This answer explains how to disable/hide the WD SmartWare VCD on a My Book or My Passport drive using either Windows or Mac OSX. Please note that this is different from uninstalling the WD SmartWare software from the computer.*END
IMPORTANT: WD Smartware End of Support Notice! WD Smartware has reached it's end of support life cycle.
For more details, please refer to
Answer ID 30039 WD Smartware End of Support and
Answer ID 28740 WD Product Software Support Status
Before following these instructions, there are several things you need to consider:
- The Virtual CD manager only disables the VCD image. There is no way to remove it from the disk. Current versions of the VCD are only about 20 MB in size- this is about the size of a few pictures.
- Once the VCD is disabled you will be unable to access the WD SmartWare installer on the VCD image (on older model drives). You can download a copy of SmartWare from our website. How to install WD SmartWare on a Windows PC.
- Network drives such as the My Book Live family or My Cloud family which include the WD SmartWare software do not have a VCD. Because there is no VCD, these instructions do not apply to the product.
- The software will only show the Enable/Disable VCD option if the drive supports it. If this option does not appear, then you can't disable or enable the VCD on your specific model drive.
Topic
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Instructions
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Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP using WD SmartWare |
Click here for Instructions |
Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP without using WD SmartWare |
Click here for Instructions |
Mac OSX 10.5.x (Leopard), 10.6.x (Snow Leopard), 10.7.x (Lion), and 10.8.x (Mountain Lion) using WD SmartWare |
Click here for Instructions |
Mac OSX 10.5.x (Leopard), 10.6.x (Snow Leopard), 10.7.x (Lion), and 10.8.x (Mountain Lion) without using WD SmartWare |
Click here for Instructions |
Linux/Unix |
Click here for Instructions |
How to Disable/Enable VCD with SmartWare Installed in Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP
On your My Passport or My Book hard drive is a small portion of drive space which has been used to create a Virtual CD (VCD) which appears on your computer as an actual CD volume. Depending on your model of drive the content of the VCD will vary, however it will always contain the WD Unlocker application, and it appears on the screen each time you connect your WD drive to the computer.
The VCD cannot be disabled if you wish to use the Drive Lock feature.
If you don't wish to use the Drive Lock feature, you can safely disable the VCD. The VCD can be re-enabled at any time you want to enable the Drive Lock function. To disable the VCD, follow the steps below.
- Download and install the latest version of WD Smartware from the Western Digital website.
- Once updated launch the WD Smartware software.
- Click on the Settings Tab.
- Select Set Up Drive.
- Click on the Virtual CD button on the left side of the screen.
- On the right side of the screen, click the radial button for either Enable VCD if you want to show the VCD, or Disable VCD if you wish to hide it.
- Click on Apply VCD Settings.
- Power Cycle your drive.
- Open My Computer (Windows XP), Computer (Windows Vista and Windows 7), or File Explorer (Windows 8), and verify that the VCD does not appear.
How to Disable/Enable VCD without SmartWare Installed in Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP
On your My Passport or My Book hard drive is a small portion of drive space which has been used to create a Virtual CD (VCD) which appears on your computer as an actual CD volume. Depending on your model of drive the content of the VCD will vary, however it will always contain the WD Unlocker application, and it appears on the screen each time you connect your WD drive to the computer.
The VCD cannot be disabled if you wish to use the Drive Lock feature.
If you don't wish to use the Drive Lock feature, you can safely disable the VCD. The VCD can be re-enabled at any time you want to enable the Drive Lock function. To disable the VCD, follow the steps below.
- Download the VCD Manager for Windows utility from our website.
- Unzip the executable. (Extract the file using an extraction utility)
- Double click WDSmartWareVirtualCDManagerforWindows-v1.0.7.4.exe.
- Wait for the program to extract.
- Click Continue.
- Once the utility has found your drive, verify the serial number shown is the same as the one you wish to hide the VCD on and click Configure Drive.
- Click Exit.
- Power Cycle the drive.
- Open My Computer (Windows XP), Computer (Windows Vista and Windows 7), or File Explorer (Windows 8), and verify that the VCD does not appear.
How to Disable/Enable VCD with SmartWare Installed in Mac OSX 10.5 (Leopard), 10.6 (Snow Leopard), 10.7.x (Lion), or 10.8.x (Mountain Lion)
On your My Passport or My Book hard drive is a small portion of drive space which has been used to create a Virtual CD (VCD) which appears on your computer as an actual CD volume. Depending on your model of drive the content of the VCD will vary, however it will always contain the WD Unlocker application, and it appears on the screen each time you connect your WD drive to the computer.
The VCD cannot be disabled if you wish to use the Drive Lock feature.
If you don't wish to use the Drive Lock feature, you can safely disable the VCD. The VCD can be re-enabled at any time you want to enable the Drive Lock function. To disable the VCD, follow the steps below.
- Download and install the latest version of WD Smartware from the Western Digital website.
- Once updated launch the WD Smartware software.
- Click on the Settings Tab.
- Select Set Up Drive.
- Click on the Virtual CD button on the left side of the screen.
- On the right side of the screen, click the radial button for either Enable VCD if you want to show the VCD, or Disable VCD if you wish to hide it.
- Click on Apply VCD Settings.
- Power Cycle the drive.
- Open Finder and verify that the VCD does not appear.
How to Disable/Enable VCD without SmartWare Installed in Mac OSX 10.5 (Leopard), 10.6 (Snow Leopard), 10.7.x (Lion), or 10.8.x (Mountain Lion)
On your My Passport or My Book hard drive is a small portion of drive space which has been used to create a Virtual CD (VCD) which appears on your computer as an actual CD volume. Depending on your model of drive the content of the VCD will vary, however it will always contain the WD Unlocker application, and it appears on the screen each time you connect your WD drive to the computer.
The VCD cannot be disabled if you wish to use the Drive Lock feature.
If you don't wish to use the Drive Lock feature, you can safely disable the VCD. The VCD can be re-enabled at any time you want to enable the Drive Lock function. To disable the VCD, follow the steps below.
- Download the VCD Manager for Mac utility from our website.
- Open the application folder.
- Double click Virtual CD Manager.app
- Wait for the program to launch.
- Click Continue.
- Once the utility has found your drive, verify the serial number shown is the same as the one you wish to hide the VCD on and click Configure Drive.
- Click Exit.
- Power Cycle the drive.
- Open Finder and verify that the VCD does not appear.
How to Disable/Enable the VCD in Linux or Unix
Neither the VCD Manager or WD SmartWare is available for Linux or Unix. As a result, there is no known way to disable the Virtual CD (VCD) in these operating systems.
Western Digital technical support only provides jumper configuration (for internal hard drive) and physical installation support for hard drives used in systems running the Linux/Unix operating systems. For setup questions beyond physical installation of your Western Digital hard drive, please contact your Linux/Unix vendor. You may also wish to post on our Community Forums for assistance from other users of our products who may be able to assist you with your issue.