Wd elements external hard drive how to#
Wd elements external hard drive for mac#
Wd elements external hard drive install#
Wd elements external hard drive software#

Otherwise, you will need to turn off the computer before disconnecting the drive. If you want to leave your computer on and disconnect the drive, you will need to safely remove ('eject' on macOS) the drive before you unplug it. Both Windows and macOS will read and write data to the drive, even if you are not using your computer.

Wd elements external hard drive how to#

For more information, please refer to Answer ID 3823: How to Access and Use the macOS Disk Utility.

For macOS, verify your drive is visible in Disk Utility.

For more information, please refer to Answer ID 18075: Access and Use Disk Management Tools on Windows.

For Windows OS, verify your drive is visible in Disk Management.

Upon connecting to the computer, the external hard drive should be recognized and ready for use.

Wd elements external hard drive install#

If your computer is on, the OS should detect and install the native OS drivers for your drive. The drive should then power on (you shouldn't need to use the power switch).

Wd elements external hard drive for mac#

Please note My Passport for Mac comes with a USB-Micro B cable to Type A end pre-mounted/assembled with a Type-C adaptor on the Type A end of the Micro-B to Type-A cable for out of box compatibility with new Mac systems, please refer to Answer ID 31975: My Passport for Mac: Cable and Adaptor.Ĭonnect the other end of the USB cable into the external portable drive. Whenever possible WD recommends using the USB cable that came with the external portable drive. This includes 'reel' cables and extension cables even if the total length is less than 18 inches. Some third-party data cables may be able to transfer enough power to the drive. The drive may not get enough power to run if a USB cable longer than 18 inches is used. Make sure that the USB cable is no longer than 18 inches in length (22 inches for My Passport drives manufactured prior to 2007). Please refer to the section titled WD Discovery.Ĭonnect the USB cable directly into your computer (do not use a USB hub, please refer to Answer ID 30483: USB Hubs Not Recommended). WD Discovery comes preloaded on supported drives.

Wd elements external hard drive software#

No software is needed for external drives to function as storage devices. Hard drives are power hungry and do not start if they do not get ample power.External Drives may also be referred to as USB Drives or Direct Attached Storage (DAS) devices.

If you have an error pop up with mount -a then edit it into your answer so i can help but do a simple search for the error because most likely there is a problem with your ubuntu which has already been discussed elsewhere.īTW: make sure that your drive is getting enough power if your ubuntu is installed on a different machine for windows. Second is to create a directory at /media with mkdir /media/name and use your result from the fdisk -l command here by typing mount -t /dev/sdb1 /mount/name -o uid=1000,gid=1000,utf8,dmask=027,fmask=137 where sdb1 can be what you see in fdisk -l results. If this doesn't work go to terminal after plugging in the drive and type lsusb or fdisk -l and you should see your drive here with the name Western Digital or something of the like.Īfter this you can take 2 approaches, first is to just type mount -a and it should be mounted in /media/your-hard-disk and you should be able to access it. If you have formatted already then check /media for your hard drive. If you mean that you can put media on the drive from windows then you have already formatted otherwise do that.