The WD My Passport (external USB disk) was initially recognised just fine by Windows 11. I could see all the files and folders and copied some data off it. Then, on a reboot, Windows decided to “repair” the drive (this took a l-o-n-g time). The drive no longer works. It also no longer work on my Windows 10 laptop. I’m worried that all the data has been lost, but that is hopefully not the case.
I can see the drive listed in the Device Manager as a “WD SES Device USB Device”, but it says no drivers are installed and there are not compatible drivers. Then it turns out I can’t download drivers from the WD site: they are only available through Windows. Seriously?
The drive is not assigned a driver letter. It is not recognised by the Add Hardware feature in Control Panel. There is no problem with cables. The Windows MSDT tool said a driver was missing and attempted to install it. This did not work. I have tried some of the WD Software tools, but so far without success. How can I recover the drive? Windows 10 or Windows 11 is fine.
Hi @UnicycleBloke
Have you opened a Support Case? If not opened, for more information, please contact the WD Technical Support team for the best assistance and troubleshooting:
Try using free data recovery tools. Make sure you pick one that lets you make a disk image first—basically a clone of the drive—so you can scan safely without risking more damage if the drive’s flaky.
If that doesn’t turn up the files you need, honestly your best bet is a pro data recovery service.
If Windows displays a prompt asking you to “Delete” or “Initialize” the hard drive, be sure to click “Cancel” to avoid data loss.
You need to right-click the Windows Start menu, select “Disk Management,” locate your WD My Passport (external USB drive), and verify its current status.
Normal Status:
The drive shows a valid capacity but lacks a drive letter (access path); the file system is intact, but the system simply failed to assign a path for access.
Right-click the partition > Select “Change Drive Letter and Paths” > Click “Add” > Assign any available English letter to it.
RAW or Unallocated Status:
The partition table or file system is corrupted, preventing direct access.
You must use data recovery software to extract your files to your computer’s internal hard drive; then, within “Disk Management,” right-click the external drive and select “Format” to rebuild the file system and restore the drive to working order.
