WD MyBook case for another hard drive

Hi, that’s my first post here.

Few months ago I have bought a MyBook 4TB HDD and used it for some time. Recently, i took out the HDD that was inside, put it into my PC (i am building my own “NAS” system), and wanted to use my old internal 500gb WD Blue 3.5 HDD in that enclosure. Everything went fine, i put that WD Blue in the case, drive is spinning and it is even visible in Windows Disk Manager, but i can’t initialize it, because when i try to do it, Windows says there is a hardware problem. I don’t know what the problem is, i have tested it and formatted the drive minutes before putting it inside and it worked fine. Does WD blocks other hard drives by its firmware on the circuit board? If so, that means MyBooks are just e-waste, but i don’t want to throw away a good case.

Thanks in advance.

It’s unfortunate that you’re experiencing difficulties with initializing your WD Blue HDD after putting it in the MyBook enclosure. While Western Digital (WD) does not intentionally block other hard drives from being used in their enclosures, there could be a few reasons why you’re encountering this issue. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:

1. Check the connections: Ensure that all the connections inside the enclosure are securely attached. Double-check the SATA and power cables to make sure they are properly connected to the HDD.

2. Test the drive on another system: Connect the WD Blue HDD to another computer or a different enclosure (if available) to determine if the issue persists. This will help identify if the problem lies with the enclosure or the HDD itself.

3. Verify compatibility: Confirm that the WD Blue HDD is compatible with the MyBook enclosure. Check the specifications and supported drive sizes for the enclosure to ensure that it can accommodate the 500GB WD Blue HDD.

4. Update enclosure firmware: Visit the manufacturer’s website and check if there are any firmware updates available for your specific MyBook enclosure. Updating the firmware might resolve any compatibility issues or bugs that could be causing the problem.

5. Try a different enclosure or adapter: If possible, try using a different enclosure or a USB-to-SATA adapter to connect the WD Blue HDD to your computer. This will help determine if the issue is specific to the MyBook enclosure or if it persists with other external connections as well.

6. Seek professional assistance: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it might be worth contacting technical support or seeking assistance from a professional technician. They can provide further guidance and help troubleshoot the problem more extensively.

Remember, it’s always a good idea to back up any important data before making changes or troubleshooting hardware to prevent potential data loss.

Could I use the enclosure for a hard drive and get it password protected as well? Always wanted to know if it was the enclosure that made the hard drive password protected

I don’t think the My Book enclosure will universally support drives other than the original. The password and security key are stored in a reserved portion of the user area, but there is a copy of the key in the firmware area of the drive. The My Book would not be able to access the firmware area of a foreign drive, nor would a foreign drive have the same firmware module.