My Passport Studio - Firmware uploader failed

WD External Drives External Drives for Mac
1

Hi,

I am using the My Passport Studio for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Drive WD SmartWare worked under Mac release 1.3.3.8 (updated 6/14/2011).Unfortunately installed the firmware and the drive stopped being detected (the display had become illegible.) Please help. Can we recover?
Thank you and best regards.

Antonius.

2

Hello,

Unfortunately SmartWare does not support Lion yet, you might need to contact WD for technical assistance in this case. You can do so either by phone or email.

To Contact WD for Technical Support
http://support.wdc.com/contact/index.asp?lang=en

3

Same thing happend to my recently purchased My Passport Studio. The firmware update bricked my drive! This is before installing the updated SmartWare update.

WD Web site ( http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/wdsmartwareupdate/Step1.asp?id=wdfMP_Studio&os=MAC) clearly states support for Lion and reccommends to update the drive firmware before installing the SmartWare update.

4

I am having the same issue.  I am also running Lion.  I have software 1.3.3.8 but the firmware uploader will not locate the drives.  I get the error  "Disconnect all USB devices (except mouse and keyboard), reconnect only the WD drive you want to update, and then click Rescan."  But nothing else is connected and no other programs are running.  Not sure what to do.  Can someone from Support please help us?

Aaron Moses

5

I also have same problem . I bought new my passport studio yesterday and read manual that firmware update is recommended before install smartware. But  I am really shock with the result. My new Hard drive cannot work any more. the ligh indicator is turn on and the drive just spinning  and  but no drive detected on  my book pro (2011). No disk mount on disk utility on my mac.

Yes Peppy is right …WD support clearly stated support OS Lion that’s way I follow that instruction into my new passport studio. 

I have tried to do something to solve the problem by doing some experiments.  I have tried to use my another mac book air under Leopard OS. The result is still same. It look different when using window 7 pro on my HP 5310m and lenovo. USB device is recognized by them as “unknown” in device manager.  Seacrhing driver automatically will not give result. The dirver is unknown and have to contact manufacturer. The same thing on my accer under windows XP. Next step ,  I have downloaded SES for windows then udpate following manual guide line instruction. As the result, driver after unzip was not recognized device manager. I belive if WD can provide the righ SES, windows will recogneize USB then we can start  for next step. 

In my opinion.  I can conclude that the problem was coming from  an interface (chip) of  WD. I am sure the HDD was not damage. Now we have to wait how far WD can help us to solve the firmware issue for their interface (chip). 

6

I have tried to look the solution why the firmware update failed. First, Using Windows Xp and the USB drive can be detected as unknown (alien). SES drive will not help. Try using MyPC drive  software will give information as unknown usb device toothen that software  guide me to google. When you klik google, it showed no link for update.

Exactly problem I can see by using this  http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/USB_IDs/UVCView.x86.exe 

Try to attach my passport studio HDD into windows OS then seeing the code of chipset there including manufacture of that chipset.  By reading the coding, I  know why the firmware uploaded make my new  Passport studio fail detected by my mac.  Hope WD technical person can investigate of this and launch the new firmware to repair my new passport studio. 

Here is mine after update .

—===>Device Information<===—

ConnectionStatus:
Current Config Value: 0x00 → Device Bus Speed: High
Device Address: 0x02
Open Pipes: 0
*!*ERROR: No open pipes!

===>Device Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x12
bDescriptorType: 0x01
bcdUSB: 0x0100
bDeviceClass: 0x00 → This is an Interface Class Defined Device
bDeviceSubClass: 0x00
bDeviceProtocol: 0x00
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x40 = (64) Bytes
idVendor: 0x0928 = Oxford Semiconductor Ltd.
idProduct: 0x8000
bcdDevice: 0xFFFF
iManufacturer: 0x00
iProduct: 0x00
iSerialNumber: 0x00
bNumConfigurations: 0x01

===>Configuration Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x02
wTotalLength: 0x0012 → Validated
bNumInterfaces: 0x01
bConfigurationValue: 0x01
iConfiguration: 0x00
bmAttributes: 0x8C → Bus Powered
MaxPower: 0x00 = 0 mA

===>Interface Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x04
bInterfaceNumber: 0x00
bAlternateSetting: 0x00
bNumEndpoints: 0x00
bInterfaceClass: 0xFF → Vendor Specific Device
bInterfaceSubClass: 0x00
*!*CAUTION: This appears to be an invalid bInterfaceSubClass
bInterfaceProtocol: 0xFF
*!*WARNING: must be set to PC_PROTOCOL_UNDEFINED 0 for this class
iInterface: 0x00
*!*ERROR: 0xFF is the prerelease USB Video Class ID

Is that right firmware provided by WD for uploading? 

7

Any luck resolving this? I’m having the same exact issue… just bought this **bleep** today and stupidly threw away the box at work so I can’t return it. Mounted ok first time on mac via usb, but not firewire, so I tried to update the firmware for the firewire fix and now it won’t mount at all. In Vmware windows 7, it is detected but mounted as an unknown device and no drivers can be installed for it.

8

here’s what that UVC view program spit out for me:

—===>Device Information<===—

ConnectionStatus:
Current Config Value: 0x00 → Device Bus Speed: High
Device Address: 0x01
Open Pipes: 0
*!*ERROR: No open pipes!

===>Device Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x12
bDescriptorType: 0x01
bcdUSB: 0x0100
bDeviceClass: 0x00 → This is an Interface Class Defined Device
bDeviceSubClass: 0x00
bDeviceProtocol: 0x00
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x40 = (64) Bytes
idVendor: 0x0928 = Oxford Semiconductor Ltd.
idProduct: 0x8000
bcdDevice: 0xFFFF
iManufacturer: 0x00
iProduct: 0x00
iSerialNumber: 0x00
bNumConfigurations: 0x01

===>Configuration Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x02
wTotalLength: 0x0012 → Validated
bNumInterfaces: 0x01
bConfigurationValue: 0x01
iConfiguration: 0x00
bmAttributes: 0x8C → Bus Powered
MaxPower: 0x00 = 0 mA

===>Interface Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x04
bInterfaceNumber: 0x00
bAlternateSetting: 0x00
bNumEndpoints: 0x00
bInterfaceClass: 0xFF → Vendor Specific Device
bInterfaceSubClass: 0x00
*!*CAUTION: This appears to be an invalid bInterfaceSubClass
bInterfaceProtocol: 0xFF
*!*WARNING: must be set to PC_PROTOCOL_UNDEFINED 0 for this class
iInterface: 0x00
*!*ERROR: 0xFF is the prerelease USB Video Class ID

9

Did you check for updated drivers http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?wdc_lang=en&fid=wdsfMyPassport_Studio  ?

Joe

10

I, too, had the same problem this morning. It was stupid that I was working on a video project on the drive which was time-sensitive and then bricked the darned thing. 

I’m running Lion and the drive update software still sees the little drive, but when I get to the step where I am asked for my user account password (which enables me to install software on my computer) that’s where the process fails. 

Now I’ve got a very expensive paper weight on my desktop. The good news is, the drive update software sees the drive, the bad news is, so what? …it can’t get past the user account password step and update the thing. 

Ugh, I’ve had the worst luck with software updates lately starting with Apple’s update of the Airport Utility and now this. 

11

Incidentally Western Digital sent me a new drive and told me to update the new one the second I got it. 

I was so excited to watch the update process perform differently on this new drive…until it failed. So now I have the brick that I purchased originally from Western Digital and the one I just created from their “new” drive. 

Once again the magic carpet that is my telephone has magically transported me to the third world where I get to deal with someone who flips their answers through a binder but knows nothing about the product. Ugh. 

12

A little late, but did you get it working? I have a passport studio and although the drive is recongnized on my Mac Book Pro, the updater says it can’t find the drive. Under a PC the updater says the drive is not supported for the updater. Even thou the drive is listed in the readme file for the updater.

Any ideas?

13

On the third drive they sent me (seriously - great customer service but **bleep**!?) I used a Windows machine to update the drive. This worked. 

I’m not sure what you have in a hard drive that needs updating but, rest assured, I’m not going to be updating any WD drives any time soon after this experience. While the company was terrific in their customer service and I love WD drives, I don’t see the need to update. PLUS, if you’re going to be losing data thanks to drives going south what’s the real point? 

My recommendation to Mac users is to _ NOT _ update your drives based on my own experience.