How to Fix WD My Passport Not Showing Up on Windows and Mac

Nothing switches your mood off faster than plugging in your WD My Passport, only to find it doesn’t show up on Windows or Mac. This is a serious crisis when you’ve got crucial files trapped inside.

So, what causes it, and how can you rescue your critical data? We’ll tell you in this post. In addition, we’ll share how to troubleshoot the ‘WD My Passport not showing up’ on Windows or Mac, according to the reasons for this malfunction.

Part 1: Why WD My Passport Is Not Showing Up?

When WD My Passport does not show up​ on Windows or Mac, it could be because of a number of reasons, like:

• Bad USB cable or port.
• Not enough power in the USB port.
• Corrupted file system or bad sectors.
• No drive letter is assigned to the disk.
• Physical damage to the disk.
• If My WD Passport is not working and making a clicking sound, there’s a mechanical failure.
• Outdated or corrupted disk drivers.
• Other connected devices can cause conflicts.
• Malware can block disk detection.

Part 2: Rescue Data From an Undetected WD Hard Drive

If My Passport hard drive is not showing up on Windows or Mac, this means you can’t access its data. But before you apply any solution to make it show up, rescue your crucial files with the help of a free data recovery software. This step is also critical, as you might have to format the disk to troubleshoot if My Passport Ultra does not show up​ on your system.

Formatting the drive will cause data loss. So, it’s better to retrieve it first. But only a professional tool that can access unreadable/inaccessible drives can do the job. For example, 4DDiG Data Recovery is hardcore software that can rescue data from corrupted, formatted, hidden, unreadable, and inaccessible disks with high success. Here’s how this tool can benefit you:

• This recovery program can retrieve files from almost all types of internal/external storage medium.
• The tool can retrieve 2000+ file types, including videos, photos, RAW files, documents, etc.
• This WD recovery app can reclaim files from crashed computers, virus attacks, unbootable drives, missing partitions, and much more.
• No technical knowledge required.

Step 1: Connect the problematic disk. Then, install and execute the recovery software on your computer. Choose the WD disk. Then, select the file types to reclaim. Hit “Scan.”

Step 2: You can pause or stop scanning once you find the files you need. Preview before exporting them.

Step 3: Select the files to export. Hit “Recover” to save them in a secure place on your computer or cloud drive.

Part 3: How to Fix WD My Passport Not Showing Up on Windows 11/10?

Here’s how to troubleshoot the ‘WD My Passport Ultra does not show up​’ issue in Windows 10/11. Start with basic examinations, then proceed to other solutions:

3.1 Perform Basic Checks

First, perform basic inspections if the WD My Passport is not showing up in Windows 11/10. This is to rule out connection issues and temporary glitches that might be causing this problem. Start by examining the connection and USB cable to see if it’s loose.  Next, check the power. Ascertain that the drive is turned on and connected to a stable USB 3.0 port. Finally, reboot your computer. Shut it down. Then, unplug the power cord for a while. Switch on the computer again. This can clear temporary glitches.

3.2 Try Another Cable, Port, or PC

The ‘WD My Passport not showing up​’ issue could be due to a malfunctioning USB cable or a damaged USB port. If the drive still doesn’t show up, test it on another computer to check if the problem is specific to your PC.

3.3 Update Disk Drivers

Obsolete disk drivers can also result in the ‘My Passport hard drive not showing up’ on Windows. Updates include bug fixes and security patches that are crucial for a drive’s visibility and performance. Thus, if My Passport Ultra does not show up​ on Windows, here’s how you can update the WD driver:

Step 1: Connect the WD disk to the computer. Right-click the “Start Menu.” Then, execute “Device Manager. 

Step 2: Tap “Disk drives” to extend it. Right-click the WD driver. Next, click “Update driver.” 

Step 3: Either download the WD driver from the manufacturer’s site and install it manually or let Windows find a compatible one.

3.4 Format the Drive to NTFS

In case My Passport hard drive is not showing up on Windows File Explorer, it could be because of an incompatible or corrupted file system. Thus, you can format the WD drive to a compatible file system like NTFS in Disk Management if it shows up as unallocated or RAW. Here’s how to troubleshoot WD My Passport not showing up in Windows 11/10 by formatting it:

Step 1: Connect your WD drive to your computer. Then, right-click the “Start Menu.” Next, execute “Disk Management.”

Step 2: Right-click the problematic WD drive. Tap “Format.”

Step 3: Modify the volume label, allocation unit size, and pick the file system as NTFS. Uncheck “Perform a quick format.” Hit “OK.”

3.5 Remove the Bare Drive and Test It

Remove the bare drive from its enclosure. Then, test it to check if the ‘My WD Passport not working’ problem is with the drive itself or the USB board. But this will void the warranty and risk damage. 

Also, some models don’t have a standard SATA port, as the USB is built into the drive’s board. So, you may not be able to connect it directly. If you try, handle carefully, and use anti-static protection.

Part 4: How to Fix WD My Passport Not Showing Up on Mac?

Here’s how to troubleshoot if the WD My Passport is not showing up on Mac in 5 ways:

4.1 Change Your Preferences

Your external disks might be excluded from the Finder Preferences in Mac. That’s why the WD My Passport does not show up​ on the Desktop/Finder. Thus, you can change the preferences to include the external disks like WD. To do so:

Step 1: Open “Finder” on your Mac. Then, choose “Preferences.” 

Step 2: Click “Sidebar.” Next, tick mark “External disks” beneath “Locations.”

Step 3: Head back to “Preferences.” Next, tap “General.” Tick mark “External disks.”

4.2 Format the WD Drive to APFS

In case the ‘WD My Passport is not showing up on Mac,’ either the disk’s file system is corrupted, or it’s formatted to NTFS, a Windows-compatible file system. For either reason, you must format the WD drive to a Mac-compatible file system like APFS. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: Connect the inaccessible WD drive to your Mac. Then, open “Disk Utility.” 

Step 2: Choose the WD disk. Next, tap “Erase” from the above menu. 

Step 3: Pick a “Name” for the WD drive and “Format,” e.g., APFS. Hit “Erase” again.

4.3 Reset NVRAM

In some cases, when the WD My Passport is not showing up on Mac, a quick way of troubleshooting this is to reset NVRAM. It contains startup disk, display, and network settings, and when they’re corrupted, they could prevent the drive from being detected. Clearing them resets the settings and can solve the WD missing disk problem. Here’s how to troubleshoot if My Passport Ultra does not show up​ on your Mac:

Step 1: Click the “Apple logo.” Choose “Restart.” When the screen goes black, press and hold “Option + Command + P + R.”

Step 2: Keep holding these keys until you hear the startup sound twice or see the Apple logo appear and disappear twice.

Step 3: Connect the inaccessible WD drive to your Mac. Inspect if it appears in the Disk Utility.

4.4 Mount WD Drive Manually 

Where the ‘My WD Passport is not working, such as it simply looks greyed out in the Disk Utility, then it means it’s not mounted. Nevertheless, the issue of ‘WD My Passport not showing up​’ on Mac can be solved by mounting the disk manually. To do so:

Step 1: Connect the inaccessible WD drive to your Mac. Then, open “Disk Utility.” Right-click the WD drive. Hit “Mount.”

Step 2: When the WD disk is successfully mounted, it will show up on the Desktop.

4.5 Force Mount Your WD Drive Using the Terminal

Force a WD drive to mount in Terminal on macOS. This is ideal when the WD disk doesn’t mount automatically or manually because of system glitches, permission issues, or file system errors. Terminal commands can bypass these problems to troubleshoot if the WD My Passport does not show up on the Mac. Here’s how:

Step 1: Connect your inaccessible WD drive to your Mac. Then, with Spotlight search, find Terminal. Execute it.

Step 2: Then, place the following commands in the Terminal:

• diskutil list (This will display all drives. But look for your drive’s ID (e.g., disk2).
• sudo diskutil mount /dev/disk2 (This replaces disk2 with your drive’s ID).

Step 3: Enter your password when asked.

Conclusion

The ‘WD My Passport not showing up’ malfunction might materialize on Windows or Mac because of defective cables, ports, file system glitches, or obsolete drivers. But since some solutions, like formatting the WD disk, can wipe out data, it’s best to rescue your files first with a tool like 4DDiG Data Recovery. 

It can restore data from damaged or unreadable drives with high success. Next, start by examining the connection, such as trying another cable, port, or computer. Then, proceed to advanced solutions.