How do I format my WD Passport?

2 – Format WD My Passport Using File Explorer in Windows Platform

1. Open Windows File Explorer, locate and right-click on WD My Passport that you need to format, select “Format”.
2. Rename the drive, reset its file system to FAT32 or exFAT.
3. Click “Start” to begin the formatting.

In the same way Is WD Passport compatible with Mac?

The regular My Passport Ultra is compatible with Mac OS after reformatting, but users that know that they will be using a Mac might find this model to be easier. It comes with 256-bit AES encryption for added security, as well as compatibility with Apple Time Machine.

Subsequently, Why is my WD Passport not working Mac? If your WD My Passport drive is recognized by your Mac but does not show up in the Disk Utility window, choose your drive from the left-side panel and click the First Aid button. If prompted, click the Run button to repair your hard drive using the Disk Utility. After completing the repair, click the Done button.

Which format is best for Mac external drive?

The Best Format for External Hard Drives

If you want to format your external hard drive to work with Mac and Windows computers, you should use exFAT. With exFAT, you can store files of any size, and use it with any computer made in the last 20 years.

How do I convert WD My Passport from PC to Mac?

How To Make WD Passport Work On Mac And Windows

1. Turn On Your Mac And Log In. …
2. Look For The External Hard Drive Icon On Your Desktop. …
3. Choose Your Western Digital My Passport External Drive. …
4. Give Your External Passport Drive A Name. …
5. Pick Your My Passport Drive A Second Time. …
6. Then Select The ExFAT Format.

Why is my WD Passport not recognized Mac?

In the Finder Preferences window, click the General tab and verify whether you have selected the “External disks” checkbox under the Show these items on the desktop section. Go to the Sidebar tab and enable the “External disks” checkbox. Now, check if you could access the My Passport external disk on your Mac.

How do I fix my WD Passport not recognized?

Reconnect the WD drive via a new USB hub or to a new PC.

1. If the WD Passport drive shows up, it is the damaged USB hub that stops WD from showing up.
2. If the WD passport is not detected either on your current or the new PC, replace the WD drive with a new one.

How do I connect my WD hard drive to my Mac?

Macintosh

1. Connect your Western Digital hard drive to your Mac computer.
2. Double-click the drive icon that appears on your desktop.
3. Click “Applications” from the left pane, “Utilities” from the second pane and then double click “Disk Utility” from the third pane.
4. Click the drive from the left pane of the Disk Utility.

How do I unlock my WD Passport for Mac?

Go > Applications > WD Security ▪ Go > Applications > WD Drive Utilities 2. If you have more than one supported device connected to your computer, select the one that is locked to display the Unlock Drive dialog. 3. On the Unlock Drive dialog: a.

Is exFAT or NTFS better for Mac?

While macOS includes read-only support for NTFS, Macs offer full read-write support for exFAT. … Assuming that every device you want to use the drive with supports exFAT, you should format your device with exFAT instead of FAT32. NTFS is ideal for internal drives, while exFAT is generally ideal for flash drives.

What is exFAT on Mac?

ExFAT is a cross-platform solution for use with Mac and Windows devices, now serving as a base for files shared and edited between the two platforms. If you work with Mac and Windows computers often, ExFAT may be the best option for your Mac.

How do I convert my Mac hard drive to exFAT?

How to format a thumb drive for both Mac and Windows

1. Attach the drive to your Mac.
2. Launch Disk Utility (from Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility).
3. Select the drive in the left-hand sidebar.
4. Click Erase.
5. From the Format menu, select ExFAT.
6. From the Scheme menu, select Master Boot Record.

What is exFAT format on Mac?

Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) This was designed by Microsoft to provide similar compatibility to FAT32 without the pesky limitations. exFAT is the preferred file format for flash storage drives that you share between Windows and Mac. exFAT has no realistic file or partition size limits.

Why won’t my WD Elements work on Mac?

By default, a WD Elements HDD cannot work on Mac computers as they are formatted in NTFS format. This format is not supported on Mac devices and you will not be able to access the hard drive.

How do I get my Mac to recognize my external hard drive?

Try the following to make sure your Mac is set to show mounted drives on the desktop.

1. Open the Finder.
2. Click on Finder in the menu at the top of your screen.
3. Choose Preferences > General and make sure that there is a tick beside External Drives.

What do I do if my external hard drive is not detected Mac?

What do I do if my external hard drive is not detected?

1. Go to Applications and open Utilities.
2. In the Utilities folder, select Disk Utility.
3. In the View menu at the top of your screen, select Show All Devices.
4. Select your external drive and click Unmount.
5. Connect your external drive again.

How do I fix my external hard drive not recognized Mac?

Start with the basics:

1. Check whether the drive is properly plugged in. …
2. Faulty cable. …
3. Damaged USB or flash drive port. …
4. Reboot your Mac. …
5. Incorrectly formatted drive. …
6. Mac not formatted to display external drives on the desktop. …
7. Reset NVRAM. …
8. Check Apple’s Disk Utility to see if an external drive is showing up.

Why won’t my computer recognize my WD external hard drive?

If the WD external hard drive shows as unrecognized, go to the driver’s tab and delete/uninstall the driver. Then check out whether the external hard drive shows up in My Computer/My PC or not. If it doesn’t show up, reboot or restart the PC.

What is ExFAT on Mac?

ExFAT is a cross-platform solution for use with Mac and Windows devices, now serving as a base for files shared and edited between the two platforms. If you work with Mac and Windows computers often, ExFAT may be the best option for your Mac.

How Do I Unlock My Passport external hard drive?

Click Unlock Drive. Whenever you connect your password-protected drive to a computer that does not have the WD Security or WD Drive Utilities software installed, you can use the WD Drive Unlock utility to unlock the drive there.

How do I reset my WD external hard drive?

How to Reset a WD Drive

1. Leave the drive turned on but unplug it from your computer. …
2. Turn around the drive and locate the “Reset” button on the back panel of the unit. …
3. Unbend the leg of a paperclip and insert it into the hole until you depress the reset button and the paperclip won’t go any further. …
4. Warning.

Can Mac use NTFS?

Because it’s a proprietary file system Apple hasn’t licensed, your Mac can’t write to NTFS natively. When working with NTFS files, you’ll need a third party NTFS driver for Mac if you want to work with the files. You can read them on your Mac, but that’s likely not going to suit your needs.

How do I format an external hard drive to NTFS on a Mac?

macOS cannot natively format a drive to the NTFS format for Windows. That means that while macOS can read NTFS drives, it is unable to write data to them without third-party software. Consider using ExFat for generic PC and Mac storage or FAT for universal compatibility with most electronic devices.

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