How to remove WD external hard disk bloatware?

[smalltech]

I want to buy a 2.5 external hard disk that do not require any external power.

1. I am considering WD my passport 2TB or 3TB. Is 3TB the biggest size for a 2.5 external hard disk?

2. Do WD sell 2.5 external hard disk without any software bundled in it?

3. I am looking at WD my passport and I saw it has lots of software (VCD, WD SmartWare...) that is bundled into the disk that cannot be removed (see links below), is it still the case now? How can I remove it?

http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-Portable-Drives/We-want-to-Remove-the-VCD-from-our-passports-not-disable-it/td-p/14480
http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-Software/Remove-WD-SmartWare-from-your-Western-Digital-Passport-or-MyBook/td-p/37799

Thanks

 

[beegmouse]

Use partition manager to wipe and merge all partitions and they will disappear.

 

[Mattios]

2 - doesn't matter. Just choose all the files and delete them. Nothing gets installed to your system.
3 - as beegmouse says, just format the drive as NTFS.

 

[smalltech]

beegmouse, Mattios, are you guys users of WD My passport? It does not seems so easy to remove their bloatware, there are many people complaining in the forums, it seems like not just a format and delete files will do. That is why I am still considering.

"The Virtual CD manager only disables the VCD image. There is no way to remove it from the disk." source http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3835/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNDM5OTgwMTg4L3NpZC9sSjdFcml1bQ%3D%3D

"Add me to the ever growing list of dissatisfied customers. I use to be very loyal to Western Digital as I've always found their products very reliable and cost effective. I found it very misleading that nothing on the packaging states that a portion of your drive is taken up by a hidden partition that cannot be removed. Nothing says that a virtual CD will be loaded everytime you plug in the drive. Nothing says that you will have to path out to the driver folder on the hard drive to install all the drivers that windows needs to load. Nothing says that this process may take an unecessary amount of time.

I know there is a patch out so you can hide the VCD but, this is unacceptable. Even though you hide the VCD, it shows up again on every new PC that you plug the drive into. This is further compounded by having to install three different drivers. The option should be ours on whether we want to use the software or not. What's more annoying is that I have yet to see any responses to concerns presented in these forums from Western Digital."
"And yet another disappointed customer here. I just wanted a standard portable drive where I could use ALL of the space without any hassles. Instead I am left feeling betrayed by WD - they have forced this "Smartware" onto people whether they want it or not then make them jump through hoops to 'hide' it. You don't even get the space back."
"I wanted to purchase WD Passport Essential SE of 1Tb capacity, but from this topic I see it cannot be used as generic USB HDD on any system? "
source http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-Portable-Drives/We-want-to-Remove-the-VCD-from-our-passports-not-disable-it/td-p/14480

 

[Mattios]

There are a couple of WD reps on the forums - hopefully they'll see this and will be able to respond.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there, smalltech!

Yes, the WD My Passport 3 TB is the biggest capacity external portable drive (2.5") that we have at the moment. I can suggest you to take a look at the comparison sheet of all the external portable HDDs that we have and see for yourself: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=PDYn2a

Of course, you can avoid using the software utilities that come with this particular model but you cannot uninstall the VCD as you've already found out. Still, it could be disabled though.

Besides the WD My Passport series, we also have the WD Elements drive. This external HDD comes without any additional 'must-have' software onto it and it doesn't require you to use one. However, it does has a trial version of the WD SmartWare Pro backup software which could be easily uninstalled, if you don't have any interest in using it. Here's a link to the WD Elements portable drive's product page, where you can find out more: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=fbgWQU

Hope this helped. Keep me posted if you have more questions!
SuperSoph_WD

P.S. Thanks for the reference, @Mattios

 

[Mattios]

+1 to SuperSoph's answer. I have a WD Elements drive and can highly recommend them!

 

[smalltech]

Will WD Elements have 3TB version?

What is the empty usable space in 3TB WD My passport?

 

[Mattios]

That first question can be answered by going on to Amazon and searching for it.

Please rephrase your second question? Empty usable space is space that is free to be used.

 

[smalltech]

I mean the empty space that I can use to store files in 3TB WD My passport. Space that is free to be used.

WD My passport comes with some bloatware that cannot be removed, so that might take up some space that I cannot use.

 

[Mattios]

I can't say exactly but it won't be more than 3 or 4 gigabytes. You'll have the vast majority of your space free.

 

[smalltech]

SuperSoph_WD, does WD My Book 3.5 4TB has any software bundled in it that I cannot remove myself?

 

[smalltech]

What is the disk inside wd my book? WD Green?

It looks like just a 3.5 internal harddisk with a case.

 

[Mattios]

Yes that is all it is, a green with a SATA>USB interface.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hi again, smallech!

Sorry for the late replies, I'm going to do my best to answer all your questions in one post.

Will WD Elements have 3TB version?
Unfortunately, I cannot help you with this one. It is Western Digital's policy not to discuss products until they are officially announced.

What is the empty usable space in 3TB WD My passport?
Well, usually 3 TB HDDs have around 2.72 TB of usable space. If you install the WD utilities that come with the WD My Passport, they shouldn't require more than 300-400 MB of space.

SuperSoph_WD, does WD My Book 3.5 4TB has any software bundled in it that I cannot remove myself?
Yes, it does. You can think of the WD My Book series as the desktop (3.5") brothers of WD My Passport. They incorporate a hardware encryption, VDC, WD SmartWare Pro & Acronis True Image WD Edition.
http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=RChpvu

The WD Elements Desktop, on the other hand, also has a 4 TB model and it's the same as his little brother (The WD Elements portable). No encryption or software is incorporated there, only a free trial of the WD SmartWare Pro. You can see more about it here: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=0XFKMq

What is the disk inside wd my book? WD Green?
There are several things you should know about WD external drives:
- Depending on model, the internal hard drive in an external enclosure could be either SATA or native USB.
- We can only guarantee drive capacity. We cannot guarantee a particular internal hard drive model, data interface, rotational speed, or cache size in the external hard drive enclosure.
- Dismantling any single-drive external enclosure to obtain this information will void the warranty of the hard drive.
- Interface and cache of the hard drives inside the external enclosure does not affect the performance or the data transfer rate of the external hard drive unit.

It looks like just a 3.5 internal harddisk with a case.
It looks like that, because it is. The desktop external storage solutions are usually 3.5" HDDs with enclosures, whereas the portables are 2.5" HDDs with enclosures. The difference is that desktop externals can be constantly connected to the PC, unlike the portable HDDs which are not recommended for constant computer connection. The 3.5" drives require more power than the 2.5" ones, that's why the USB connection alone is not enough, and they come with the additional power supply (AC adapter).

I hope I was able to cover everything. Keep me posted, if you have more questions!
SuperSoph_WD