IRVINE, Calif., – Apr.16,  2013 – 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 Dropbox¹. 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.”

     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.