May 06, 2020 I copied a 2.89 GB file from my 2017 MacBook Pro (through USB-C, running Mojave) to my new My Passport Ultra for Mac 4TB. It takes 34 seconds. I tried this a few times and it usually takes around 34 seconds. This equates to approx. I have an old WD 4.0TB SATA WD40EFRX hard disk connected through an adapter to the USB-C port on my Mac. I copied the same 2.89 GB file from my Mac to this.
- Step 3: Go to Sidebar tab, tick 'External disks' under 'Devices' to show your WD My Passport for Mac in Finder. Solution 2: Check My Passport for Mac in Disk Utility. If the WD My Passport for Mac drive is still not showing up in Finder or on the desktop, you can see whether it is showing up in Disk Utility or not.
- Jun 14, 2009 Slow WD Passport by Mil. Thankfully most of my music is on my Mac but since its iTunes purchased music thats kinda why I was looking for a.
WD My Passport (2019, 5TB)
Editor Rating: Excellent (4.0)
Pros
- 5TB is peak portable single-drive capacity.
- Small and light.
- AES-256 hardware encryption with password.
- Ships with apps for backup/restore, reformatting and checking drive health, and more.
Cons
- At list price, the 5TB version has a higher cost per gigabyte than the 4TB version.
Bottom Line
Its combination of solid performance, hardware encryption, and useful utilities makes the 5TB WD My Passport a strong contender for everyday backup of sensitive data or storing a massive collection of videos, photos, and documents.
One of the differences between a generic external hard drive and a top contender like the WD My Passport ($149.99 for the 5TB model tested here) is the manufacturer's added effort to make a simple plastic box look attractive. Slightly rounded edges and ripples over part of the surface give the My Passport drive the look and tactile-friendly feel of a consumer gadget. The ripples also help keep the drive from slipping out of your hand easily. Add a choice of colors, a size that can fit in a shirt pocket, a range of capacities from 1TB to 5TB (5TB is the top capacity you can get at the moment for a single-drive portable hard drive), and easy-to-find discounts from list price, and the WD My Passport is a clear standout and our new Editors' Choice among high-capacity portable hard drives.
Variations on a Theme
The My Passport at least arguably earns WD's description of it as 'stylish.' The drive I have for testing, pictured here, is black, but you can also get versions formatted for Windows in a red or blue case, or one formatted for the Mac in a darker blue case only. Fit and finish are excellent, with no screws needed to hold the case together and no sharp edges to catch on clothing or a bag. The partially rippled surface covers half of both the top and bottom, running from one corner to the diagonal center line on both, while an understated WD logo occupies the upper right corner of the top. Pick up the drive, and it feels like a solid, well-built product.
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Aside from the seam that joins the top and bottom sections of the case together, the only obvious detail on the smooth sides of the case is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port on the short side (top edge) near the logo. The port uses a Micro-USB Type-B connector to match the included cable (or cables, if you get the Mac version; more on that in a minute). When the drive is connected and working, you can see a status light near the port. Keep in mind that while you can connect the drive to a USB 2.0 port, that will slow data transfer to USB 2.0 speeds.
My Passport drives for Windows come formatted in the NTFS file system; the Mac versions come with HFS+. You can, of course, reformat either version with the other file system to use the drive with the other OS, or reformat with exFAT if you want to move the drive freely between Windows systems and Macs. Just be sure to back up any files on the drive first, so you can copy them back when you're done.
Capacities, Costs, and Complications
In addition to the 5TB version I tested, WD offers three other capacities for the Windows version of the drive, with list prices of $59.99 for 1TB, $79.99 for 2TB, and $119.99 for 4TB. That equals a cost per gigabyte of 6 cents for the 1TB drive, 4 cents for the 2TB model, 2.8 cents for the 4TB unit, and 3 cents for 5TB. All four models are readily available for less at this writing, which gives them lower costs per gigabyte in the real world. Even so, the difference in price is so small that it's hard to justify choosing the 1TB version if there's any possibility you might someday need 2TB.
The choice between the 4TB and 5TB drives is a little more complicated. Based on list prices, the slightly higher cost per gigabyte for the larger drive argues against choosing it, but current street prices make the 5TB model an equal or even better deal. Be sure to check prices for both when you buy to see which one is the smarter choice on that particular day. All that said, the 5TB is special in that 5TB is the single highest-capacity portable drive you can get at the moment. WD isn't the only maker offering a 5TB portable (Seagate, LaCie, and ADATA also have 5TB portable offerings), but this is the capacity you want if what you need is the roomiest possible pocketable USB storage.
Note, too, that the My Passport's size and weight varies with its capacity. All four versions have the same 4.2 by 3-inch footprint, but where the 4TB and 5TB drives are 0.75 inch thick, the 1TB and 2TB devices are a much slimmer 0.44 inch thick, as well as a good deal lighter (4.3 ounces versus 7.4 ounces). That said, even the 5TB drive I had for testing fits comfortably in a shirt pocket. WD touts it as the slimmest 5TB drive in the company's portfolio.
The Mac versions of My Passport cost a little more than their Windows equivalents. More precisely, the list price is $10 more for the 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB capacities, with the higher price justified by a second cable. Both Mac and Windows versions come with a USB-A-to-Micro-B cable; the Mac drives add a USB-C-to-Micro-B cable, as well. If you already have a spare cable, you can buy the Windows version, reformat it for HFS+, and save a few dollars. There is no 1TB Mac version, but if you really want a 1TB Mac drive, you can buy the Windows version, find the appropriate cable somewhere, and reformat the drive.
Security and Software
Platter drive technology is mature enough that there is little difference in performance, reliability, or even price from one vendor to the next for 2.5-inch, 5,400rpm hard drives like the one inside the My Passport case. That often leaves features like built-in data encryption (or the lack of it) and bundled software as the best reasons to pick one brand over another. The My Passport offers a strong argument on both scores.
A serious issue for small, portable drives is that they're easy to lose and there's always a possibility of their being stolen. If you've backed up sensitive information—say, all your financial data plus documents with your social security number and birthday—that's a nightmare in waiting. The My Passport addresses that potential problem the same way as the Editors' Choice Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch does, with AES-256 hardware encryption and password protection. Assuming it's implemented properly, AES-256 is currently considered essentially unbreakable.
To take advantage of the encryption, you simply install and launch the WD Security app that comes on the drive, enter a password, and optionally add a password hint. By default, whenever you connect the drive to a computer or reboot, you'll be prompted for the password before you can access your data.
You can optionally set the program to automatically unlock the drive for computers you use regularly. However, you might want to skip that convenience. If you forget the password, there's no way to recover it, and you can't change it without knowing the current password. Reformatting the drive will remove the password and let you use the drive again, but doing that will also erase all your data. The default setting will help you remember the password by forcing you to enter it on a regular basis.
Both the Windows and Mac versions of the drive come with assorted utilities for their respective operating systems, but if you reformat your drive, you can download the utilities for the right OS from the WD website. Both versions offer most of the same features. The WD Drive Utility lets you reformat, diagnose the drive condition, and manage the drive's power use. WD Discovery can download data from cloud storage and social media accounts. WD Backup, for Windows only, can back up to Dropbox as well as the My Passport drive. For the Mac, WD relies on Apple Time Machine for backup.
One notable plus is that WD Discovery lets you download Paragon drivers at no charge, which will let you use an NTFS-formatted drive with a Mac or one formatted with HFS+ in Windows. If you connect a drive with a mismatched format to your computer with WD Discovery running, you'll see an option to download the appropriate Paragon driver.
Performance: On Par for Platters
The 5TB My Passport turned in the performance you'd expect from a 5,400rpm drive from a reputable manufacturer, coming in tied for first or a close second in several of the PC Labs benchmarks below. (Frankly, with little significant difference between first and last place in many of the tests, a win doesn't mean much.)
PCMark 7 Secondary Storage Test
The PCMark 7 Secondary Storage test generates a proprietary score based on a mix of simulated workloads, including a Windows Defender scan, video editing tasks, and application launches.
The My Passport finished a close second to the ADATA HD710M Pro, with a score of 1,783 versus 1,822. However, even the slowest drive in the group managed to score 1,148, which makes the difference from top to bottom too small to matter in most real-world applications.
Crystal DiskMark
Crystal DiskMark, a test of sequential read and write speeds for straight-line transfers of contiguous data, represents a best-case scenario for platter drives. Results are in megabytes per second (MBps).
The 5TB My Passport is a close second here for sequential reads and tied for a close third for sequential writes. But in both tests, four of the five drives are all but even for practical purposes.
PCMag Folder Transfer Test
For our own folder transfer test, we use a MacBook Pro laptop. This drag-and-drop test consists of copying a standard 1.2GB folder from the Mac to the test drive, with the results shown in how many seconds it took to finish the job.
The LaCie Mobile Drive and Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch posted a photo finish in 11 seconds, with the other three drives, including the WD My Passport, taking 12 seconds. Again, the difference is more or less too small to notice.
BlackMagic 3.1 Disk Speed Test
The BlackMagic utility measures a drive's throughput in MBps for reading and writing various video formats. You won't be surprised to see the results were once again extremely close.
The Seagate earned bragging rights for the fastest transfer rate for disk writes and tied for first place for disk reads. However, the LaCie drive was a close second overall, with the ADATA HD710M Pro a close third. The 5TB My Passport was a tad faster than the ADATA for writes and little more than a tad slower for reads.
Hits the Spot for Max Capacity
Unless you need a ruggedized drive to stand up to rough treatment, the WD My Passport checks off all the right boxes for an external portable hard drive. Its performance is on par with the competition; the built-in hardware encryption and bundled utilities enhance its usability; and it doesn't hurt that it looks good, too. If all you need is 1TB or 2TB of storage, it can go toe to toe with the Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch, the winner being the one that's selling for less on any given day. And if you need more capacity, the My Passport can get you as many terabytes as today's tech allows in a portable, making it an Editors' Choice for high-capacity portable hard drives.
Best Hard Drive Picks
Further Reading
Summary: Let’s figure out how to format your WD Passport on macOS & Windows. In this blog post, we will walk you through the formatting process and share instructions to format an external drive on macOS & Windows.
But before you proceed, understand that formatting carries a risk of hard drive corruption and data loss. So, in case, if you had accidentally lost your data due to drive formatting or corruption, we also recommend a data recovery software that can rescue data from your HDD. Take a free trial to evaluate the software now.
But before you proceed, understand that formatting carries a risk of hard drive corruption and data loss. So, in case, if you had accidentally lost your data due to drive formatting or corruption, we also recommend a data recovery software that can rescue data from your HDD. Take a free trial to evaluate the software now.
Professional Photographers and videographers have their hands laid upon various digital devices. Usually, their arsenal includes a cutting-edge Windows 10 desktop, the latest and the magnificent MacBook Pro, DSLR & SD-Cards of-course and the trusted & loved external drives such as the WD My Passport. The role of the WD My Passport drive is crucial since the individual will leverage the portable media to safely store their collection of pictures, videos, audio, and docs. But despite the best of the best device specifications; there remains one small glitch to rectify.
We know, Macs and Windows have their native file systems such as the new APFS or HFS and the NTFS. A WD My Passport formatted with Mac file system will be a dud on the Windows and vice-versa. Thankfully, MS-DOS FAT32 and ex-FAT formats have survived to date, and these are the file system to make your WD My Passport work with a Mac and a Windows PC simultaneously. In the next 5 minutes read, you will master yourself in formatting a WD My Passport safely and in a manner best suited for sharing your digital files between a macOS and Windows OS.
To format a Western Digital My Passport external hard drive in ex-FAT or FAT32 format, you can bank on built-in applications of Mac & PC. However, while doing this, there are things you have to keep in mind and follow the correct steps. Here you will get to know about the process to format your “My passport” portable drive in FAT32 and ex-FAT file system in both Windows and Mac platforms.
In Windows Platform:
Wd My Passport Mac To Pc
1. Connect your Western Digital My Passport hard drive to your Windows PC through the USB cable. Wait till the Windows detects the external hard drive and configure it as an expansion drive automatically.
2. Now, click the Start button and select ‘This PC’. A new Windows Explorer window opens, on the left side of the screen; you will see a list of installed drives and their drive letters.
3. Locate the icon assigned to Western Digital My Passport drive and Right-click the connected drive icon and click ‘Format’ in the pop-up menu.
4. Select the ‘File System’ from the drop-down list, which is available in the format expansion and choose either ‘ex-FAT’ or ‘FAT32’.
5. Enter a relevant name in the ‘Volume Label’ field. This name will represent your drive when you connect it with Windows Explorer or Mac and will be mentioned above the drive letter for the My Passport drive. Therefore, enter a descriptive name.
6. Now, again select a ‘Quick Format’ option, then click ‘Start’ option, wait for a few minutes to get your drive reformatted with the FAT32 file system, so that you can use it. After successful formatting, you can directly save or move files to it like any other external hard drive.
In macOS / OS X Platform
- Connect your Western Digital My Passport drive to Mac computer, and let the OS detect and mount the drive for use. Now, a new hard drive icon will appear on the desktop.
- On macOS Dock, select Finder. When the Finder window opens, on the menu bar, select ‘Go’ and then ‘Utilities.’ After that, you will be able to see /Applications/Utilities folder in Finder. From the Utilities folder window, select ‘Disk Utility’ application.
- When the Disk Utility opens, choose the Western Digital hard drive icon from the sidebar.
- Click ‘Erase’ on the Disk Utility file menu. Now, the Erase dialogue window appears, here select the ‘Volume Format’ drop-down list and choose ‘MS-DOS (FAT)’ or ex-FAT File System.’ Note: ex-FAT is a better choice for formatting WD My Passport on Mac.
- Now, click the ‘Erase,’ button and wait a few minutes and let the macOS erase data on the drive and reformat it by FAT32 or ex-FAT format.
- Once formatting is done, you can use the drive in macOS or OS X as a regular hard drive.
Window’s Disk Management and Mac’s Disk Utility applications are secure platforms to erase your WD My Passport easily. You don’t require any third-party software to format your WD My Passport with FAT or ex-FAT.
Caution: Avoid Formatting your WD My Passport without Backup
Wd My Passport For Mac On Windows
We can’t rule out the possibilities of human errors resulting in the accidental formatting of the WD My Passport external drive. A silly man-made mistake will permanently remove all of the contained pictures, videos, audio files, and docs instantly from the WD My Passport. Hence, fasten your seat-belts and backup your WD My Passport before erasing. If you have already joined the data loss club unwillingly, then try running D-I-Y applications to recover data from Mac and Windows.
Tips for Effective Formatting
My Passport For Mac Support
- Format your Western Digital My Passport external hard drive to FAT32 or ex-FAT format so to transfer the data between a Mac and Windows system conveniently.
- There are specific third-party systems, like Digital Camcorders, and Sony PlayStation 3, which need the drives to be formatted in either FAT32 or ex-FAT format to perform read from and write operation. Check it before selecting a file format.
- Due to some limitations FAT32 format is not useful for every type of user, and also affects both Mac’s and PC’s performances. Therefore, it is better to choose ex-FAT instead.
- Ex-FAT supports maximum volume size up to 128 PiB, and its supported maximum file size is 128 PiB.
- Like FAT32, ex-FAT is not a very commonly used file system, due to which its support may vary among third-party devices.
- The corruption chances of the external drive increases, if it is used on both Mac and PC systems regularly. Therefore, it is better to take backup of your important photos and videos before sharing them between both the computers.
Wd My Passport For Mac Not Recognized
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