How do I restore a corrupted/deleted driver of a WD My Book Essential External Hard Drive?
Hello, experts,
I've uninstalled, from my machine's Control Panel, the installation of the "automatic" driver of my Western Digital (WD) My Book Essential installed by my Operating System, Windows XP. This happened because I thought the driver/SmartWare Software installation for the drive was corrupted, and hoped that the drivers and software will be automatically re-installed on my next attempt--but I was gravely mistaken. Since this uninstallation, however, my drive's drivers could not be detected and installed by Windows XP or Windows 7 in other machines; thus, I cannot access my drive at all! I hope there's still a way before trying to get a replacement drive (if it's even possible, since I couldn't even find my receipt already)!
--- Here's the background story and info of all this:
I've recently purchased a Western Digital (WD) My Book Essential, 1 TB, about 2 weeks ago. Since the past, two Saturdays, I was unable to make use of the hard drive on my Windows XP machine in both "Safe Mode With Networking" and normal mode.
First, however, you may want to find out why I even needed "Safe Mode With Networking" in my Windows XP machine by checking my problem-with-Operating-Sys
Bottom line, my current Windows XP installation is corrupted, and the awry situations surrounding it have given me a very tough time setting up my external Hard Drive from WD properly.
Thankfully, I've known the (somewhat, virtually useless) "Safe Mode" option, but I found that I'm forced to use my computer in either "Safe Mode" or "Safe Mode with Networking" option in the computer's boot menu screen. Since I'm still able to use my machine in Safe Mode, I figured it's my Windows XP installation that's corrupted, not my machine, and I would like to completely reinstall it--while having a total backup of my data, first!
So, I first tried to access my fresh-out-of-the-box WD drive in Safe Mode, but its SmartWare software can't auto-run -- it (and the WD's driver), indeed, got detected, installed, and shown in Windows Explorer, however. Then, from what I could recall, when I tried setting up my drive, the software either issued me some kind of an error message, indicating that the driver installation was not possible, or it simply closes by itself (or "crashes") without attempting to help finish setting up my drive.
Then, I'm forced to try running Windows XP in normal mode, in the hope that it will "survive" (see the URL I gave above for details on this, if you haven't) long enough so that I can have time to properly install my drive. It did "survive" long enough--up until I gave up myself. The software auto-run successfully in normal mode and I was even able to set a password for my drive. I was stuck in a screen that gave a summary of my local disks' total content. The "Backup" tab, up top, was disabled, and I had no idea how to proceed to start backing up my files, since I could found no other related links or buttons in the software. Thus, I thought that the driver/software installation was corrupted.
Finally, I disconnected the drive and uninstalled its driver/SmartWare through Control Panel's Add/Remove Program, in the hope that it will run correctly in the next re-installation. (I had no idea that deleting the installed copy of the driver and SmartWare Software in my machine would also corrupt the drivers and SmartWare Software in the External HD!) I then even tried some tips like connect the hard drive directly to an electrical outlet with no extension cords, wait for Windows to fully load the drive and then connect the drive, and so on, but with no sign of luck. The last thing I've keep on seeing, on Windows start-up, after re-installation, was a dialog box by the SmartWare (WDDMStatus.exe) saying something like "WDDM Service not running"--although I did make sure and turn ALL services and start-up items in msconfig.exe to be on--whenever I restart Windows in normal mode, and my computer can no longer re-detect the hard drive, and it only labeled the drive as a plain "USB device," or "Unknown device," or "Uknown USB device" ever since.
Please help me fix this situation as soon as possible, as I'm now unable to backup all of my data!
Thank you very, very much for your time and help!
P.S.: To emphasize and remind, I've tried connecting this drive to my friend's laptop and the laptop can't install a driver for it as well, and it's using the Windows 7 OS; I also tried connecting it to my other friend's desktop computer that also uses Windows XP, and I get the same "Failed to install hardware" and/or "Driver not found" errors. Please help!
I've uninstalled, from my machine's Control Panel, the installation of the "automatic" driver of my Western Digital (WD) My Book Essential installed by my Operating System, Windows XP. This happened because I thought the driver/SmartWare Software installation for the drive was corrupted, and hoped that the drivers and software will be automatically re-installed on my next attempt--but I was gravely mistaken. Since this uninstallation, however, my drive's drivers could not be detected and installed by Windows XP or Windows 7 in other machines; thus, I cannot access my drive at all! I hope there's still a way before trying to get a replacement drive (if it's even possible, since I couldn't even find my receipt already)!
--- Here's the background story and info of all this:
I've recently purchased a Western Digital (WD) My Book Essential, 1 TB, about 2 weeks ago. Since the past, two Saturdays, I was unable to make use of the hard drive on my Windows XP machine in both "Safe Mode With Networking" and normal mode.
First, however, you may want to find out why I even needed "Safe Mode With Networking" in my Windows XP machine by checking my problem-with-Operating-Sys
Bottom line, my current Windows XP installation is corrupted, and the awry situations surrounding it have given me a very tough time setting up my external Hard Drive from WD properly.
Thankfully, I've known the (somewhat, virtually useless) "Safe Mode" option, but I found that I'm forced to use my computer in either "Safe Mode" or "Safe Mode with Networking" option in the computer's boot menu screen. Since I'm still able to use my machine in Safe Mode, I figured it's my Windows XP installation that's corrupted, not my machine, and I would like to completely reinstall it--while having a total backup of my data, first!
So, I first tried to access my fresh-out-of-the-box WD drive in Safe Mode, but its SmartWare software can't auto-run -- it (and the WD's driver), indeed, got detected, installed, and shown in Windows Explorer, however. Then, from what I could recall, when I tried setting up my drive, the software either issued me some kind of an error message, indicating that the driver installation was not possible, or it simply closes by itself (or "crashes") without attempting to help finish setting up my drive.
Then, I'm forced to try running Windows XP in normal mode, in the hope that it will "survive" (see the URL I gave above for details on this, if you haven't) long enough so that I can have time to properly install my drive. It did "survive" long enough--up until I gave up myself. The software auto-run successfully in normal mode and I was even able to set a password for my drive. I was stuck in a screen that gave a summary of my local disks' total content. The "Backup" tab, up top, was disabled, and I had no idea how to proceed to start backing up my files, since I could found no other related links or buttons in the software. Thus, I thought that the driver/software installation was corrupted.
Finally, I disconnected the drive and uninstalled its driver/SmartWare through Control Panel's Add/Remove Program, in the hope that it will run correctly in the next re-installation. (I had no idea that deleting the installed copy of the driver and SmartWare Software in my machine would also corrupt the drivers and SmartWare Software in the External HD!) I then even tried some tips like connect the hard drive directly to an electrical outlet with no extension cords, wait for Windows to fully load the drive and then connect the drive, and so on, but with no sign of luck. The last thing I've keep on seeing, on Windows start-up, after re-installation, was a dialog box by the SmartWare (WDDMStatus.exe) saying something like "WDDM Service not running"--although I did make sure and turn ALL services and start-up items in msconfig.exe to be on--whenever I restart Windows in normal mode, and my computer can no longer re-detect the hard drive, and it only labeled the drive as a plain "USB device," or "Unknown device," or "Uknown USB device" ever since.
Please help me fix this situation as soon as possible, as I'm now unable to backup all of my data!
Thank you very, very much for your time and help!
P.S.: To emphasize and remind, I've tried connecting this drive to my friend's laptop and the laptop can't install a driver for it as well, and it's using the Windows 7 OS; I also tried connecting it to my other friend's desktop computer that also uses Windows XP, and I get the same "Failed to install hardware" and/or "Driver not found" errors. Please help!
SOLUTION
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nobus
if not - you can always contact WD with your problem - same page
ASKER
nobus, I did contact WD since 5 days ago. They still have not given me any reply; I think their staff are all on the Christmas & New Year break and won't reply till somewhere in early or mid January! That's why I posted a question here in the first place. Thanks for your response, anyway. Can you or anyone else still help me with this, though?
SOLUTION
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How about redownloading the software from the WD site http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=120&lang=en and then trying.
I guess you might have tried that but don't find you mentioning it anyware.
Ravi.
I guess you might have tried that but don't find you mentioning it anyware.
Ravi.
grtraders - is that not the same i posted??
Ooops, sorry appologies, nobus
Ravi.
Ravi.
no problem, happens to all of us..
ASKER
@qrtraders
First, I have so many "faint occurences of [my] USB related items that could be causing the issues." Then, I'm positive that just deleting "all faint occurences of [my] USB related items that could be causing the issues" will have absolutely no effect. This is so because the problem no longer lies in just my computer not being able to recognize my drive--my drive no longer "hands out" its correct identity, or the like, and, thus, my OS cannot assign the generic driver for it. I know this since all of my friends' computer, both Windows XP and 7, can't even recognize my driver either!
@nobus & qrtraders
I forgot to mention that I did visit that link and downloaded, then re-downloaded, the WD software who knows how many times, right on the day I revved the drive up. All the WD software kept saying something like "could not detect the WD hard drive." Well, duh, if the OS, the "gate," can't detect it, then how is it supposed to be able to detect it?
Anyway, I just got a response today from the WD's support person. He said I need to re-format the drive. I have no idea how to re-format the drive if no computer can detect it! There's not even a reset button on the drive. So, please enlighten me as to how I can re-format my drive.
Once again, thanks a bunch for your ongoing responses! I greatly appreciate them.
First, I have so many "faint occurences of [my] USB related items that could be causing the issues." Then, I'm positive that just deleting "all faint occurences of [my] USB related items that could be causing the issues" will have absolutely no effect. This is so because the problem no longer lies in just my computer not being able to recognize my drive--my drive no longer "hands out" its correct identity, or the like, and, thus, my OS cannot assign the generic driver for it. I know this since all of my friends' computer, both Windows XP and 7, can't even recognize my driver either!
@nobus & qrtraders
I forgot to mention that I did visit that link and downloaded, then re-downloaded, the WD software who knows how many times, right on the day I revved the drive up. All the WD software kept saying something like "could not detect the WD hard drive." Well, duh, if the OS, the "gate," can't detect it, then how is it supposed to be able to detect it?
Anyway, I just got a response today from the WD's support person. He said I need to re-format the drive. I have no idea how to re-format the drive if no computer can detect it! There's not even a reset button on the drive. So, please enlighten me as to how I can re-format my drive.
Once again, thanks a bunch for your ongoing responses! I greatly appreciate them.
Sure, Are you comfortable with downloading & burning ISO images to CDs.
The download this Linux Partition Manager from here
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php
Boot with this CD & it will detect your Hard Disk even with corrupt partitions. Proceed from there.
It is a Graphical User Interface so don't worry about any geeky stuff. Hit Enter at all prompts to Boot into the default screen.
Ravi.
The download this Linux Partition Manager from here
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php
Boot with this CD & it will detect your Hard Disk even with corrupt partitions. Proceed from there.
It is a Graphical User Interface so don't worry about any geeky stuff. Hit Enter at all prompts to Boot into the default screen.
Ravi.
is that drive seen in the bios?
did you test it on all usb ports?
do other usb devices (flash stick) work ok ?
**i assume the drive is still good (but then it should give a notification sound on connecting it)
you can also use the live knoppix cd (it supports USB) to rule out the OS :
ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/dist/knoppix/KNOPPIX_V6.0.1CD-2009-02-08-EN.iso
did you test it on all usb ports?
do other usb devices (flash stick) work ok ?
**i assume the drive is still good (but then it should give a notification sound on connecting it)
you can also use the live knoppix cd (it supports USB) to rule out the OS :
ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/dist/knoppix/KNOPPIX_V6.0.1CD-2009-02-08-EN.iso
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Requesting for you guys to be each (ID: 26130112 & 26136315) awarded 150 points and myself back 200 points, if that's possible.
ASKER
In https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/25004918/How-do-I-restore-a-corrupted-deleted-driver-of-a-WD-My-Book-Essential-External-Hard-Drive.html , please award ID: 26130112 & 26136315 each 150 points (Assisted Solutions) and myself back 200 points (Accepted Solution), if that's possible, due to the experts providing incomplete, yet assisting, solutions, and I, myself, providing the completing solution.
it's ok with me, though i disagree with your saying "due to the experts providing incomplete, yet assisting, solutions"
it seems to me my first post was EXACTLY the solution !
it seems to me my first post was EXACTLY the solution !
I think the author cannot award points to himself, so see the Close Request Box which states he will get 0 points. It leaves me wondering what will happen to those balance 200 points. They will trashed to the EE dustbin, I suppose.
Ravi.
Ravi.
or cause IE to crash in another country ?
ASKER
Well, nobus, as I've mentioned, just giving me the link, like what the tech personnel did, is incomplete to my final solution. This is so because I know of that link since the day I turned my drive on! I'm caught in a loop that's going nowhere since my computer (and others) will never detect my drive, for its first time, if I didn't do the backward process: run the SmartWare Software, then connect the External Hard Drive.
About the points, I have no idea how EE handles them, but I thought that by asking this question I'm using, and giving away, my 500 points, so I would like to get back some since, again, I was the one who discovered the final step.
About the points, I have no idea how EE handles them, but I thought that by asking this question I'm using, and giving away, my 500 points, so I would like to get back some since, again, I was the one who discovered the final step.
@hsq91
Thanks for the input.
I am no moderator here, but as the way Expert Exchange works, if you ask a question, you cannot award the points to yourself. Thats it in short.
Now coming to the longer version of a theory out here.
People can register here without paying fees (or very low fees, I don't know and am not sure of that) so that they can ask questions and get a feel of how the site works and how it is helpful to them.
In that case, they are not premium members nor qualified experts. Could be limited members or some other status. These people are allowed a fixed quota of points that they can use. Once they exhaust their share of points, they have to pay or quit.
Now consider the situation when these limited members start awarding points to themselves just to continue their membership.
Do you get the idea? Hence you are also seeing those 50 125 point questions at times, which may carry a difficulty burden of 500 points to answer.
Premium Members and Qualified Experts can ask unlimited questions and assign unlimited points. Thats it!
Moderators, feel free to correct me where I am wrong.
Ravi.
Thanks for the input.
I am no moderator here, but as the way Expert Exchange works, if you ask a question, you cannot award the points to yourself. Thats it in short.
Now coming to the longer version of a theory out here.
People can register here without paying fees (or very low fees, I don't know and am not sure of that) so that they can ask questions and get a feel of how the site works and how it is helpful to them.
In that case, they are not premium members nor qualified experts. Could be limited members or some other status. These people are allowed a fixed quota of points that they can use. Once they exhaust their share of points, they have to pay or quit.
Now consider the situation when these limited members start awarding points to themselves just to continue their membership.
Do you get the idea? Hence you are also seeing those 50 125 point questions at times, which may carry a difficulty burden of 500 points to answer.
Premium Members and Qualified Experts can ask unlimited questions and assign unlimited points. Thats it!
Moderators, feel free to correct me where I am wrong.
Ravi.
ASKER
Well, I'm a "Qualified Expert" as you can already see. However, as soon as I got this status for the first time, I asked my first question (about my OS freezing), and I lost my "Qualified Expert" status in my profile page! It reverts back to "Limited Member" in my profile badge on the left of my profile page, although it always said "Status: Qualified Expert" under the "My Account" section up top-right. Soon, I got another Accepted Solution (just one), however, and my profile page said that I'm a "Qualified Expert" again. This leads me to believe that I lost/give away points when I asked a question! If you can explain to me why did this happen, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Dont know about that. A qualified expert status is achieved when you make 10000 points. You need to earn 3000 points per month to keep your status and maintain your free premium services accesss as a qualified expert. When you access to edit your profile you find an experts tab. If you have not clicked on the option asking to start services as a qualified expert then do it now.
I have not come across points being deducted from those once assigned to you. Points once given are given. They cannot be taken away except in special administrative actions by a mod.
Too much explaining from my part. Phew! Look at EE help pages or post a zero point question it the community feedback zone. You will get proper answers there from the mods themselves.
Ravi.
I have not come across points being deducted from those once assigned to you. Points once given are given. They cannot be taken away except in special administrative actions by a mod.
Too much explaining from my part. Phew! Look at EE help pages or post a zero point question it the community feedback zone. You will get proper answers there from the mods themselves.
Ravi.
>> for its first time, if I didn't do the backward process: run the SmartWare Software, then connect the External Hard Drive << that is how it is done for most usb devices, so i did not mention it, because of the standard procedure...but i agree, to be complete it should have been added
but i said it's fine with me...
no problem hsq91 - and a happy New Year !
but i said it's fine with me...
no problem hsq91 - and a happy New Year !