Is there any correlation with system speed - like Firefox taking forever to open - after installing the WD Smartware for My Passport and fixing the WDDM message? That's the only variable that changed on my system ... now it's really slow. Any ideas?

Hi Timmybob, - Is the overall performance of the system reduced? Or is it that the Firefox program takes longer time to load? There's no co-relation with the system speed and installing any new hardware. In this scenario, I would suggest you to place your computer in Clean boot state to identify if any third party application is interfering with the system's performance. Putting your system in clean boot state helps in identifying if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue. If yes, you may have to contact the program manufacturer for any updates or uninstall and re-install the program. Here’s the article you may refer to for steps with reference to the same. Use this link if you are using Windows XP:How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" stateNote: After troubleshooting, make sure to put the computer to start as usual as mentioned here:To configure Windows to use a Normal startup stateAfter you used the clean boot to resolve your problem, you can follow these steps to configure Windows XP to start normally.a. Click Start, and then click Run.b. Type msconfig, and then click OK. The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed.c. Click the General tab, click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services, and then click OK.d. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.Here’s another article that might be of help to you: Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP In case you are looking for better performance, why don't you consider upgrading to Windows 7? Windows 7 loads programs faster, switches faster and has better memory usage as well. Regards,Divya R – Microsoft Support.Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.