Peculiar results with the automatic backup capability while a backup is currently running

WD Software WD Software
1

About a year ago, I purchased a WD 1TB External HD and it has been excellent. Recently, I needed some more HD space for backup and so I purchased a WD 2TB USB 3.0 External HD. It is also excellent.

My new WD drive came with the WD SmartWare software and I have been having some problems trying to understand how that works and I have some questions.

Here is my current configuration: I am running Windows 7 and have two internal 1TB HDs (named C & D). I have one external 1TB HD (named F) and my new external 2TB HD is named G. I want to have my internal C and D drives backed up to the external G drive.

I understand that I must first backup one of the drives and then the other before the s/w will automatically and continously backup any files I create or modify on both the C and D drives. Let’s say I first backup the C drive and then I backup the D drive

But I don’t seem to understand the exact conditions under which the s/w will automatically backup files. I am finding unpredictable results - especially when I am in the middle of running a backup on one drive and I add or change a file - either on that drive or the other drive. Sometimes the s/w automatically backs up the file just fine. But sometimes it fails to automatically back it up.

  1. Are there any known issues concerning the automatic backup of files while a drive is currently being backed up?

  2. When I stop a backup, does that terminate the s/w’s automatic backup capability?

After the backup of the C drive terminates normally, I must still click the “Stop Backup” button before I can begin the backup of the D drive. So, if stopping a backup also stops the automatic backup function, how can I backup the D drive without first stopping the backup of the C drive? (even though the backup of the C drive has terminated normally).

  1. The User’s Guide refers to the “Desktop Icon”. But I have never seen any desktop icon. When I run the “WD SmartWare.exe” app to install the s/w, it never prompts me whether or not to put an icon on the desktop. Is there something I am missing? How do I get this icon placed on the Desktop?

  2. There are two apps that came on the root directory of my drive. They are named:

PreserveBackupPlans.exe  and  dotnetfx35.exe

I can’t seem to find any description of these apps. Can anyone tell me what they are and what they do?

2

The software will auto backup the drive that has been selected

it will not auto backup both drives at the same time

if you stop the backup it will need to be started again to continue ( sounds silly but well you asked :smileyvery-happy: )

for more info read the manual 

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/?id=244&type=25

1 Like
3

Thank you for your reply.

When I first read your post and saw “it will not auto backup both drives at the same time”,   I had fully expected you were correct because that would have explained so many of the mysteries I have been experienced.   However, after running some experiments, I have learned the following:

My experience is that SmartWare most definitely does perform auto backup on both my drives at the same time. I have tried this many times now and it has always worked perfectly. However,  it only works under certain conditions and, sad to say,  I’m not sure exactly what those conditions are.

I think that whenever you are running a large backup of many files (like when you first install SmartWare and begin to backup all the files on your HD) - during that time, it will not perform any auto backups - not on any drive. I don’t know if that’s because it just can’t handle the load, or if there is some other reaon. But  if anyone knows why, I certainly would like to know the reason.

I’ve found that whenever I do something to initiate the backup of many files at once (like when I add many new files files to a HD)  or when I add one or more new categories to be selected for backup, that will cause SmartWare to begin backing up  many of those files and during that time, it will  not perform any auto backups.

But, I feel like I just don’t understand the criteria that explains when auto backups will or will not happen.

Are there any representatives from WD who participate in this forum and who might be able to explain this?

4

There are some reps from WD but as any other community is mostly driven by us users

you can email or contact a WD rep for more info on your question

5

Further to the issue of backing up multiple drives simultaneiously, perhaps the reason you believe SmartWare does not back up multiple drives simultaneiously is because  you have experienced that it would not work for you.

Let me just tell you that in my experience with this app, there are many, many reasons why it will not backup files.

If the file you expected to automatially backup had either the System or Hidden attribute, it will not be backed up.

If the folder in which the file resides has either the System or Hidden attribute, it will not back it up.

As a matter of fact, SmartWare will not backup any files if any of  the folders in the file name hierarchy have either the System or Hidden attribute,

For example: If the files is named "C:\QUARTERLY\REPORTS\MONTH OF\JUNE2011\report.txt, then none of the following folders can be either System or Hidden or both.

C:\

C:\QUARTERLY\

C:\QUARTERLY\REPORTS\

C:\QUARTERLY\REPORTS\MONTH OF\

C:\QUARTERLY\REPORTS\MONTH OF\JUNE011

If any of those 5 folders are either System folder or Hidder folders or both, the file "“report.txt” will  not be backed up.

There are more reasons why files will not be backed up.

If the name of the file contains the phrase “sys” anywhere in the name or the extension, the file will  not be backed up.

The same is true of the phrases “temp”, “tmp”, “work”, “wrk”, “log”.

So, no files with the following names wil be backed up:

Mysyster’swedding,text,  Ripcord.absysdoc,  Bigwrklike.task.txt,  Report1.workman,  Lumberjack’s.Sprucelogs.text

As you can see, this is one big minefield for people who have not studied this app very carefully. There are many, many reasons why files will not be backed up and you would never expect half of them.

One last example: If you rename a file, most  people would expect that would constitute a change to that file and it would be backed up. But apparently, SmartWare doesn’t consider that to be a reason to backup the file. Any files that are renamed, will not be backed up unless they have also been changed in some other way.