My Passport Ultra Backup Mac



In this WD My Passport Ultra Review, all the things about this drive are discussed honestly.

Western Digital My Passport Ultra Portable Drive is one of the popular external hard drives among the consumers who know the importance of data, and it’s backup.

Ultra

Isn’t It?

Not the Number One but still WD My Passport Ultra is a high-profile name in hard drives list and one of the smart portable model of its family.

Contents

  • 4 Final Verdict
  1. Select the External WD disk you want to use for backup and click on Erase Disk (presuming you want to use the entire disk as your backup - if not you’ll need to call Apple for different directions). Pick a name and you want to format as “APFS” (not encrypted or case sensitive) with GUID Map. That was very quick.
  2. Page 40 MY PASSPORT ULTRA USER MANUAL 9. To back up all of the files and folders on the selected backup source device: a. Verify that the backup mode is file and that Ready to perform file backup appears at the upper-left corner of the Backup screen. Page 41 MY PASSPORT ULTRA USER MANUAL 10. To backup selected files or folders from selected.

Select the Time Machine option and click the Select Disk option. Now, choose your WD drive from the displayed list. Click the Use Backup Disk button to back up all the files on your Mac device automatically. Now, all the files will be automatically saved to your external drive.

WD(Western Digital) My Passport Ultra Review 1TB & 2TB

The new Western Digital My Passport has also earned the title of Editor’s choice in our list of Top Ten best external hard drives. Western Digital My Passport Ultra also gives the storage capacity up to 3Tb, but this is not the only cool thing about WD. We can also say it wd SmartWare review due to its popularity

It is on the list of best sellers due to the versatility, affordable price, performing excellently in the areas of security and backup software, and in numerous help and support channels. You can use WD My Passport Ultra for MAC and PC both, but there are a certain set of actions you need to take to work with MAC because by default it comes prepared to work with Windows use.

Don’t worry in this guide you will easily learn how to setup for MAC just follow the guide process is given in below paragraphs.

WD My Passport is available in different colors including the black, white, blue and berry with an option for more than 20 mix-and-match colors available in WD Grip Packs. WD can easily fit in your pocket due to it’s compact size. Also, Backup Software is very easy to use, and the encryption of drive is totally lossless and has no effect on the performance of the drive. The speed gives almost equal to Seagate backup plus.

WD My Passport Ultra is the successor of the WD My Passport Edge and way faster than WD Edge. The WD Ultra offers a generous amount of storage capacity of more than 4TB Previously we had wd my passport ultra 2tb and wd my passport ultra 1tb which are still available in the market. SmartWare backup software is included with the drive. The design of the drive is very attractive, and when combined with selected colors it looks beautiful while holding in your hand. Didn’t Agreed with me? Try yourself.

My Passport Ultra Backup Mac

In simple words, the WD Ultra is a little wonder in the world of external hard drives that is compact and offers a generous amount of storage capacity to carry your data or backup, and while ready to go with you on travel and giving an excellent performance the new. The editor of wd my passport ultra review recommends My Passport Ultra is an excellent buy.

Design and Features

You will be misconceived if you see the WP My Passport Ultra because it looks similar to My Passport Edge. The only difference that can be pointed out is the word “Edge” is replaced with “Ultra” on the casing. Either way the drive is very much similar to it’s predecessor. Being light weight and compact the drive feels sturdy a little bit.

The New My Passport Ultra has dimensions of 3.21 x 4.33 x 0.83 and weighs 0.5 lb.A Mirco-USB 3.0 port is available on the side of the drive to connect the USB cable that comes along with the drive purchase. This cable serves for the power and data tasks both the same time and gets relaxed still more to come. WD Ultra is also backward compatible means if you wanted to use it for USB 2.0 you can use it but to get the maximum performance of WD Ultra; the recommendation is to use it with USB 3.0.Few people might think what is wd smartware but this is it

As i stated above that the drive comes prepared to work with windows directly as the drive is preformatted NTFS for Windows. In Case you are MAC user and want to use the Ultra for you MAC then it’s a simple process to reformat the drive for your MACs(HFS+). The backup software called WD SmartWare is also included in the drive to take the necessary backups as WD Drive Utilities and WD Security.

The Drive also comes with 3 years limited warranty so in case you got an issue with the drive you replace it from the vendors. You can upgrade to the WD SmartWare Pro version at free of cost. This piece of software works with all external hard drives, also the drives offered by other vendors. If you are Ultra user, you can activate the WD SmartWare at two times on two different computers. This brief wd my passport ultra review is best to select a drive for you.

WD SmartWare is not required to install for the drive to work. But it is useful. The WD Drive Utilities contains the utilities that are responsible for the drive status, drive functionality and to reformat it. Your contents in the drive can be secured or password protected with the WD security.

Don’t ever forget your password otherwise you will loose all your data on the drive.

The drive supports very strong encryption and the password selected once is always the key to access your data on the drive. MAC users also pay close attention because both of these WD Drive Utilities and WD Security are available for them as well as Windows users.

But WD SmartWare is not available for MAC users it is only available for the Windows users. Nothing to worry for the MAC users as there is always a solution for a problem. Then can install Time Machine with to take the Backup of their data. Though WD SmartWare performs the very handy job for this task but with Time Machine that’s not a big deal.

This software is very smart it automatically takes the backup of your important data to incase you are not a computer geek. The best thing about WD SmartWare is that now you can take backups to Dropbox Online service just you need a dropbox account. Then leave it on the software.

The downside is that it doesn’t back up the entire system for system recovery in case hard fails.

WD wd SmartWare review Ultra Performance

While using the 4TB version with USB 3.0 the Ultra performed 130MPs for writing that is close to the double of My Passport Edge, and it gave 118MBps speed for reading which is also the double of WD Edge. So this is the fasted score for any USB 3.0 external hard drive i have tested so far.I hope that in this brief wd my passport ultra review we explained well abou this little wonder now it’s your turn to take action.After getting your hard drive the very first thing to get the drive in use is to make partitions of it and see this guide how to make partitions for more information.

Final Verdict

WD My Passport Ultra is one of the fantastic drives in the market while seeing the good facts like speed, efficiency, flexibility, affordability,portability,security, it’s an excellent recommendation for you to buy.
Compact and Nice looking Fast speed Results Halpful Backup software Stylish color options
Never take bakcup of entire system Strict encryption so dont forget password
Best External Hard DriveSSD vs HDDBest Thunderbolt Hard Drive
WD My Passport Ultra Review 1TB and 2TB

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Dec 16, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

How do I make WD My Passport work on Mac?
'Okay, so I've been hearing about how great WD's Passport is, so I grabbed one to find out for myself how true this is. But I hear to use it on Mac, I have to format it first. How do I do that, exactly? A little help, people.'

This is a question often asked by Mac users only. Windows users don't need to do much other than plug in the WD Passport to use it, but for Mac, it's not as straightforward as that.

The difference in Mac and Windows' native format systems are to blame for this. But don't fret, because this article will show you simple ways to go about formatting your WD Passport so you can easily use it on both Mac and Windows.

Part 1 - Overview of WD My Passport File System

Technology has reached a point where it pretty much seeps into every aspect of our daily life. We're always using our phones and computers to send messages, host meetings, shop online, etc.

Of course, there is much exchange of valuable data as these happen, and where you keep this data is extremely important; that's where WD's My Passport comes in.

My Passport is a hard drive that's trustworthy and portable enough to be given a 5-star rating on almost any website you check. Coupled with the WD Backup TM app and password protection feature, My Passport helps to keep your data safe. That being said, situations arise when you'll need to format or reformat the drive.

Default File System of WD my passport

Western Digital (WD) hard drives are formatted with NTFS (Windows) or HFS+ (Mac) by default to make them more compatible with both operating systems.

Granted, FAT32 is less efficient than NTFS in Windows, but it has inherent benefits too, like its compatibility. And to connect your NTFS-formatted My Passport to macOS, you'll need to utilize a formatting tool.

This is especially true if you regularly use your WD drive on both Windows and macOS. So always remember to check if the drive is formatted or not.

Why WD my Passport can't be used on mac?

A significant number of users trust West Digital hard drives. Their auto backup, password protection, and high reliability are second to none.

But nothing is perfect, right? Sometimes when you connect the WD My Passport drive to your Mac, it's grayed out in Disk Utility.

The drive's external light can be on too but it still doesn't work. Worse still, it could become unreadable on your Mac. You know what that means, right? Your data can't be accessible now.

What Are the Reasons for My Passport Not Showing Up on Mac?

More often than not, an external hard drive doesn't show up on Mac simply because your Mac's USB cable or USB port is bad. But the following factors may also contribute to WD not showing up.

  • Latest macOS update

What happens here is when you update your macOS to the latest build or release, issues of incompatibility could arise. So, you might have to update the WD My Passport's drivers to at least meet the minimum requirements of the newly-installed macOS.

  • Device malfunction

The simple fact is, your Mac could malfunction due to one error or another, and that could tamper with how your macOS identifies your WD My Passport. Computers are susceptible to unexpected or unforeseen glitches and errors, so never rule this out as a possible cause.

  • Anti-virus

Yes, an anti-virus is meant to protect your system, but it can also have 'side effects' that won't bode too well for it. For example, most anti-virus is notorious for identifying laptop games as a virus, even though they aren't. Sometimes, they prevent the games from launching.

They can also stop some software from starting. This applies to your hard drives too.

Likewise, the antivirus could stop your system from accessing your WD Passport, perhaps because there is already a virus in it. Thus, it's imperative you install the right anti-virus that will work well and won't tamper with your system's settings too much,

  • Virus

Not much needs to be said because everyone knows the kind of damage virus is capable of. There's a virus out there that can even hide your hard drive. So even if you plug it into your My Passport into your Mac, you won't see it.

  • Motherboard errors

Without a motherboard, a system is pretty much a screen and keyboard. So, if your Mac's motherboard suffers software or hardware damage, almost nothing will work properly, and that includes your USB ports. So, your drive, even if it's functioning properly, might not even be recognized.

Wd my passport ultra mac backup
  • WD My Passport causes damage or corruption

This time, the problem stems from your WD My Passport. Maybe the drive fell or a malfunctioning system corrupted it. Either of these issues could lead to the drive malfunctioning or not showing up when you plug it into your Mac.

Part 2 - How to Format WD my Passport for Mac?

The simple step-by-step guide below will show you how to format your WD My Passport on your computer, so pay attention. The information you'll find here touches on formatting and reformatting WD's My Passport for your Mac.

  • Login into your Mac

Just turn on your Mac and when it boots up, plug in your My Passport drive to your WD. Your WD My Passport drive will appear as a rectangular, yellow icon on your desktop (it looks just like the image below).

  • Navigate to Finder if Your Drive Isn't Visible

If your My Passport drive doesn't turn up for some reason, click on 'Finder', then select 'Preferences'.

  • A small window will open up. Make sure you tick the checkboxes 'Hard Disks' and 'External Disks.'
  • Your WD My Mac Passport drive should now be running on your screen.
  • Launch Disk Utility

You can find disk utility by clicking on the spotlight search button, then type 'Disk Utility'.

  • Highlight 'Disk Utility', then double-click it.
  • Access your Drives

You'll see your internal and external hard drives on the left-hand side of the Disk Utility window.

  • Click on the dropdown arrow to expand or collapse the drives on the list.
  • Look under the 'External' category and you'll find your My Passport drive there. If it has not appeared, your Mac's USB port could be malfunctioning. So, unplug your drive and restart your Mac. That will probably fix the issue.
  • Make sure you have your drive selected. By the way, choose the first drive you see on the list; you know, the one at the top. Doing otherwise might lead to issues when formatting the WD Passport for Mac.
  • Format Your Drive

Find the 'View' button at the top left of your Disk Utility window and click it. A drop-down menu will open up.

  • Remember, what comes next is formatting. So, make sure your files have been copied off the drive if there are any on it.

My Passport Ultra Automatic Backup

  • Click on 'Erase'
  • In the small window that pops up, you'll have to input a name for the My Passport drive first.
  • You'll find it useful to give a name to your drive to show what you'll be using the drive for.
  • Right below that is the 'Format' field. There are a few formats you can choose from but you only need one.
  • Choose Format Type

Select 'Extended Mac OS (Journaled)'.

This is the file system you will need if you want to be able to easily transfer files back and forth between your Mac and you're My Passport drive. The format is also what makes the drive compatible with Time Machine for backup on your Mac

  • Next, for the Scheme option, select 'GUID Partition Map.'
  • Finally, click on the 'Erase' button. It will just take a few seconds for the drive to be formatted. Once, look at your desktop and you'll see the icon of WD my Passport on it.
Backup
  • Eject Your Drive

Oh, and always remember to safely eject your drive before unplugging its cable. Failure to do this could lead to the driver crashing or suffering some issues.

  • To eject your WD my Passport drive from your Mac, just right-click on its icon on your desktop.
  • In the dropdown menu you see, click on 'Eject'.

Part 3 - Recover Accidentally Formatted WD Files

If you are unable to locate or access the data on your Western Digital (WD) external hard drive, it can be devastating, particularly when the lost data contains precious images and invaluable backups.

The tips and shortcuts below will give you the necessary info and tidbits you need to format WD elements for mac. The loss of data from your WD hard drive can be caused by numerous things: Accidental deletion, disk formatting, computer corruption or damage, etc.

But all that doesn't mean you can't get your data back. There are some great solutions you can utilize to recover deleted, corrupted, or lost files and you'll learn of them before the end of this post.

Why Formatted Data Can Be Recovered?

It makes perfect sense for you to worry if you lose your data, but sometimes, formatting becomes necessary too, doesn't it?

  • Accidental Deletion or Redesign

Sometimes when you reinstall the operating system, the drive or partition gets deleted, even if you don't intend for it to happen.

  • Unexpected Data Loss Situations:

Due to carelessness or haste, some people can unknowingly format or delete the wrong partition. It takes little more than a few clicks for the damage to be done, so you must exercise caution here.

Then, of course, you can't rule out other possible causes like a virus, power failure, or hardware damage to your drive. They are all likely causes of data loss.

When it comes to Western Digital disk recovery, the first option that comes to mind is using third party data recovery applications. This is considerably better than the complicated and time-consuming manual data recovery options out there.

Restoring lost WD data takes only minutes, depending on the size of the drive and the amount of data to be recovered. The data recovery tool in question supports all Western Digital hard disk drives, such as My Book Pro, My Book, WD Elements, My Book Studio, etc.

Sometimes, there will be a need to learn how to reformat my passport for Mac, so once you're acquainted with formatting, you should enlighten yourself on how to reformat WD my passport for Mac.

How to Recover Formatted WD Drive Files using Recoverit Data Recovery?

If you know anything about data recovery, then it's very likely you're familiar with Recoverit Data Recovery. If you aren't, you've been missing out a lot!

Recoverit Data Recovery is a data recovery tool that's extremely capable of recovering data or any kind of file you lost from your drive. So, if you lost your data via formatting, accidental deletion, virus attacks, and more, Recoverit will get them all back.

Recoverit's data recovery steps are often very similar irrespective of which type of system you own; Windows or Mac. But since you're dealing with Mac today, that will be the focus here. So, go on and follow the 3 steps below to get back data on a Mac.

  1. Select the WD drive
  2. Scan the drive
  3. Preview and retrieve data

Step 1: Select the WD Drive

Start Recoverit and look under the 'External Devices' section. You'll see some drives connected to your Mac. Select the WD drive and click on 'Start'.

Step 2: Scan Your WD Drive

Recoverit will start scanning the drive. Look to the left of the software and you'll see checkboxes that detail the types of files the software is finding. You can tick the checkboxes if you're only looking for particular files; that will actually make the scan process faster, but it's just an option.

Step 3: Preview and Recover Pen Drive Data

Once the scan ends, you'll see the list of files Recoverit found. You can even preview them if you want. Recovering the files is pretty easy too.

Just tick the ones you want to recover or tick one checkbox that highlights everything. For the last step, click 'Recover'.

All you have to do is wait for all your files to be recovered. See? Easy as pie. But here's an important tip: Don't save the files to the same WD drive they are being recovered from.

How to use WD my Passport on Mac?

Files and getting bigger and bigger, so you'll need the best drive out there to capable of storing these files, right? There are countless hard drives you can choose from but the keyword here is the 'best', and WD is exactly that.

If you need a new backup solution for your photos or videos, the Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB drive can more than handle the job. It's a compact external hard drive with 1 TB capacity coupled with high transmission speeds.

To use a WD my passport on Mac, you need to know how to reformat it. The same goes for using any kind of WD drive on Mac.

Benefits of WD my Passport

The simple fact is, you'll be very happy with the shape, weight, look, and even feel of the WD My Passport drive. This 1 TB size is wonderful and can comfortably store even the large Digital SLR data files for many years to come.

My Passport Ultra Mac Installation

For those who really love music, all their favorite songs can be stored on this drive too. These large and powerful drives even find use in hospitals and educational facilities, among other places.

The WD Passport is also patronized by computer programmers, innovative artists, and several other professionals in various business fields.

What makes this external hard drive so reliable and easily the best portable drive is the fact it was manufactured by the popular Western Digital Company. It's a trusted company that has filled homes, offices, and institutions with hard drives for over 20 years; that's over 20 years of experience and satisfied customers!

Because of how compact the drive is, it easily fits into your shirt or purse's pocket. And the fact it weighs just about 0.44 pounds means it won't feel uncomfortable or be obtrusive in any way.

This new device is excellent and doesn't need external power, eliminating the need for an extra power cord. It also works almost soundlessly, so no annoying grinding noises to distract you while you work.

If your WD drive is plugged into a USB 3.0 port, you can easily access and save files 3 times faster than what USB 2.0 port is capable of. To elaborate, you can upload a 2-hour HD video in just 5 minutes! But if it was USB 2.0, it will take at least 13 minutes or more. The difference is clear, isn't it?

Tips on using WD my Passport for Mac

  • Plug the wall/power bar and let power enter it.
  • Plug one end of the USB cable into the drive and the other end in your system. If you have a USB 3.0 port on your system (it's usually blue, especially for Windows systems), use it because it can make a big difference in the speed of the transfer of files.
  • If you're using Windows, the drive will now be turned on, showing up in 'My Computer'. It might take a few seconds to do this, so be a little patient.
  • If you're on a Mac, navigate to 'My Machine' to see the new hard disk. It's going to be called 'My Book'.
  • Double-click it and select 'Create WD Applications'. This will start the Backup software installation process. If you don't see the 'WD Apps Setup', search for a folder called 'WD Apps for Windows'. But if you're using macOS or OS X, you'll see 'WD Apps for Mac'.
  • Only follow the Program Setup prompts. Don't stray from them and tamper with instructions you don't understand.

Final words

So, there you have it. A simple yet effective tutorial on making your WD drive work on Mac. Remember that the most important thing here is the safety of your files, so it is highly recommended you use a WD My Passport because it's a drive that promises nothing but the highest quality.

And if anything does happen to your WD drive and you lose your files, there's never a need to worry because Recoverit is ready and willing to get all those files back.

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