{"id":45256,"date":"2022-10-27T21:12:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T21:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/?p=45256"},"modified":"2025-03-04T16:16:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T16:16:42","slug":"how-to-recover-data-from-wd-my-passport-external-hard-drive-on-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wd-passport-data-recovery.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Recover Data From WD My Passport External Hard Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Recovering data from a WD My Passport drive might seem challenging, but with the right instructions, it&#8217;s entirely achievable. This guide is here to help you through each step of the process. You&#8217;ll find that with a clear approach and the proper tools, retrieving your lost files from a WD Passport can be simpler than expected, often eliminating the need for professional help.<\/p>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_wd_my_passport\"><\/span>What is WD My Passport?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>My Passport is a series of external hard drives manufactured by Western Digital, commonly known as WD. These hard drives are an ideal choice for everyday users. Many rely on WD as backup drives to store important data such as photos, videos, projects, and documents.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-info\" role=\"alert\">&#x2139;&#xfe0f; There are no publicly available statistics on the failure rate of WD My Passport drives. <a href=\"https:\/\/community.wd.com\/t\/not-a-happy-customer\/12606\">Some users<\/a> have complained about a brand new WD Passport dying after a month, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/DataHoarder\/comments\/qkf8dg\/comment\/hixsqz8\/\">others<\/a> still have one that\u2019s running fine after 12 years. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/backblaze-drive-stats-for-q3-2024\/\">Backblaze<\/a> reports an annualized failure rate (AFR) of 1.89% across 288,076 analyzed hard drives in Q3 2024, but that\u2019s for internal drives, so the best we can rely on for now is personal accounts.<\/div>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"is_it_possible_to_recover_data_from_wd_my_passport\"><\/span>Is It Possible to Recover Data from WD My Passport?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>Yes, it is possible to recover data from a WD My Passport (and other versions, like WD My Passport Ultra) \u00a0in a variety of scenarios. Whether dealing with logical errors like accidental deletion on a healthy drive or addressing light damage with bad sectors, <a href=\"\/hard-drive-data-recovery.html\">hard drive recovery tools<\/a> like Disk Drill can be effective. However, for drives with significant physical damage, professional data recovery services are typically the best option for Western Digital My Passport recovery.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5IfUCX_dOg8?si=97YZMf06TR2zQGMj\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p>We\u2019ve looked into the most common reasons why users have faced data loss issues with WD My Passport drives. We\u2019ve provided some shortcuts to the solutions that best suit these problems in the table below.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"table_wrapper table_heading\"><p><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><b>Scenario<\/b><\/td>\r\n<td><b>Solution<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Accidentally deleted files or folders<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#recovery\">Recover Deleted Files from a Healthy Western Digital Drive<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Formatted drive or intentionally erased data<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#recovery\">Recover Deleted Files from a Healthy Western Digital Drive<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Drive is recognized by your computer but doesn\u2019t appear in File Explorer<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#light-damage\">Data Recovery from a Lightly Damaged WD Drive<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Drive isn\u2019t detected at all (your PC can\u2019t read or recognize the WD My Passport)<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#heavy-damage\">Recovery from a WD Drive with Substantial Physical Damage<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><\/div>\r\n<h2 id=\"recovery\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"recover_deleted_files_from_a_healthy_western_digital_drive\"><\/span>Recover Deleted Files from a Healthy Western Digital Drive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>Data loss can occur in various scenarios, such as accidental deletion or <a href=\"\/howto\/recover-formatted-hdd.html\">drive formatting<\/a>, where the drive itself shows no signs of physical damage. In these cases, the data is often still recoverable because the loss is due to logical errors rather than physical issues with the drive. Data recovery can be performed with WD My Passport recovery software, of which, we\u2019ll show you two options.<\/p>\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"wd_external_hard_drive_recovery_with_disk_drill\"><\/span>WD External Hard Drive Recovery with Disk Drill<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p>When dealing with external hard drives like a WD My Passport, <a href=\"\/data-recovery-software.html\">Disk Drill<\/a> is our go-to option. As Disk Drill supports all relevant file systems (NTFS, HFS+, exFAT, and ext3\/ext4), we can take advantage of its ability to locate data using file system records. It can also recover data from a WD external hard disk which is not detecting, making it an excellent choice when dealing with logical corruption.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\">&#x26a0;&#xfe0f; If you have a damaged WD drive that\u2019s showing signs of instability, create a byte-to-byte backup first. This can be done with Disk Drill. We show you how to do this <a href=\"#light-damage\">further down<\/a>.<\/div>\r\n<p>These steps demonstrate how to recover data from a WD My Passport external hard drive using Disk Drill:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><a href=\"\/download.html\">Download<\/a> and install Disk Drill on your Windows or Mac.<div class=\"relative bottom download__block\">\r\n            <div class=\"d-flex align-center download__block__inner\">\r\n                <div class=\"download__block__image-wrapper\">\r\n                <div class=\"download__block__image\">\r\n                    <img src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sidebar-ban-96.png\" srcset=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sidebar-ban-2x-1.png 2x\" alt=\"Disk Drill\" width=\"96\" height=\"96\">        \r\n                <\/div>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"download__block__announce\">\r\n                    <b>download-block-title<\/b><br>\r\n                    download-block-text\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"download__block__action\">\r\n                    <a href=\"\/\/download.html\" data-href-mac=\/\/disk-drill-mac.html data-href-win=\/\/disk-drill-win.html class=\"button button-green btn-md osreplace\">\r\n<svg width=\"16\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\r\n<path d=\"M11.9546 7.293C11.8736 7.114 11.6956 7 11.4996 7H9.49957V0.5C9.49957 0.224 9.27557 0 8.99957 0H6.99957C6.72357 0 6.49957 0.224 6.49957 0.5V7H4.49957C4.30357 7 4.12557 7.115 4.04457 7.293C3.96257 7.472 3.99457 7.681 4.12357 7.829L7.62357 11.829C7.71857 11.938 7.85557 12 7.99957 12C8.14357 12 8.28057 11.937 8.37557 11.829L11.8756 7.829C12.0056 7.682 12.0356 7.472 11.9546 7.293Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\r\n<path d=\"M13.5 11V14H2.5V11H0.5V15C0.5 15.553 0.948 16 1.5 16H14.5C15.053 16 15.5 15.553 15.5 15V11H13.5Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\r\n<\/svg>\r\ndownload-block-button-text\r\n<\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Connect the WD Passport external hard drive to your computer using a USB cable.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on the <b>Search For Lost Data<\/b> button in the right-hand corner to initiate the scanning process. Disk Drill will check your external hard drive for recoverable data. The scanning process might take some time, depending on factors like the drive size, connection type, and data fragmentation. <img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49426 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-for-scan.jpg\" alt=\"selecting Western Digital drive to scan with Disk Drill\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-for-scan.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-for-scan-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-for-scan-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-for-scan-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-for-scan-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-for-scan-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>After completing the scan, click the <b>Review found items<\/b>\u00a0button.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49429 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wd-passport-scan-screen.jpg\" alt=\"reviewing found items on WD My Passport on Disk Drill\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wd-passport-scan-screen.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wd-passport-scan-screen-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wd-passport-scan-screen-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wd-passport-scan-screen-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wd-passport-scan-screen-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wd-passport-scan-screen-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Preview and select the files you want to recover and then click the <b>Recover<\/b> button.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49421 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-form-wd-passport.jpg\" alt=\"selecting files for recovery from WD disk\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-form-wd-passport.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-form-wd-passport-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-form-wd-passport-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-form-wd-passport-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-form-wd-passport-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-form-wd-passport-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select the destination folder where you would like to save your recovered files.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49425 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-recovery-location-for-files.jpg\" alt=\"selecting recovery destination for files from WD disk\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-recovery-location-for-files.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-recovery-location-for-files-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-recovery-location-for-files-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-recovery-location-for-files-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-recovery-location-for-files-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-recovery-location-for-files-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>These steps demonstrated how to use Disk Drill on Windows, but the process is the same if you need to retrieve files from a WD Passport on a Mac system.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f4ac; For a more informed decision, feel free to explore Disk Drill reviews from users on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trustpilot.com\/review\/www.cleverfiles.com\">Trustpilot<\/a>.<\/div>\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"restore_files_from_a_wd_drive_using_recuva\"><\/span>Restore Files from a WD Drive using Recuva<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p>Recuva is an alternative tool you can use for recovering deleted files from a WD My Passport drive. While it&#8217;s a free option, it does have certain limitations, making it suitable for specific recovery scenarios.<\/p>\r\n<p>Here\u2019s how to restore files from a WD My Passport using Recuva, the free data recovery software for WD My Passport drives:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ccleaner.com\/recuva\/download\">Download<\/a> and open Recuva.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click <b>Next<\/b>.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53922 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/skip-overview-1.jpg\" alt=\"Skipping the Recuva overview.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/skip-overview-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/skip-overview-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/skip-overview-1-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/skip-overview-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Keep <b>All Files<\/b> selected and click <b>Next<\/b>.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53924 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/all-file-types.jpg\" alt=\"Choosing to recover all file types.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/all-file-types.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/all-file-types-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/all-file-types-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/all-file-types-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Keep the <b>I\u2019m not sure<\/b> option selected and click <b>Next<\/b>.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53925 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/file-location.jpg\" alt=\"Choosing where to scan.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/file-location.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/file-location-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/file-location-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/file-location-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click <b>Start<\/b>. You also have the option to run a Deep Scan, but you can choose to do this if the regular scan doesn\u2019t yield the results you expected.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53923 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/start-recuva-scan.jpg\" alt=\"Starting the Recuva scan.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/start-recuva-scan.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/start-recuva-scan-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/start-recuva-scan-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/start-recuva-scan-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select the files you want to recover, then click <b>Recover<\/b>.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53926 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recover-selected-files.jpg\" alt=\"Recovering the selected files.\" width=\"1178\" height=\"757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recover-selected-files.jpg 1178w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recover-selected-files-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recover-selected-files-500x321.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recover-selected-files-768x494.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1178px) 100vw, 1178px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Choose a recovery location on a separate physical drive, then click <b>OK<\/b>.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53921 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recovery-location.jpg\" alt=\"Choosing a recovery location.\" width=\"1177\" height=\"765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recovery-location.jpg 1177w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recovery-location-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recovery-location-500x325.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/recovery-location-768x499.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1177px) 100vw, 1177px\" \/><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f4ac; Recuva is a robust data recovery tool with many more features. Check out our <a href=\"\/howto\/recuva-review.html\"> Recuva review<\/a> for more details.<\/div>\r\n<h2 id=\"light-damage\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"data_recovery_from_a_lightly_damaged_wd_drive\"><\/span>Data Recovery from a Lightly Damaged WD Drive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>A Western Digital drive might exhibit signs of light damage, like a corrupted file system that\u2019s now causing the partition to show as RAW, unallocated disk space that was previously usable, and constant requests from Windows to format the drive. These symptoms suggest the drive is still operational but may be heading towards failure, making WD My Passport data recoverya sensitive task.<\/p>\r\n<p>The added stress of scanning a drive directly can be the tipping point that causes complete failure. Instead, you should create a <a href=\"\/help\/dmg-iso-backup.html\">byte-to-byte image<\/a> and scan that instead. A byte-to-byte copy is a complete copy of your disk structure saved to a file. This allows you to recover everything from the image rather than putting additional stress on the disk.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f4ac; We\u2019ll show you how to create a byte-to-byte backup with Disk Drill. Creating the backup is free. On Windows, you can then recover up to 100 MB at no cost. Use that to pull back must-have files and to see if software can solve your problem before you commit to a Pro license.<\/div>\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"wd_hard_drive_recovery_process\"><\/span>WD Hard Drive Recovery Process<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p>This process is only viable if the WD My Passport drive is both (1) visible in Disk Management, and (2) reading the correct capacity. Otherwise, you should <a href=\"#heavy-damage\">consult a data recovery professional<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Open Disk Drill and click <b>Byte-to-byte Backup<\/b>.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53919 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/byte-to-byte-backup.jpg\" alt=\"Byte-to-byte backup feature.\" width=\"1619\" height=\"935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/byte-to-byte-backup.jpg 1619w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/byte-to-byte-backup-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/byte-to-byte-backup-500x289.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/byte-to-byte-backup-768x444.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/byte-to-byte-backup-1536x887.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1619px) 100vw, 1619px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select your WD My Passport drive, then click <b>Byte-to-byte Backup<\/b>.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-53918 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/create-backup-2.jpg\" alt=\"Creating a backup of the WD drive.\" width=\"1634\" height=\"942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/create-backup-2.jpg 1634w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/create-backup-2-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/create-backup-2-500x288.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/create-backup-2-768x443.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/create-backup-2-1536x886.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1634px) 100vw, 1634px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Give the backup a name and choose where to save it. <img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49420 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/make-wd-passport-backup-with-disk-drill.jpg\" alt=\"Create WD Passport backup with Disk Drill\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/make-wd-passport-backup-with-disk-drill.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/make-wd-passport-backup-with-disk-drill-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/make-wd-passport-backup-with-disk-drill-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/make-wd-passport-backup-with-disk-drill-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/make-wd-passport-backup-with-disk-drill-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/make-wd-passport-backup-with-disk-drill-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>In Disk Drill, attach the disk image you created as the source for recovery.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49419 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/attach-wd-passport-backup-to-disk-drill.jpg\" alt=\"Attach WD passport backup to disk drill\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/attach-wd-passport-backup-to-disk-drill.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/attach-wd-passport-backup-to-disk-drill-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/attach-wd-passport-backup-to-disk-drill-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/attach-wd-passport-backup-to-disk-drill-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/attach-wd-passport-backup-to-disk-drill-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/attach-wd-passport-backup-to-disk-drill-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on &#8220;Search for lost data&#8221; to scan the disk image for recoverable files. The duration of this scan depends on the size of the disk image.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49427 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-image-and-start-scan.jpg\" alt=\"Start scan drive image in Disk Drill\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-image-and-start-scan.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-image-and-start-scan-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-image-and-start-scan-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-image-and-start-scan-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-image-and-start-scan-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/select-wd-passport-image-and-start-scan-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Review and Recover files by checking their integrity, then save the necessary ones to a secure location.<img class=\"border-blue border-radius-10 aligncenter wp-image-49422 size-full\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-from-backup.jpg\" alt=\"preview and select files for recover from disk image\" width=\"2748\" height=\"1563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-from-backup.jpg 2748w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-from-backup-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-from-backup-500x284.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-from-backup-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-from-backup-1536x874.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/preview-files-from-backup-2048x1165.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2748px) 100vw, 2748px\" \/><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h2 id=\"heavy-damage\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"recovery_from_a_wd_drive_with_substantial_physical_damage\"><\/span>Recovery from a WD Drive with Substantial Physical Damage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>In more extreme instances, drives can endure significant <a href=\"\/howto\/dead-hard-drive-recovery.html\">physical damage<\/a> from factors like mechanical failure or external impacts. Data recovery software is of no use here, and instead, you should consult a <a href=\"\/howto\/best-data-recovery-services.html\">data recovery service<\/a>. It\u2019s not always easy to know <em>when<\/em> you should though. Here are three simple diagnostic steps you can take to determine if you should reach out to a recovery professional:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>The disk is still undetected after you\u2019ve changed the cables, tried a different port, and connected it to another computer.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The drive isn\u2019t visible in Disk Management or Device Manager, or it\u2019s showing in Disk Management but with the wrong capacity.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>There are visible signs of physical damage or you can hear unusual noises coming from the drive when it\u2019s powered on, like clicking or scraping.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>While costly, using a data recovery service yields the best results. Rather than simply offering Western Digital My Passport repair services, these recovery centers focus on getting the data off the problematic drive and returning it to you on a healthy storage device. If you\u2019re dealing with a damaged WD drive that has shown one of the three above symptoms, consider checking out the <a href=\"\/data-recovery-center.html\">Clever Files Data Recovery Center<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>The methods mentioned above work well for various WD My Passport Recovery scenarios. However, adopting a prevention-oriented mindset is always better than finding the cure. Thus, paying attention to a few straightforward guidelines will help safeguard your data from being lost or erased in the future. Take some notes from other WD drive owners who have been in similar situations.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>&#x1f50c; <b>Use the correct cables<\/b> &#8211; Using the cables that came with your WD external hard drive, or ones of a similar spec, is essential to ensure you receive consistent performance. Unsuitable cables can cause the drive to act erratically, as seen in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/buildapc\/comments\/igawk\/comment\/c23ircx\/\">this Reddit thread<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>&#x23cf;&#xfe0f; <b>Treat the drive with care<\/b> &#8211; It goes without saying that you should always treat your external hard drive as the delicate storage device it is. However, this also means taking the right steps when disconnecting it. When removing an external drive, always be sure to eject it safely.\u00a0As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/datarecovery\/comments\/1gwno65\/help_lost_files_on_my_wd_2tb_my_passport_after\/\">some users have shared on Reddit<\/a>, the WD drive can become corrupted otherwise.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>&#x1f50d; <b>Study forums for known issues<\/b> &#8211; Be sure to Google the symptoms you\u2019re experiencing, as there\u2019s a chance that other users with the same exact drive are experiencing the same issue. It is indeed possible that manufacturers have released a defective batch of devices, resulting in the same problem appearing for many people, as could be argued <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/datarecovery\/comments\/1bmoi4o\/wd_my_passport_not_working\/\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>&#x1f645;&#x200d;&#x2642;&#xfe0f; <b>Don\u2019t run CHKDSK<\/b> &#8211; CHKDSK is designed to fix file system-related problems, but the way it goes about fixing those problems can be detrimental to your data. As stated in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/techsupport\/comments\/zp729j\/comment\/j0r7wqa\/\">this thread<\/a>, CHKDSK heavily interacts with your data during its operations, which is a big no-no when it comes to data recovery as it can cause the data to become unrecoverable.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>&#x1f5c3;&#xfe0f; <b>Use a compatible file system<\/b> &#8211; The file system used by your WD drive may not be compatible with the operating system. For instance, a Mac won\u2019t be able to read an NTFS drive. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/techsupport\/comments\/18bxyy3\/wd_passport_not_working\/\">This user<\/a>, for example, found this out when their WD Passport formatted on their Mac doesn\u2019t work on their Dell.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"related_posts\"><div class=\"related_posts__inner\"><div class=\"h4\">Read also<\/div><div class=\"related_post\"><div class=\"related_post_item\"><div class=\"related_post_img\"><img src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Frame-62.png\" alt=\"disk\" width=\"140\" height=\"160\" \/><\/div><div class=\"related_post_content\"><a target=\"_self\" href=\"\/howto\/external-drive-not-recognized-windows.html\" class=\"related_post_link\">How to Fix 'Hard Drive Not Showing Up' in Windows<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"related_post\"><div class=\"related_post_item\"><div class=\"related_post_img\"><img src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Frame-61.png\" alt=\"recover data\" width=\"140\" height=\"160\" \/><\/div><div class=\"related_post_content\"><a target=\"_self\" href=\"\/howto\/recover-data-from-dead-external-hard-drive.html\" class=\"related_post_link\">How To Recover Data From a Dead External Hard Drive<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"faq\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<div><section itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading1\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-1\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"does_wd_do_data_recovery\"><\/span>Does WD do data recovery?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>Western Digital doesn\u2019t offer data recovery services directly. Instead, it\u2019s partnered with Ontrack Data Recovery. However, WD owners can only take advantage of this partnership if they purchase a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westerndigital.com\/company\/programs\/data-recovery\">data recovery plan<\/a> with their drive and it\u2019s within the 3-year period to redeem. <\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading2\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-2\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-2\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_recover_data_from_wd\"><\/span>How do I recover data from WD?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading2\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>Here\u2019s how to recover deleted files from your WD:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Download, install &amp; launch Disk Drill<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Connect your WD to a PC<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on storage media &amp; click on <b>Search for Lost Data<\/b><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Find your files and select them<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on <b>Recover<\/b><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading3\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-3\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-3\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_transfer_my_passport_to_my_new_computer\"><\/span>How do I transfer my passport to my new computer?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading3\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>Connect the WD My Passport\u00a0to your new computer. Navigate to <b>My Computer<\/b> and choose the external hard drive&#8217;s folder. Just drag and drop your\u00a0files into the folder, or copy and paste them to transfer My Passport to your new computer.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading4\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-4\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-4\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_can_i_freely_recover_deleted_files_from_a_wd_external_hard_drive\"><\/span>How can I freely recover deleted files from a WD external hard drive?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-4\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading4\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>You can use the Windows version of Disk Drill that lets you preview everything and recover up to 100 MB of essential data at no cost. Before you begin, stop using the WD drive, ignore Windows prompts to format the drive, and remember to recover files to a different disk. Then follow these steps:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Download and install Disk Drill for Windows.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Connect your WD external drive directly (avoid flaky hubs).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Open Disk Drill, select the WD drive, and click <b>Search for lost data<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use <b>Review found items<\/b> to preview files (photos\/docs\/videos).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select the most important files and use the free 100 MB to pull them back. <\/li>\r\n\t<li>Choose a recovery destination and finish the process.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 01px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"heading5\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-5\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-5\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_fix_a_corrupted_western_digital_external_hard_drive\"><\/span>How do I fix a corrupted Western Digital external hard drive?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-5\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"heading5\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>Here\u2019s a list of tips to fix a corrupted WD hard drive:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Try executing the <b>CHKDSK<\/b> command on CMD<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Assign a new drive letter from <b>Disk Management<\/b><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use the <b>Windows Repair Tool<\/b> to check &amp; fix errors<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Reinstall your WD driver from <b>Drive Manager<\/b><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recovering data from a WD My Passport drive might seem challenging, but with the right instructions, it&#8217;s entirely achievable. This guide is here to help you through each step of the process. You&#8217;ll find that with a clear approach and&#8230;","protected":false},"author":7887,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1753],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-45256","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-hard-drive-data-recovery-tips"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Recover Files from WD My Passport Drive (2025)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Did you delete precious data from your WD hard drive? Spare us five minutes for a few hassle-free and easy data recovery techniques.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wd-passport-data-recovery.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Recover Files from WD My Passport Drive (2025)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Did you delete precious data from your WD hard drive? Spare us five minutes for a few hassle-free and easy data recovery techniques.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wd-passport-data-recovery.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Data recovery tips. 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