Customer reviews from Western Digital
WD - My Passport Ultra 1TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive
Average customer rating
2
(29 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 29 reviews
5 Stars
5
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
3
1 Star
18
14%of customers recommend this product.
(
1 out of
7)
Customer Reviews for WD - My Passport Ultra 1TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive
Customer Rating
1
crappy product and fake reviews
on July 5, 2021
Posted by: nimzy1089
It's a hassle even getting it recognized on my windows 10 pc. Everyone else is right about the cable being the problem and it doesn't stay seated. Those 5 star reviews are obviously fake, who buys 12 mini storage devices???
Response from Western DigitalBy SM OLS Team, July 20, 2021
Hi nimzy1089,
We're sorry to hear about your experience with WD My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive and appreciate your time for providing the review.
There can be a few causes due to which the drive has stopped working. Such causes include the faulty USB port of the drive or the computer, faulty USB cable of the drive or the drive itself may not be getting enough power to spin up and register on the computer to show up. Unsafe ejection of the drive during any read or write operation can also result in the corruption of the drive's partition.
Please try a different USB cable to connect the drive to check if the cable is faulty or not. If the cable is faulty and your drive is under warranty then we recommend you contact our support team via phone and request a new cable.
The best practice is to run diagnostics with WD Drive Utilities when a drive does not perform as expected or is behaving abnormally. We recommend avoiding USB hubs for external hard drives and therefore connect the drive directly to a USB 3.0 port on the computer. Please refer to the WD support page to know more.
"Setting up and using WD Security and WD Drive Utilities":
Search for knowledge base article:13880
"Windows or macOS Cannot Find My Drive":
Search for knowledge base article:12455
If the test is inconclusive and the drive is under warranty, you can replace the drive by creating RMA with Western Digital. To know the steps to create an RMA, you can refer to the WD support page.
"How to Get an RMA to Replace a Defective Product, Obtain a Power Supply, or USB Cable for a WD Product":
Search for knowledge base article: 10336
We would like the chance to work with you directly to help address your concerns and help provide a good overall user experience. You can contact us by phone below and provide your details.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information
We're sorry to hear about your experience with WD My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive and appreciate your time for providing the review.
There can be a few causes due to which the drive has stopped working. Such causes include the faulty USB port of the drive or the computer, faulty USB cable of the drive or the drive itself may not be getting enough power to spin up and register on the computer to show up. Unsafe ejection of the drive during any read or write operation can also result in the corruption of the drive's partition.
Please try a different USB cable to connect the drive to check if the cable is faulty or not. If the cable is faulty and your drive is under warranty then we recommend you contact our support team via phone and request a new cable.
The best practice is to run diagnostics with WD Drive Utilities when a drive does not perform as expected or is behaving abnormally. We recommend avoiding USB hubs for external hard drives and therefore connect the drive directly to a USB 3.0 port on the computer. Please refer to the WD support page to know more.
"Setting up and using WD Security and WD Drive Utilities":
Search for knowledge base article:13880
"Windows or macOS Cannot Find My Drive":
Search for knowledge base article:12455
If the test is inconclusive and the drive is under warranty, you can replace the drive by creating RMA with Western Digital. To know the steps to create an RMA, you can refer to the WD support page.
"How to Get an RMA to Replace a Defective Product, Obtain a Power Supply, or USB Cable for a WD Product":
Search for knowledge base article: 10336
We would like the chance to work with you directly to help address your concerns and help provide a good overall user experience. You can contact us by phone below and provide your details.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital
Posted by: R C Love
Verified Purchase:Yes
I own close to 12 or more WD hard drives and they all have been good to me the new passport is a great addition. I pretty much stick with WD both in and out of my 10 computer network.
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital
Customer Rating
1
Unreliable, poor MTBF, slooooow!
on September 10, 2023
Posted by: SailRN
Started building systems in the mid 1980s, using CP/M. Then IBM OEM partner, and so on. Ever since WD started manufacturing HDD they were my HDD of choice with better reliability. Regretfully I can no longer recommend WD as the product quality is diminished, and they certainly aren't reliable. I own a number of these My Passport Ultra portable drives, from 1 TB to 5 TB, and I've experienced ~ 30% early failure rates in these. Product quality dropped when the drive specifications changed from 3600 RPM and 2 ms track-to-track latency to pretty blue anodized aluminum case, innovative style. Up to 5 Gb/s? Never seen it happen, on my USB 3.2 I've never seen it get above ~ 180 Mb/s. I think the platter must be a stone disc with a miniature chisel writing the information. And yes, the Acronis software is the pits.
I'm sorry that I can no longer recommend WD, it had a superb product for many years, but no longer.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Western DigitalBy SM OLS, September 13, 2023
Hello,
We're sorry to hear about your user experience with My Passport Ultra and appreciate your time for providing the review.
We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience .This is not the service we ever want for our customers, this usually never happens. Please allow us to make it correct for you. If you need any assistance then, You could raise a concern ticket on the given link, the customer support team get back to you in a earliest possible time . Please refer to the link mentioned: https://support-en.wd.com/app/ask/session/
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. We would appreciate the opportunity to assist you further. You can contact us by phone below and provide your details.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information.
We're sorry to hear about your user experience with My Passport Ultra and appreciate your time for providing the review.
We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience .This is not the service we ever want for our customers, this usually never happens. Please allow us to make it correct for you. If you need any assistance then, You could raise a concern ticket on the given link, the customer support team get back to you in a earliest possible time . Please refer to the link mentioned: https://support-en.wd.com/app/ask/session/
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. We would appreciate the opportunity to assist you further. You can contact us by phone below and provide your details.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information.
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital
Customer Rating
3
I purchased My Passport Ultra
on July 3, 2021
Posted by: JTMNYC
It stores well but I cannot edit. It will not allow me to delete a file or move it. I have a Mac—it is listed as a My Passport for Mac. I have searched around and none of the guidance for deleting a file works. Command+Delete doesn't work. Dragging to trash doesn't work.
Response from Western DigitalBy SM OLS Team, July 20, 2021
Hi JTMNYC,
We are sorry to hear about your experience with WD My Passport Ultra hard drive and appreciate your time providing this review and bringing this matter to our attention.
Please let us confirm that WD My Passport Ultra is a plug-and-play device that comes preformatted in the NTFS file system for Windows operating system. If you are using a Mac computer then the drive needs to be formatted in the HFS+J file system for operation. Please refer to the WD support page in order to reformat the drive for macOS to the HFS+J file system.
"How to Partition and Format a WD Drive on Windows and macOS":
Search for knowledge base article: 8200
Moreover, it's possible that your drive might have the correct file format but you will also need the appropriate permissions to be enabled on macOS to make sure that you can read as well as write to the drive. For this, we recommend you get in touch with Apple support to make sure that all necessary permissions are enabled on your macOS to access the drive and to make changes to its contents.
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. We would appreciate the opportunity to assist you further. You can contact us by phone below and provide your details.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information
We are sorry to hear about your experience with WD My Passport Ultra hard drive and appreciate your time providing this review and bringing this matter to our attention.
Please let us confirm that WD My Passport Ultra is a plug-and-play device that comes preformatted in the NTFS file system for Windows operating system. If you are using a Mac computer then the drive needs to be formatted in the HFS+J file system for operation. Please refer to the WD support page in order to reformat the drive for macOS to the HFS+J file system.
"How to Partition and Format a WD Drive on Windows and macOS":
Search for knowledge base article: 8200
Moreover, it's possible that your drive might have the correct file format but you will also need the appropriate permissions to be enabled on macOS to make sure that you can read as well as write to the drive. For this, we recommend you get in touch with Apple support to make sure that all necessary permissions are enabled on your macOS to access the drive and to make changes to its contents.
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. We would appreciate the opportunity to assist you further. You can contact us by phone below and provide your details.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital
Customer Rating
1
Horrible Product. Please Don’t Buy.
on January 20, 2025
Posted by: dontbuypassport
I bought this thing 3 months ago and crashed on me last week. Had a few gigs of storage on it. Don’t trust this product.
Response from Western DigitalBy SM OLS, March 3, 2025
Hi, We are sorry for the inconvenience and delayed response. We recommend that you try connecting the drive to another computer using another cable and USB port. If the drive produces the same problem with another computer, please open a ticket with detailed information and possible error screenshots at https://support-en.wd.com/app/askweb, our technical team will contact you as soon as possible.
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital
Customer Rating
1
Slowest HDD I have ever owned.
on October 9, 2023
Posted by: WDhater
Absolute trash. Transfer speeds are nowhere near as advertised no matter what connection I make. Recently speeds have dropped to 40 MB/s and I bought a proper SSD. It will take 4 days to transfer all my old files off this 4TB paperweight.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Western DigitalBy SM OLS, October 12, 2023
Hello,
We're sorry to hear about your user experience with the WD My Passport Ultra Hard drive and appreciate your time for providing this review.
Slow performance can be caused due to several factors like computer configuration, multiple applications running on the computer while trying to access or backup the data, fragmented disk which may also result in slow computer disk read capability, the total amount of data on a disk and the relative size of each file, encrypted backup or scanning of each file by anti-virus installed in the computer or USB port of the computer with which the drive is connected etc.
Stopping applications and software that use CPU and memory, keeping all the files in a single directory instead spreading them in multiple directories, connecting the drive directly to the USB 3.0 port of the computer and avoiding the USB hub while using the drive, etc. are the recommended steps to enhance the performance of the drive.
As a troubleshooting step, please ensure that the Hard Drive is connected directly on the USB 3.0 port of the computer and the files which you are attempting to copy are not in use by any other program of the computer.
Furthermore, you can also refer to the link suggested below and check for the Theoretical USB Interface Speeds to find out the theoretical speed given by different USB port types.
"Theoretical USB Interface Speeds":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5043
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. Please contact us via the phone to ensure an overall good experience with Western Digital. We'd be happy to help.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information.
We're sorry to hear about your user experience with the WD My Passport Ultra Hard drive and appreciate your time for providing this review.
Slow performance can be caused due to several factors like computer configuration, multiple applications running on the computer while trying to access or backup the data, fragmented disk which may also result in slow computer disk read capability, the total amount of data on a disk and the relative size of each file, encrypted backup or scanning of each file by anti-virus installed in the computer or USB port of the computer with which the drive is connected etc.
Stopping applications and software that use CPU and memory, keeping all the files in a single directory instead spreading them in multiple directories, connecting the drive directly to the USB 3.0 port of the computer and avoiding the USB hub while using the drive, etc. are the recommended steps to enhance the performance of the drive.
As a troubleshooting step, please ensure that the Hard Drive is connected directly on the USB 3.0 port of the computer and the files which you are attempting to copy are not in use by any other program of the computer.
Furthermore, you can also refer to the link suggested below and check for the Theoretical USB Interface Speeds to find out the theoretical speed given by different USB port types.
"Theoretical USB Interface Speeds":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5043
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. Please contact us via the phone to ensure an overall good experience with Western Digital. We'd be happy to help.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information.
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital
Customer Rating
1
DO NOT BUY
on November 14, 2024
Posted by: goody2shoes12247
hate WD'S products..i'll never buy from them again.. had drive less for two months and already acting janky!!! cheap crap
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Western DigitalBy SM OLS, November 14, 2024
Hi, We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. We recommend that you try connecting the drive to another computer using a different cable. If the drive creates same issue with another computer then open a ticket with the error screenshots if any at https://support-en.wd.com/app/askweb our technical team will get in touch with you at the earliest.
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital
Customer Rating
2
Drive is not recognized by any computer
on January 18, 2022
Posted by: Martin Sevillano
I haven't used it in a few months and now the drive won't mount in either mac or windows... I don't know what the solution is... Did I just loose all its content??
Response from Western DigitalBy SM OLS Team, January 21, 2022
Hello Martin,
We are sorry to hear about your user experience with WD My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive and appreciate your time providing this review and bringing this matter to our concern. There can a few causes due to which the drive has stopped working. Such causes include the faulty USB port of the drive or the computer, faulty USB cable of the drive or the drive itself may not be getting enough power to spin up and register on the computer to show up. Unsafe ejection of the drive during any read or write operation can also result in the corruption of the drive's partition.
Best practice is to run diagnostics with WD Drive Utilities when a drive does not perform as expected or is behaving abnormally. We recommend avoiding USB hubs for external hard drives and therefore connect the drive directly to a USB 3.0 port on the computer. We have placed a few helpful links below providing more information for your convenience.
"Setting up and using WD Security and WD Drive Utilities":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/13880
"Windows or macOS Cannot Find My Drive":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12455
If the test is unfortunately inconclusive and you just purchased the drive then you should be able to return it to the place of purchase. However, if you are past their return policy, you can create an RMA through WD and replace the drive under warranty if necessary.
"How to get an RMA to replace a defective product, or obtain a power supply or USB cable for a WD product":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10336
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. You can contact us directly via phone to address any questions or concerns to ensure a good overall user experience.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information.
We are sorry to hear about your user experience with WD My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive and appreciate your time providing this review and bringing this matter to our concern. There can a few causes due to which the drive has stopped working. Such causes include the faulty USB port of the drive or the computer, faulty USB cable of the drive or the drive itself may not be getting enough power to spin up and register on the computer to show up. Unsafe ejection of the drive during any read or write operation can also result in the corruption of the drive's partition.
Best practice is to run diagnostics with WD Drive Utilities when a drive does not perform as expected or is behaving abnormally. We recommend avoiding USB hubs for external hard drives and therefore connect the drive directly to a USB 3.0 port on the computer. We have placed a few helpful links below providing more information for your convenience.
"Setting up and using WD Security and WD Drive Utilities":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/13880
"Windows or macOS Cannot Find My Drive":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12455
If the test is unfortunately inconclusive and you just purchased the drive then you should be able to return it to the place of purchase. However, if you are past their return policy, you can create an RMA through WD and replace the drive under warranty if necessary.
"How to get an RMA to replace a defective product, or obtain a power supply or USB cable for a WD product":
https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10336
All our products must pass our stringent quality standards before leaving our factory to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. We stand behind our products throughout the device's factory warranty period. You can contact us directly via phone to address any questions or concerns to ensure a good overall user experience.
Need Help? Please see our "'Contact Us" page for information.
Written by a customer while visiting Western Digital