How to Fix “WD My Passport Hard Drive Not Detected” Error

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Western Digital is one of the “big three” hard drive manufacturers, the other two being Toshiba and Seagate. It has been producing hard drives since the early 1980’s and is a trusted name in the data storage market.

My Passport is a flagship series of external hard drives manufactured by Western Digital. It is widely popular in India and typically comes with a 3-year warranty on retail kits. These drives offer USB 3.0 connectivity for fast data transfer and come equipped with WD Backup™ software.

While Western Digital’s hard drives offer excellent value for money, they are not immune to defects or failure. Our data recovery labs receive over a thousand WD My Passport 1 TB, 2 TB, & 4 TB HDDs annually with users reporting that their hard drive is not showing up in the file explorer.

Moreover, a thorough review of the WD Portal (Community website) highlights the following recurring issues:

1. Drive is visible in Device Manager but absent from File Explorer.
2. Disk Management shows Connecting to Virtual Disk Service and becomes unresponsive.
3. Device appears as Not Initialized in Disk Management.
4. Drive shows up as unallocated space with no access options.
5. System detects physical connection but the My Passport hard drive remains inaccessible.
6. Front USB 3.0 ports fail to detect the drive while other ports work.
7. Drive appears in Devices and Printers but not in This PC.
8. Windows makes no sound/notification when drive is connected.
9. Device Manager shows Code 19 error.
10. Detection fails specifically after Windows 10 upgrade.

Before we look to solve these issues, let us understand the reasons why a WD My Passport hard disk drive is not detected.

Common Issues With WD My Passport Hard Drive

Detection issues are not unique to the Western Digital My Passport hard drives; they are common across most external hard drives. These problems can arise due to a variety of reasons, which can be categorized into five types: connection issues, power supply problems, system settings or compatibility challenges, software-related issues, and physical damage (including manufacturing defects).

Here is a brief overview of these categories with possible causes and their solutions.

Category	Cause	Solution
Connection Issues	Faulty USB cable/port, loose connection, or debris in the port	• Try different USB ports/cables • Clean the ports • Use USB 3.0 for stability
Power Supply	Insufficient power via USB hub/port (common in older drives)	• Connect directly to USB 3.0 • Use a powered USB hub • Test on another computer
System Settings	Missing drive letter, hidden device, or unsupported file system (e.g., EXT4)	• Assign a new drive letter via Disk Management • Check "Show Hidden Devices" in Device Manager
Software Issues	Outdated/corrupt drivers, malware attack, encryption conflicts, or file system errors	• Update/reinstall drivers • Run CHKDSK • Disable encryption tools; scan for malware
Physical Damage	Drops, impacts, extreme temperatures, water logging, or internal component damage.	• Check for clicking/grinding noises • Get replacement if the HDD is in warranty (in case of manufacturing defect or shipping damage) • Seek the help of a professional data recovery service provider.

In the next section, we will cover the underlying causes and the steps to resolve the hard disk not recognized error.

Practical Solutions for WD My Passport Hard Drive Not Detected Error

If your WD My Passport hard drive is not recognized, follow these step-by-step solutions based on the type of issue affecting your drive.

1) Connection Issues

First, check if the problem is caused by faulty cables, ports, or internal connectors.

1.1. Check USB Cable & Ports

1. Try connecting the hard drive to a different USB port on your PC or laptop.
2. Use a different USB cable to rule out a faulty connection. WD My Passport and My Passport Ultra require a USB 3.0 cable for optimal performance.
3. If the drive still doesn’t work, test it on another computer to see if it gets detected.

2) Power Supply Issues

The hard drive may not be recognized if it does not receive enough power.

2.1 Use a Powered USB Hub or a Different Port

1. Plug the drive into a USB 3.0 or higher port, preferably located at the back of a desktop PC (these ports provide more stable power).
2. If the drive still doesn’t work, try using a powered USB hub that supplies additional power.

2.2 Disable USB Selective Suspend (for Laptops)

This feature of Windows is available only in laptops. It shuts off power to some ports when the battery is low. This allows essential USB hardware like a mouse to operate while shutting off other ports. Follow these steps to disable this feature.

1. Type  Control Panel  in search bar of the toolbar.

2. Click on the Control Panel icon to open it.
3. Select Hardware and Sound .

4. Click on  Power Options .

5. Click Change plan settings for the selected plan. The selected plan is   Balanced  by default.

6. Select  Change Advanced Power Settings .

7. Scroll down to  USB settings . and expand it. You will find two categories: On battery and Plugged in. Disable both of them.

Restart your laptop and check if the problem has been resolved.

3) System Settings Issues

If the drive is still inaccessible, try these steps.

3.1  Show All Hidden Devices

First, you need to check if the drive is hidden. If it is, you will not see its icon in the Device Manager. To check, follow these steps.

1. Type  devmgmt.msc  in the search bar and hit  Enter .

2. In the Device Manager window, navigate to the  View  tab.
3. Expand it and select  Show hidden devices .

4. Restart your computer and check whether the system can detect the hard drive.

3.2  Change the Drive Letter

Windows assigns a drive letter to all connected volumes. If two volumes have the same letter, changing the external hard drive’s letter would solve the hard disk not detected problem. To do so, follow these steps.

1. Press Windows + X and select  Disk Management  You can also right-click on the Start icon and select  Disk Management . You might also find an option called  Create and format hard disk partitions . This is the same as Disk Management.

2. In the Disk Management window, navigate to your connected WD drive and right-click on it.
3. Select  Change Drive Letter and Paths .

4. Assign a new letter to your WD external drive and save the changes.
5. Reboot the system and reconnect your drive.

Finally, check whether it can be detected by the operating system.

4) Software Issues

The issue may persist if the underlying cause is outdated drivers, file system errors, or malware attack.

4.1 Uninstall Drivers

It is possible that the WD My Passport driver is not updated or has some issues. This could lead to the hard drive not being detected.

To troubleshoot this issue, uninstall the USB drivers. Follow the steps given below.

1. Type  devmgmt.msc  in the search bar and hit  Enter .
2. The  Device Manager  will open. Navigate to  Disk Drives  and expand it.

3. Right-click on your drive. It might be named as WD My Passport, USB 3.0 Flash Storage Device, etc.
4. Click on  Properties .

5. Select the  Driver  tab.
6. Select  Uninstall Device ,  then confirm the action.

7. Restart your computer. Windows will automatically reinstall the drivers.
8. If the issue persists, update the drivers. To do this, follow Steps 1–5 given above. Then:
   • Select Update Driver and choose  Search Automatically for Drivers .

Once the drivers are installed, restart your computer. If the issue persists, run the troubleshooter.

4.2 Run Hardware Troubleshooter for Windows

1. Press Windows + R, type  msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic , and hit  Enter .

2. Click  Advanced –> Apply Repairs Automatically .
3. Follow the prompts to  scan and fix hardware issues .

4.3 Run CHKDSK to Repair File System Errors

1. Type  cmd  in the Windows search bar, right-click on the  Command Prompt  icon and select  Run as administrator .
2. In the command window, type:

chkdsk X: /f

(Replace “X” with the letter assigned to your WD My Passport disk drive.)

3. Press  Enter . Windows will begin scanning and fixing file system errors.
4. Restart your computer after the process completes.

4.4 Perform a Full Virus Scan to Remove Malware

1. Open  Windows Security  from the Windows search bar.
2. Click  Virus & Threat Protection  >  Scan Options .

3. Select  Full Scan  and click  Scan Now .

4. Remove any detected threats and restart your computer.

If none of the above methods have worked, it is highly likely that your hard disk has suffered physical damage. Depending on how valuable or critical the data stored on the drive is, you have two options (explained below).

5) Physical Damage & Last-Resort Methods

5.1 Format the External Hard Drive (Last Resort: If You Can Afford to Lose Data)

Formatting will erase all data, so proceed only if data loss is acceptable.

1. Open  Disk Management  (Press Windows + X > Disk Management).
2. Locate your drive, right-click on it, and select  Format .
3. Choose  NTFS  or  exFAT  (exFAT is recommended for cross-platform use).
4. Click  OK  and complete the formatting process.
5. Restart your PC and check if the drive is now accessible.

5.2 Seek Professional Data Recovery Services (If the Data Is Critical and Cannot Be Lost)

If you’ve tried all the fixes and your external hard drive is still not detected, the drive might be physically damaged. In such cases, only a professional can accurately assess the damage and recover your data securely.

The best chance of successful recovery lies in operating on the drive in a Class 100 Cleanroom environment, where contamination risks are near zero. Stellar Data Recovery has the only ISO-certified Class 100 cleanroom lab in India equipped with this facility.

At Stellar Data Recovery, experienced technicians and hardware engineers handle over a thousand cases of severely damaged WD My Passport 1TB, 2TB, 4 TB, and higher-capacity models annually.

In most cases, replacement parts, such as read/write heads, actuators, and platters, are needed for a physically damaged HDD to function. With access to a huge inventory of My Passport models—including Black, Sky, White, and Red, as well as My Passport Ultra and My Passport Wireless Pro—we ensure the availability of all necessary spares. Once the damaged parts are replaced, the drive is cloned onto a separate functional drive to safely recover data.

If you have tried all the methods mentioned in this guide and your WD My Passport hard drive is still not detected, you can contact our data recovery experts for a free consultation. Our team will assess the issue and advise you on the best course of action for data recovery.

Post consultation, you can personally visit our nearby branch office or choose our pick-and-drop facility to get an assessment on the hard drive.

Note: Avoid attempting DIY repairs or relying on makeshift recovery services, as this can worsen the damage and significantly reduce the chances of a successful recovery.

Conclusion

We hope this blog has helped resolve the issues you were facing with your WD HDD.  Always make sure to back up your important data so that in case of drive failure, you will have critical data saved on another drive. If you’re unable to access your WD hard drive and need professional help, check out our WD Hard Drive Data Recovery Service for secure data retrieval.

If you are experiencing similar issues with your WD My Passport Ultra hard drive, we recommend reading our detailed guide: WD My Passport Ultra Not Showing Up in Windows 11

We aim to address prevalent hard drive issues faced by our readers. If there are specific problems you would like us to cover in future, feel free to share your suggestions in the comments section.

FAQs on WD My Passport Issues

1. How is data recovery possible?

Data recovery is possible by utilizing proprietary algorithms and extensive experience to reconstruct data from remaining fragments, effectively creating a new drive identical to the original. Deleted files are not erased entirely; instead, their location logs are deleted, allowing skilled engineers to piece together the remaining data.

2. What causes data loss on WD My Passport drives?

Data loss on WD My Passport drives may result from accidental deletion, formatting, system compatibility, malware infections, or hardware issues such as disk failure or damage. Regular backups and cautious handling can mitigate these risks.

3. Can I check the health of WD My Passport?

You can use Western Digital drive testing utility from their website. You can also use a third-party app. All of them check for SMART attributes stored inside the disk.

These are self-test measurements that the hard disk does to report its heath. If you take good care of your external hard drive and handle it carefully, it can easily last more than five years.

4. How can I prevent data loss on my WD My Passport drive?

To prevent data loss on your WD My Passport drive, regularly back up your files to another storage device or cloud service. Also, you should handle the drive carefully to avoid physical damage or corruption.

5. How quickly can data recovery work?

In case of logically lost data (accidental file deletion, formatting, etc.), the process can take an entire night to work through the whole disk. If only essential files worth a few GBs need to be recovered, it can happen faster.

However, hard drive recovery in a lab can take anywhere between 2 to 15 days depending on the issue, size, and HDD model.

6. How much does data recovery cost?

Data recovery costs vary depending on the complexity of the issue and the extent of damage. For instance, resolving issues like a WD My Passport not showing up due to physical damage or ransomware attack might require a team of engineers to spend a week, while simpler problems could be resolved in a day. A preliminary examination is necessary to determine the exact cost.