I used the chat facility on: http://www.salvagedata.com/terms/service-level/
to ask a data salvage person whether they could remove the VCD. They said
they couldn’t do it.
I have a Passport Essential 320GB and I am also bothered by useless software (at least useless for me).
Here is my experience “removing” it:
First the size of 320GB is not really what you expect as “free” space on a hard disk with size written on the box. Because these sizes are calculated with multiple of 1000, not 1024 (one GB is 1000MB and 1000 * 1000 * 1000 bytes instead of real 1024 * 1024 * 1024). This means you should expect about 298 real GB. From these some space is used for partition and fat. Not sure how much but NTFS is definitely bigger than FAT32.
When I first plugged in my passport in my PC running XP, I had autorun disabled and didn’t install any drivers myself. 2 new disks were visible: one “virtual” cd rom with the wd software and manuals, and one empty drive. The properties dialog of this drive said capacity: 297GB and used 450MB, which I suppsed were reserved for the vcd.
I followed the remove solution offered by WD by upgrading the firmware (from v1.030 to v1.032) and using WDSmartWare VirtualCDManager for Windows (which did not install anything in my PC) to disable the vcd.
After plugging it again there was no virtual cd anymore, but the main disk reported the same sizes.
From windows Disk Management I deleted the partition, re-created it again at maximum possible size and quickly formated it.
Now the reported sizes are capacity:297GB, but only 75MB used. In Disk Management it says 297.43GB NTFS
It converts close to the 320 fake GB considering the space used for partition and fat (319.36 fakeGB).
About the pop-up dialog asking to install driver when plugging in the drive, I just installed the WD SES driver found on the drive. Now it doesn complain anymore when plugged in - it just become visible as it should. Of course this will not be the same on other computers (without the SES driver) but from what I heard the driver has some hardware things that windows simply detects and reports it needs driver for.
Not sure if the VCD or it’s content is totally erased from all hidden places inside the passport hardware, but what a hell, if it doesn’t bother me, then let it stay wherever it wants. I’m pretty pleased with this solution for now.
Good luck to everyone else.
Windows tools I’ve tried and which didn’t function in this case:
CBM209XUmptoolV1.8.3.2_1122 / umptool2090.exe
U3_Uninstaller.exe
U3Uninstall.exe
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool / HP_partitioning.exe
xSil 251 HDD MFG Tool V2.10 / REMOVE CD PART
(When 2 names are side-by-side they correspond to the same program)
Thank you for your story xelanoimis. You didn’t delete it, you hid it, but if you only ever use this HDD on that computer and you accept the smaller than advertised space you should be fine with it. Just remember that it’s unsuited for use with cameras, VCRs, etc., you would need something else to transfer files to and from these kind of devices.
sorry wrong section
Count me as another angry custumer. I bought 2 of 1Tb, well…so called 1Tb, as WD is taking more than 600Mb out of each.
I double checked the packaging and there is NOT any exteranl advice or indication clearly stating: “WD is taking up to 600Mb from your drive”. Unbelievable!, today the take 600Mb, if we don’t force them to solve the issue, tomorrow they could take any amount of “our” space for their own benefit.
Therefore, WD is fooling the customersso we should force them to give us our space back (we paid every songle penny for it!!)
Angry and very very disappointed!.
To be added to my last post, I have been also checking the info and specs of the My Passport Essential SE (1Tb). There is no doubt: you are buying 1 Tb of disc space. (that “maximum capacity” sounds like a joke!)
**My Passport Essential SE
Portable Hard Drives
1 TB, USB 2.0
Maximum capacity. Maximum style.**
| This sleek portable drive now offers maximum capacity to store and secure all the important moments of your digital life. |
at the bottom of the page, to avoid any doubt they remind us:
As used for storage capacity, one megabyte (MB) = one million bytes, one gigabyte (GB) = one billion bytes, and one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes.
So, I would encourage any lawyer or the comunity of angry customers, to legaly take actions against WD for damages.
I am a Mechanical Engineer that has used WD hard drives for years (both internal and external). I picked up a 320gb external drive to replace the 60gb external drive I have been using to keep all my business documents/files/presentations on. The old 60gb does not have the VCD firmware installed and has been great because of the freedom it gives more advanced users. This new drive, however, creates a great deal of problems for many people. Not only does this VCD firmware waste valuable space, also the required installation of the driver to every computer you connet this drive too causes major problems for those in larger businesses. Currently, if I try to connect my new 320 drive to any pc at work, I have to log in as the administrator to allow the driver to install. Otherwise, I can not access my own files since the driver is required to get passed the security software on the drive. I can log in as the administrator at my work, but what about all those others who can not within their own place of business. If this is the route that WD is going with all their current and future external drives, then I will no longer recommend WD to my collegues.
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WD reek! Maybe WD can recommend a disk of another company that not have your bugs 
Megabyte = 1.000.000 bytes MEGA multiple 1000 Megibyte = 1.024 x 1024 byte MEGI multiple 1024 IEEE resolve mmmm
I have bough many Western Digital internal and external hard drives, but apparently I have bounght my last.
After giving the SmartWare software a really good chance, I really, really hate it, it took forever to load the software, and tried to remove the VCD so I had a ‘simple’ hard drive, and found that WD did an amazingly user-unfriendly thing to try to force us to use it anyway, and not get rid of the VCD.
So now this is my ‘deep backup’ disk that I use once a year perhaps, and just bought a compettor’s portable disk that works just fine and will get my business in the future.
WD, if you are reading this, why would you think we would like the slow, annoying SmartWare?
Goodby, no reason to answer now.
GeePeaEl
2 Likes
Well done, WD - you’ve managed to bastardize something as simple as a removable drive into a frustrating, time wasting incompatibility nightmare. This is some kind of achievement; Please give the monkey in charge of R&D a banana for his or her effort.
All I wanted was a portable drive and what I got was an hour of head scratching/Googling as to how a Vista PC I’m trying to back some files up from (with no Net connectivity) is asking for drivers and thus refusing to mount the NTFS partition I know is there. Well I’ve sorted it but hell, talk about over-complicating things via needless junk.
Seriously, I thought I knew what to expect when buying a HDD + controller + box to house it all and a cable to connect it to something but you’ve managed to change all that. Now I have to read reviews to see what I’m getting into …
Oh wait, no I don’t - I just won’t buy WD again (lesson absolutely learned).
I’m pleased to report that after reading all about the VCD partition and the inability to remove it, I returned the drive for a full refund , despite the scratches I managed to put on it cleaning it with a microfibre cloth! Incidentally another great idea: Making a portable drive - likely to be carried around a lot, finishing it in a non scratch resistant high gloss and not selling it with a carry-sleeve. Give the Marketing Monkey a banana, too.
/facepalm
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Maybe this is, what you all waited for:
Enjoy it!
Best regards and good luck
manwald
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Just curious, is the HP format utility is what you had luck with? The article at www.dedoimedo.com also linked to a “U-3” utility, Iwas not able to open the link … I have run the HP utility twice with no luck in removing the “Smartware” partition. Just looking for what I may have missed??
Soon I’ll give up and use it with the partition there, I’m disappointed to have to spend time fooling around trying to get rid of something I didn’t expect to be there in the first place … This is probably my 3rd Passport I’ve acquired, The others I was able to format and lose the useless junk without any problem.
Like lots of others, I just wanted a empty storage drive … surprise, surprise!
Thanks in advance, Gerry
GerryO, the article is not the solution, look the older post!
There’s no fix for this, the only fix that can be available is the one that Western Digital don’t care to do, a simple firmware update that remove the partition.
GerryO ,
I have no vcd showing in my manage / disc management , and my hd is showing the same size as my wd10ears .
I can move it from my win7 pc to a xp pc with no issues , and it works fine with my wdlivetv .
i *only* used the hputil linked to by manwald .
*edit*^
Hiding the VCD is all well in good, but that doesn’t remove the prompt for SES drivers. If you have chosen not use the features of the VCD, then obviously one doesn’t not want the SES drivers. I can install the drivers on one PC to remove the annoying prompt, but it the prompt will be back on another PC. This is a portable external drive, and thats what the consumer wants. WD needs to listen to this feedback, and give us a firmware that treats it as a simple external drive. No prompts for SES drivers, no VCD ■■■■, just and external storage device.
I can’t believe all this time has past and WD continues to ignore the feedback from consumers. I will never buy another WD product again, and I will tell everyone I know the same thing.
Oh no… I bought a WD external drive and can’t get rid of the VCD. I’ve tried everything.
Good Lord, what’s up with that?
VCD shows 668MB UDF space taken and the system shows 133MB taken.
Isn’t there a way to get this space back?
Please help.
