Western Digital Warns External Hard Drive Customers Over Mavericks Data Loss - MacRumors
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Western Digital Warns External Hard Drive Customers Over Mavericks Data Loss

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NewImageWestern Digital has emailed customers warning them about possible data loss when connecting external hard drives to Macs with OS X Mavericks installed.

The MacRumors Forums, Western Digital's forums, and Apple's Support Communities all have threads about lost data after connecting Western Digital external hard drives to computers after updating to Mavericks.

In an email to customers, Western Digital warned about using its WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager, and WD SmartWare software products with Mavericks and suggests customers uninstall those applications before upgrading to Mavericks, or, if they already have upgraded, to uninstall those applications immediately.

Dear WD Registered Customer,

As a valued WD customer we want to make you aware of new reports of Western Digital and other external HDD products experiencing data loss when updating to Apple's OS X Mavericks (10.9). WD is urgently investigating these reports and the possible connection to the WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager and WD SmartWare software applications. Until the issue is understood and the cause identified, WD strongly urges our customers to uninstall these software applications before updating to OS X Mavericks (10.9), or delay upgrading. If you have already upgraded to Mavericks, WD recommends that you remove these applications and restart your computer.

The WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager, and WD SmartWare software applications are not new and have been available from WD for many years, however solely as a precaution WD has removed these applications from our website as we investigate this issue.

Sincerely,
Western Digital

Most of the complaints seem to center around Western Digital drives, but the company does say other drives could have issues as well.

Thanks Jackie!

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Top Rated Comments

S.B.G Avatar
S.B.G
168 months ago
I guess I'm glad that I've never, ever, used HDD manufacturer software before. I've always let the OS (OS X and Windows) manage the drives.
Score: 105 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iB24 Avatar
iB24
168 months ago
i'm glad i don't ever use the garbage software that comes with these hard drives anyway.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A
anubis
168 months ago
Wait, people actually install and use the crapware that comes with their hard drives?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
troop231
168 months ago
Looks like WD didn't even bother to test their software before Mavericks shipped.

The WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager, and WD SmartWare software applications are not new and have been available from WD for many years..."
:rolleyes:
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
kolax
168 months ago
So this is only happens if you use their software on Mavericks to access the hard drives?

So not a Mavericks flaw but WD's? Or maybe both, but because WD writes software for the Mac, they should've been accessing developer builds of Mavericks and would've found this out long ago.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
Primejimbo
168 months ago
Best solution is to get with the times and stop using spinning hard drives.

because a solid state is so cheap to buy :rolleyes:
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments