11-21-2009, 11:25 AM

Hi, I finally got my My Book external drive to install, but when I go to look at the backups that were made using my PC, I can't open them. Everything seems to work the same as it did on my PC, but when I go to open one of the backups, nothing happens. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

11-21-2009, 11:35 AM

Oh, just for clarification, I understand that certain things wouldn't open that are incompatible with Macs, but it's mostly media files and photos in the backups.

11-21-2009, 01:19 PM

What format is your "My Book" external drive using? If it's NTFS, you should be able to "see" the files but not be able to actually open them or make any changes. If the drive is formatted to FAT-32, then everything on the drive is read and write.

If you want to use your "My Book" exclusively with the Mac, you can use Disk Utility (applications, utilities, Disk Utility.app) to erase the drive and reformat it as HFS+.

Regards.

11-21-2009, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by chscag

What format is your "My Book" external drive using? If it's NTFS, you should be able to "see" the files but not be able to actually open them or make any changes. If the drive is formatted to FAT-32, then everything on the drive is read and write.

If you want to use your "My Book" exclusively with the Mac, you can use Disk Utility (applications, utilities, Disk Utility.app) to erase the drive and reformat it as HFS+.

Regards.

Not sure, but I thought it was FAT-32. But even if it is NTFS, I can't even see the individual files. I can see the backup folders, and open up the folders to see the various subfolders, but when I try to open the backup to do a complete or partial retrieval, it doesn't work.

11-21-2009, 02:14 PM

How did you make the original backups? Did you use the WD software? Did you install it on your Mac?

11-21-2009, 03:11 PM

Yes to both.

11-21-2009, 03:34 PM

What is the WD software saying about your backup?

11-22-2009, 12:43 AM

Nothing. The software loaded, it shows my backup folders and subfolders. But when the little window pops up to select the backup folder, I click on one of them, and nothing happens except some text window saying "Search for the file types in the "Back up To:" folder or browse and select individual files that you want restored in the "Back up to:" folder."

Problem is that I don't know if this "Back up to" folder exists, but if it does I do not know where it is.

11-22-2009, 01:02 AM

Sounds like you're using some restore function of the WD software. Have you tried just browsing the external with Finder?

11-22-2009, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by bobtomay

Sounds like you're using some restore function of the WD software. Have you tried just browsing the external with Finder?

That is what I am doing. I will try what you suggested, but I am not sure how. Tks.

11-22-2009, 03:04 PM

Ok, I tried that, but it does the same thing. Here's what I am doing:

Connect the WD backup drive

Either open the program, or use Finder

Locate one of the backups, which have .nbp extensions. There are files in that folder that also have .nbz extensions, but those don't work either.

When I click on the backup (.nbp), and click the "open" button, I get a popup text window that tells me to search for file types in the "Back up To:" folder or browse and select individual files that you want restored..."

UGH!!!

11-22-2009, 04:21 PM

Forget about the .nbt files. Just open a Finder window and navigate to the actual folders and files on the drive. When you plug the My Book into your Mac, it should appear on your desktop as an drive. I have one too:

Just make sure to set Finder preferences to show external disks by clicking the box. Look at the screen shot below. Once you see it on your desktop, just double click it to navigate to your folders and files, ignoring those proprietary file types that were installed.

doug

11-22-2009, 05:09 PM

Tks Doug, but still no joy. Even when I do that, and open one of the folders, the only files I see are ones like these:

10-4-2009.nbp
ArcNB.NBZ
ArcNB0.NBZ (and so on)
autorun.dll
QuickRestoreRes.dll
unicows.dll
uQuickRestore.exe

That's it. I've clicked on all of them and nothing works. The nbp and nbz files open up the WD program. Am I supposed to be seeing the files that I backed up? I never did when I used it on the PC. On that, once I selected a backup and opened it, I would get the individual files and folders that I backed up.

11-22-2009, 05:12 PM

Also, since you have one too and are able to use it on your mac, what happens when you open the folders? Do you get the same file types I listed? I'm thinking maybe it has something to with the file system on the PC I had. Someone mentioned something about whether it was a FAT32 or NTFS. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking it was whichever is likely to be the problem. LOL.