WD is checking up on your serial numbers on your drive "Real Time" !

[davidamarkley]

I've got a few WDs lying around here but I never use the software that comes with ANYTHING unless I have to. Only drivers for me!

And these HDDs don't need drivers so I just use these disks as frisbees. Like those AOL cds you get every week!

[bhess]

This isn't new news is it? I remember a thread about this a long time age here I thought.

[Richard Cranium]

It's news to me as this system is about 11 months old and this is the 1st time I've ever seen such.

[caddmannq]

Just out of curriosity, has anyone here ever needed a "drive specific update"???

And...what the heck could they "update" without destroying your data?

I smell a rat here.

I came across this earlier this year while installing a new WD drive using the disk that came with the retail box. Don't remember what exactly happened but I think it was trying to connect to the internet and possible send information to WD on my hardware.

My guess is they would not be interested to see what stuff you have in those hidden folders......they prolly just want to see the type of hardware people have and how their drives figure into it---possibly a survey.

But I never heard of updates on a drive. What's there to update? The firmware, possibly. Like in a BIOS or a CD Drive. I think I disconnected before it could get thru but thats just me being my paranoid self...

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Yes, there was firmware updates to correct some probs with certain HD's, one I remeber was a noise issue, the other was a head park change.

As for the disks, I remember hearing about this a while back, but thought they were supposed to give you the option of sending or not. The thread I read about it in had a mention of spyware in the title.

Thread

[caddmannq]

Thanks, Wizz!
I missed that one entirely!

Cadd.

[gjimene2]

to me if you use the disk that comes with any new hard drive, you're nuts unless you want to transfer your data fromone drive to another. I've never used the floppy's and I'm doing fine with my wd hdd's

[TOAD6147]

"...if you use the disk that comes with any new hard drive, you're nuts..."

That's a bit harsh dude. Some people, alot of people don't have an option but to use the proprietary hdd cloning programs that come with the retail drives. It was this breach of trust established over many hdd purchases that upset me so at the time.

[caddmannq]

Originally posted by caddmannq
I missed that one entirely!

Ummmm...well actually I didn't. In fact I gave a glaring condemnation of this very software!

I guess the ol' penguin brain ain't what it used to be...