WD® Simplifies File Backup, Now Featuring Dropbox Integration

WD SmartWare™ Pro Gives Customers Peace of Mind that Photos, Videos and Other Files are Securely Protected on an External Hard Drive or Dropbox

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Apr 16, 2013, 07:57 ET

IRVINE, Calif., April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- WD^®, a Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) company, and a world leader in storage solutions for the connected life, today unveiled WD SmartWare™ Pro, an easy-to-use software tool that gives customers the power to back up their files to any USB external hard drive or the cloud using their personal Dropbox[1]. Additionally, in the event that a file is deleted, lost, or a previous version of a file is needed, WD SmartWare Pro makes it easy to quickly restore and retrieve backed-up data.

WD SmartWare Pro is simple to set up with an intuitive installation interface that lets customers get up and running in just a few simple clicks. Once the software is setup and the drives are connected, WD SmartWare Pro visually presents customers' files and folders in a control center where they can manage multiple external hard drives and their Dropbox account. WD SmartWare Pro is compatible with WD products such as My Passport^®and WD Elements™ portable hard drives, as well as external USB drives from other manufacturers. Additionally, WD SmartWare Pro works seamlessly with WD network attached storage drives such as My Book^® Live™.

The software has two easy-to-use backup settings, allowing customers to set up their preferred file backup process. The "continuous backup" setting sets up an automatic, continuous backup that works quietly in the background so that whenever a customer adds or changes a file it is instantly backed up on the external drive. The "scheduled backup" setting allows customers to set up a regular pre-programmed backup schedule, including an hourly, daily or monthly setting for easy backup to their external drive or Dropbox. With WD SmartWare Pro customers can also back up files located in their Dropbox to an external hard drive.

File restoration and retrieval is quick and easy with WD SmartWare Pro. If customers accidentally delete an important file or need to get an earlier version of a file, WD SmartWare Pro helps customers retrieve the file in seconds with the easy-to-use "retrieve interface" and the software can be configured to save up to 25 older versions of a file. Customers can navigate the retrieve interface to restore all the backed up files or select a particular file or folder to restore.

"The growth of digital content has continued to increase exponentially and our goal is to provide a simple and comprehensive way to ensure peace of mind that all of our content is safely backed up," said Jody Bradshaw, general manager of WD's consumer storage solutions. "WD SmartWare Pro not only accomplishes secure backup of important photos, videos and files, but ultimately makes it easier to preserve precious digital memories."

Price and Availability
WD SmartWare Pro is currently available as a free 30-day trial at www.wdstore.com. After the 30-day trial a standard license, valid for use with up to three computers, is available for a special promotional price of $19.95 US. A premium license, valid for use with up to ten computers, is available for a special promotional price of $39.95 US. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $29.95 US for the standard license and $49.95 US for the premium license.

About WD
WD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD's leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.wd.com.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

Western Digital, WD, My Book, WD Elements, the WD logo and My Passport are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries; My Book Live and WD SmartWare Pro are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Pictures shown may vary from actual products. Not all products may be available in all regions of the world.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130416/LA94809)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000711/WDCLOGO)

[1] Dropbox account required for cloud backup. Cloud services may be changed, terminated or interrupt at any time and may vary by country.

SOURCE WD