MrGNY Loc: New York

Windows 10 has built in backup software. Have you tried that ?

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Passport! You need one to get out get out of the country and you better have one to get back in. Unless you come back by way of Mexico. I know you don't mean that kind of a passport. But I just wanted to clear that up for the libs on here.

AndyGarcia

If I get stuck I search on YouTube, if that fails I call in an expert.

AndyGarcia

What computer are you using Mac or PC. I have 4 WD drives running on my Macs. I have had no problem setting them up. Have you phoned WD support they were very hepful when I had a problem.

If you can't install it get a local Computer guy to do it for you. Trashing kit is unnecessarily is not good. Waste of resources and bad for the planet and your head by the sounds of it.

AndyGarcia

Sorry computer.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I've heard nothing but good things about LaCie drives. Lot of people also say to stay away from Seagate, but I never had any issues whatsoever with them. My old 2TB Seagate is about 11 years old now, but it works just like new!

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Maybe this will help. If you have a Mac you will have to go to utilities and wipe the drive and reinitialize by the Mac. They ship as PC compatible and that should work on your PC.
or Mac. have a dozen WD drives and they perform solidly. Recently bought 3T WDdrive had trouble with their installed software wanting to manage everything.i returned it and got a Mac version. The first one told me I couldn’t reformat Mac. Many who do video like me use WD drives as the drive attached to our editing big amount of gigs.
WD won the market. Check into your software with them. Good Luck.
.

drivered Loc: Capital District, NY

I have a WD Passport with USB 3 and I use it with Lightroom both on my 2017 iMac and also my 2010 Mack book Pro. Both only having USB 2. No problems with either computer. The Passbook works great.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

It is all stated above. Thank you for your concern. The issue has been resolved. I will send fragments of the drive to all those sincere and sympathetic souls offering to take it off my hands for a mere ten dollars. PAyPal only to “idontfreakinbelieveit@gmail.com”

nikonuser750 Loc: Monroe, LA

Sorry to hear of your problems. Sounds as if you were doing things correctly except for maybe deleting the software. I find it very annoying when others keep asking the same questions over and over because they are too lazy to read the thread and prefer that you answer the question again just for them. I love my passport. I just plugged it in and it worked. I suppose that I did have to install the software but that was uneventful on my Windows 10 laptop. It has been backing up fine for some time and in the background so I don't notice it at all.

Obviously we all have different experiences. I've had excellent results with WD drives. I've had numerous failures with Seagate drives. Therefore I buy WD and not Seagate. Another poster had better results with Seagate so who's to say?

I just wanted to point out that it is working on Windows 10 for me so I don't think that is the problem. BTW, it is not my only backup in the event that it does fail eventually. I tend to backup my photos to several different drives.

rwessley

With windows 10 go to disk management and see if it is partitioned correctly then format all partitions the way you want them to show up.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Does anyone actually read the thread before responding? I know everyone is well meaning, but the problem is on the My Passport device, not the computer. Western Digital support has been non-existent, sending me the same generic download links available on their website. My correspondent clearly does not speak English as a first (or maybe even second...) language, and the last three emails have contained the same links. I have not successfully made the drive functional yet, and my frustration after nearly five days is off the charts (as, likely, is my blood pressure). I'll make my decision this weekend and either smash it to tiny pieces (with photos...) or send it to the first sincere and viable response (of the fifty or so offering to take it off my hands...) I received - no postage needed.


I'm inclined toward "Kill it.. kill it with fire...." and send the remains back to Western Digital at this moment, but I do understand that is not a rational response. This is the very worst tech support I have ever received on any product - no clear understanding of what I need to do, no ideas on possible causes, and repeated sending of the exact same links, which do not resolve the problem. I will never, ever purchase another WD product, although I have successfully used or installed their drives in the past.


Thanks to all who have offered support and read the thread.

Andy

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Have you read all the replies yet? You say you have not made the drive "functional" yet, yet you say you have deleted and written files to the drive. If Windows can see the drive, see the files, write and delete files, then, the drive IS functional. When you try to install the software, which you have now deleted, you are almost certainly installing the software on your PC internal hard drive, Which means the appropriate folders are created on your internal HD and the appropriate info for that software program is written to your WIN registry. From what you have been saying it seems the WD software is not installing correctly on your PC. Perhaps you would be better off taking a hammer, or setting fire to your PC because you can't install the software you need on it?

Really, it sounds like your used, second hand WD drive is functioning fine, but the software that came with it is defective. WD advised that the software is available on their site, free, and you have been unable to access it. That is not a WD problem as everyone else can access the WD support site where the software is available to download. Sounds to me like you need to find someone that has a better understanding of this stuff than you seem to have.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Andy, Don't give up just yet. The problem may be that you have a Mac and your Passport is formatted for PC or visa versa. Before you give up, read the link below on formatting a PC drive for Mac or Mac drive for PC.

http://osxdaily.com/2012/04/22/format-drive-mac-pc-compatible/

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Actually if the drive was not already formatted in a Windows recognizable file system, windows would not recognize the drive, and he would not have been able to see the files on the drive, let alone delete them.