop will NOT back up the files, only the shortcut.
kkay5059 wrote:
I know the answer to the grayed out files, called ADDITIONAL FILES in the backup part of SmartWare. They are backed up uncategorized files. Also right clicking a program for the desktop will NOT back up the files, only the shortcut.
Program files are not supported.
Make sure to run a backup with the OS backup program if you need to backup everything on your computer.
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Are you talking about the File History back up? If so I did that. But I don’t think it is backing it up automatically. If I back that up manually, it will not overwrite the original file, it will just make a new file. That would eventually fill up my external hard drive. Do I have this correct? I am using Win 8.1… I may need to get a free file backup program to do the complete files, and settings, in addition to the SmartWare software.
I think in Win8 you could do a Windows 7 System Image back up.(formerly called Backup and Restore or Windows 7 File Recovery in Win 8.1) If you used File History in Win8, it did not do a complete system image. Now in Win8.1 the File History, which I did, does include a full system image. The only thing I don’t understand is, will this be a separate back up, or will it replace the current File History back up? If it doesn’t replace it after say 3-4 times, you may not have enough room on your external hard drive. Does anyone know? I guess I will find out in the long run, if my external hard drive starts getting too full. If this File History does a complete system image, then I do not need to do a system settings back up. I can do the File History every 2 weeks or month. Then I could let SmartWare do the documents, and pictures etc… That would work for me. But in case I needed to recover the data, would this work on it’s own, or would I have to make a boot disc for this to work? If I am wrong about some of this, please feel free to clear this up for me.
