I’ve just attempted to update the firmware on our My Book Essential 2TB.
I’m using a Dell Optiplex 755, which has a USB KEYBOARD and a USB MOUSE.
I HAVE to be able to use at least ONE of those in order to activate the button, right?
I disconnected ALL other USB devices, yet STILL the firmware update won’t go through because of the presence of another USB device being detected by the software.
The Dell uses a USB hub built-in to the monitor, into which both the keyboard and the mouse are plugged. I’ve even tried disconnecting the USB hub and plugging the keyboard and mouse directly into the back of the computer…
I’ve tried it with ONLY the mouse and ONLY the keyboard… still no go 
What do I have to do to update the firmware on this device, go find a 10-year-old computer that doesn’t use a USB port for the keyboard or for the mouse?
… or borrow someone’s laptop …???
This amount of trouble for a firware update seems a bit ridiculous, doesn’t it?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Are you sure you even need to update?
Many drives ship with the latest firmware, and there is nothing newer available. In these cases you still get the “unplug…” screen because the updater can’t find an updatable drive. WD’s error message could be a little more clear as to why no updates can be applied.
I have the same drive and just updated the firmware. I found it a little nerve wracking as updating firmware isn’t something that you do every day and it is a procedure that you have to do correctly (to the letter) without taking shortcuts.
I don’t know if you turned off your firewall and anti-virus before starting the procedure but if you didn’t those programs can cause all kinds of trouble when doing a firmware upgrade. I believe that that is part of the procedure outlined in the instructions. I had my other computer showing the page with the instructions while doing the procedure so that I wouldn’t miss anything.
If you followed the instructions to the letter and had problems, I think that the only way out is to contact WD support for guidance.
Good luck
I have invested about 5 hours in trying to update my firmware over the last 2 days… I spent over an hour on the phone with level 2 tech support today… we played with firewall and other settings… nothing worked. He then asked if I was using Ineternet Explorer or another browser… he suggested trying Fire Fox… I did… it updated the first try! Problem solved… hope it works for you. If not… best wishes.
