Reviews for WD My Passport Essential SE Portable External 1TB 2.5" Hard Drive

Western Digital (sucks) SmartWare

Strengths: None.

Weakness: Software that you cannot delete. 660MB+ of unusable disk space and a volume that you cannot eject. Annoying, irritating, intrusive Backup and Security software.

Friday, March 05, 2010

Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1TB Portable USB Drive WDBABM0010BBK-NESN

After purchasing this drive, you will find a nice little surprise… it’s advertised as a feature but if you want to delete it… think again…

Who’s brilliant idea was it to suck up 663.3MB with this software. You can’t even delete it. They said they listen to their users and responded. Providing software to hide the volume is a half-assed response on partially deaf ears (must have gone deaf about the part where users are asking how to DELETE their software). They only heard what they wanted to hear. You are still missing over half a gigabyte (512MB = .5GB). Unusable, and do they think their solution is the best one and/or it is something ALL users want.

This “SmartWare” is Western Digital’s way to inflict their backup and security solution onto unsuspecting consumers. You know about it because it is prominently advertised as a great new feature but you are in for a rude awakening if you have no need for it and want to delete it and claim back precious disk space. The software appears on your desktop as a separate volume. Don’t want to use it or see it, let’s just eject it… whoops, it’s back, you cannot eject it even after the main volume is ejected, WTF is that about.

To get "around" this, you have to run two separate apps that you download from their site. One is to update the drive’s firmware first and the second app allows you to hide and unhide the volume. Backup and security software is supposed to run silently in the background. It needs to stay out of your way not jump in your face, are you listening Western Digital. This is what happens when proprietary gear heads get locked together in a dark room. A monkey with a Ouija board could have seen the backlash with a bonehead decision like this. If there wasn’t a backlash why would they provide software to hide the volume.

Funny how the marketing group decided to exclude this little tidbit of information from consumers. Sales figure would be much lower if they prominently marketed this feature. “By the way, we have included WD SmartWare, an ingenious method to force our way on you because 1) You cannot remove this software, 2) You can only hide it so the usable space itself is still 663.3MB less than advertised, 3) The SmartWare mounts on your desktop as a Virtual Drive and you cannot eject, if you try it will simply remount itself and annoy, irritate and bug the crap out of you.

The SmartWare volume itself says it is 237.5MB but Get Info reports 663.3MB is used, the rest is used for the SmartWare version for Windows and other overhead. That’s right, you get two copies, what a bonus!! what a waste of disk space!!. All of management needs to go, with thinking like this running through the top, you know you are in trouble. I’m going to vote with my wallet, Western Digital just lost a customer.

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Proprietary cable that does not work

Strengths: None.

Weakness: Does not stay connected.

As a follow-up to my first post.

Another irritating thing is the plug that connects to the drive, it's proprietary, you cannot use a standard micro or mini USB plug, it also does not stay securely connected. Turning the device over disconnects the drive and then you have to fiddle with it to reconnect. Why would you do this, you are asked to verify the serial number of your device before you try to hide the SmartWare volume. This is dangerous, if you have a backup running and you move the device because it is in the way on your desk, it may disconnect.

Remember, this is a portable device, designed to be moved around (i.e.., taken with you if needed) so it will not always be returned to the same place on your desk. Another FAIL for Western Digital. Quality Control and Quality Assurance took a back seat here.

I have had this device for less than 24 hours and it has a boat load of problems.

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watch that connection

Strengths: cheap

Weakness: proprietary software, rotten cable connection

I agree with the other reviewers: the software is obtrusive besides occupying land that should be mine; the cable connection is awful; takes minutes of fiddling to get it right. I had bought this to give to my daughter but kept it and gave her another one because of this terrible connection. I would never buy a WD product again based on this awful engineering.

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very pleasant drive

Strengths: sleek, smart

Weakness: none

Contrary to all reviews above - this is a perfect inexpensive drive. Very small, pleasant, quiet!, sleek, cable plugs perfectly, very fond of it. It has a drop sensor. When it starts to fall - it instantly parks the heads not to break the disk. Same thing when moving it fast while working. When left it turns back on right away and continues coping or whatever you are doing. WD know what they are doing. The built in software - nice idea. Very nice. On a different virtual drive, no drivers needed. Tidy. No cds around. Gives opportunity to show / hide it. And lock the main disk!!! Good job.

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Western Digital (sucks) SmartWare

Strengths: Quiet, Compact

Weakness: Proprietary Cable and does not stay connected. Crapware that cannot be deleted.

After purchasing this drive, you will find a nice little surprise... it's advertised as a feature but if you want to delete it... think again...

Who's brilliant idea was it to suck up 663.3MB with this software. You can't even delete it. They said they listen to their users and responded. Providing software to hide the volume is a half-assed response on partially deaf ears (must have gone deaf about the part where users are asking how to DELETE their software). They only heard what they wanted to hear. You are still missing over half a gigabyte (512MB = .5GB). Unusable, and do they think their solution is the best one and/or it is something ALL users want.

This "SmartWare" is Western Digital's way to inflict their backup and security solution onto unsuspecting consumers. You know about it because it is prominently advertised as a great new feature but you are in for a rude awakening if you have no need for it and want to delete it and claim back precious disk space. The software appears on your desktop as a separate volume. Don't want to use it or see it, let's just eject it... whoops, it's back, you cannot eject it even after the main volume is ejected, WTF is that about.

To get "around" this, you have to run two separate apps that you download from their site. One is to update the drive's firmware first and the second app allows you to hide and unhide the volume. Backup and security software is supposed to run silently in the background. It needs to stay out of your way not jump in your face, are you listening Western Digital. This is what happens when proprietary gear heads get locked together in a dark room. A monkey with a Ouija board could have seen the backlash with a bonehead decision like this. If there wasn't a backlash why would they provide software to hide the volume.

Funny how the marketing group decided to exclude this little tidbit of information from consumers. Sales figure would be much lower if they prominently marketed this feature. "By the way, we have included WD SmartWare, an ingenious method to force our way on you because 1) You cannot remove this software, 2) You can only hide it so the usable space itself is still 663.3MB less than advertised, 3) The SmartWare mounts on your desktop as a Virtual Drive and you cannot eject, if you try it will simply remount itself and annoy, irritate and bug the crap out of you".

The SmartWare volume itself says it is 237.5MB but Get Info reports 663.3MB is used, the rest is used for the SmartWare version for Windows and other overhead. That's right, you get two copies, what a bonus!! what a waste of disk space!!.

Another irritating thing is the plug that connects to the drive, it's proprietary, you cannot use a standard micro or mini USB plug, it also does not stay securely connected. Turning the device over disconnects the drive and then you have to fiddle with it to reconnect. Why would you do this, you are asked to verify the serial number of your device before you try to hide the SmartWare volume. This is dangerous, if you have a backup running and you move the device because it is in the way on your desk, it may disconnect.

Remember, this is a portable device, designed to be moved around (i.e.., taken with you if needed) so it will not always be returned to the same place on your desk. Another FAIL for Western Digital. Quality Control and Quality Assurance took a back seat here.

All of management needs to go, with thinking like this running through the top, you know you are in trouble. I'm going to vote with my wallet, Western Digital just lost a customer.

43% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

The Western Digital My Passport Essential SE is an ultra-portable, high-capacity external hard drive built for both Windows and Macintosh desktop or notebook computers. It is available in two high capacity sizes (750GB/1TB) and utilizes a USB 2.0 interface to connect and transmit data at up to 480 Mb/s. Signature to the SE is its wide range of safety capabilities. For instance, the unit makes...

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