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Finding Files to Back Up

The WD SmartWare™ software Backup screen categorizes all the files on your computer’s main hard drive and summarizes the information visually in the content gauges. The first time the Backup screen appears, WD SmartWare searches your computer for all the available files to back up.

Introduction to Backup

WD SmartWare starts searching for and categorizing the files on your computer to prepare them for backup. Note that clicking Start Backup during this time starts backing up files immediately while WD SmartWare continues to find and categorize files in the background.

To start a backup:

Click Start Backup. All the files on the primary hard drive of your computer, including all your music, video, photos, and documents are backed up.

After your first full backup, WD SmartWare continuously monitors your computer and automatically backs up any files you change and any new files you create.

To skip backup and continue to drive settings:

Click Skip Backup to skip backup file selection and continue to the Drive Settings screen.

About the Content Gauges

Two content gauges are displayed on the Backup screen.

The left content gauge displays the available backup categories, for example, Pictures, Music, Movies, Mail, Documents, and Other. The light gray area of the gauge displays a category of files that will not be backed up, for example System files.
The right content gauge displays the categories that will be backed up when you start a backup. Before you start a backup for the first time, the categories are displayed in gray.

Note: WD SmartWare does not back up system files, software applications, or temporary working files, for example, temporary (.tmp) or log (.log) files.

Content Gauge Colors

The following swatches identify the various content gauge colors and how they represent the files on your computer and your WD drive.

		Unused or free drive space

		Available, but excluded from backup

		Not yet backed up or new content

		Backed up and retrieved content

		Content ready for backup or retrieve

For Macintosh Users

WD SmartWare categorizes content for backup into specific folders on the Macintosh. Files are categorized and placed in the following Macintosh folders: Music, Video, Photo, and Document. All other files are backed up in a folder named Other.

Selecting Additional Drives for Backup

If you have more than one WD drive attached to your computer that you want to back up files to, you can select the additional WD drives from the Home tab of the application.

To select another WD backup drive:

Click the Home tab; all the WD drives attached to your system are displayed across the top of the screen.
Click the image of the drive you want to back up to; then click the Backup tab.
Click Start Backup to back up files to the additional drive.