I need your help on how to fix this; I bought my passport (WDBACY5000ABL) Essential 500GB USB 3.0. I had this for about 8 months. While I was using my hard drive it suddenly stopped working, then the next time I used it, I can’t access my external hard drive. my computer can detect my hard drive but I can’t access it, open or do anything. The problem is that it keeps on disconnecting from time to time and a message always pops up every 1-2 mins saying “you need to format the disk in drive before using it” but even if I format the disk it says that windows is unable to format your disk. I tried using disk management and WD quick formatter but before it is formatted, it gets disconnected. DLG hasn’t worked aswel.
Please help, I don’t mind losing the information in it, as long as it gets back to normal.
I have the same problem. It is consistent add easily duplicatible. The issue only happens if I connect to a USB 3.0 port. The drive will reset when writing under heavy load (long file copy). I’ve tested it with both an Ivy Bridge HM77 motherboard and a third party XPressCard on a different laptop. I RMAed the first one to Amazon and got a second one with the same issue.
Short term work-around is only connect it to a USB 2.0 port, which seems to work! Unfortunately, I don’t have any USB 2.0 ports on my new laptop!
When I run DLG, its showing me two drive on its window. 1) Physical drive, model number WDC WD50008BEVT-55A0RT0(SATA), serial number WD-WXM1EA0VAF89 and 2) Logical Drive C:\ , file system NFTS. Bothe have same capacity 500GB. Drive E (my passport) just pops up for a second in a logica drive column and disappears such that I can’t select it to run a test.
I had the same problem. WD seems too much problems. I used the Data Lifeguard Diaganostic for windows to do the test, my passport drive disconnected on halfway. WD my passport is real a bad product. It wasted me too much time.
If connected to usb2.0, there ison’t problem, but my new laptop has no usb2.0 port.
If any one has a solution, I appreciate your help.
Thanks for the help but it didn’t work for me. I downloaded the firmware update but it couldn’t finishing scanning the drive to update. Once the passport disconnects and reconnects again, the firmware updater gives me this message “Firmware update failed on specified drive. Please click exist then close all other open application and then run the WD Firmware updater again.”
What is the real cause of the disconnecting and reconnecting thing?
I’m having the same problem with my new Passport 1TB 3.0 which I got from Amazon just a couple days ago. It will not stay connected. After reading the reviews on Amazon, it appears that the proboem is the cable. I believe that because I have the same connect/disconnect problem with My Book 1TB 3.0 which I’ve had for a while and sometimes jiggling the cable will allow it to reconnect, but most times it doesn’t. I bought the passport to replace it.
Some of the reviews say it works just fine connected to a 2.0 port. . . .
One of the reviewers on Amazon said he ordered WD part numbers 4064-705084-006 and 4064-705084-025 and that solved his problem whether using 3.0 port on pc or a 3.0 powered usb hub.
I also face the same problem. I bought my Passport 500 GB USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Hard Drives ( WDBKXH5000ARD) few months ago but recently face some problem. When i connected the usb to the pc , the hard drive take some times to appeared in my computer. When i want to copy the files from the drive , it take a long time to respond and complete. Sometimes a gigabyte file need more than 5 hours to transfer. I have try update the firmware and everything but it still the same. Can anybody help?
I have my drives registered on the WD site. I logged in and created support tickets and was asked in an email to provide my mailing address and they would send me 2 new cables. This sounds like a good plan. However, the people on the Amazon review had to request new cables 3 times and was still shipped 2.0 cables!
The solution was to finally just order the cables using the part #s I provided above.
I’m going to give WD a chance to get the right cables to me. I’ll post the results here.
A SOLUTION HAS BEEN FOUND AND REQUIRES NO ADDITIONAL PURCHASES!
You all can thank Ayssl3 for this fix.
1) Went to Control Panel
2) Change view by to Small icons (View by is in the top right corner)
3)Go to Power Options
4)Then Click “Change plan settings” for the power plan you are using (text is in blue)
5)Then Click “Change advanced power settings” (text is in blue)
6)Then another window will pop-up. Scroll down and look for “USB settings”
7)If you click the little plus on left of USB settings, “USB selective suspend setting” will appear
8)Press the little plus next to “USB selective suspend setting” as well and “On battery:” and “Plugged in:” will appear
9)It should say DISABLED so switch it to DISABLED for both “On battery” and “Plugged in”
10)Then press Apply and then OK (Unless you want to configure other plans as well.
11) If you want to configure other plans that you use, leave that window open and Click the down arrow next to whatever plan you are active on (it will say something like this: Power4Gear Entertainment [Active] ^). If you click the down arrow next to that other plans will drop down. Just click whichever ones you use and set them to DISABLE.
Thanks NoTanFightFan, but this is not working for my Passport, I tried all the steps given but it keeps on disconnecting and reconnecting.
Am still keeping my passport waiting for a solution which will fix it.
I received my 2 free replacement cables from WD for my 1TB My Book Essential 3.0 and 1 TB My Passport 3.0. Both cables are replaced and both drives work just fine and at the right speed! It just appears the wrong cables were shipped with my drives, just like a reviewer described on Amazon.
The cables work well with a 3.0 USB hub but do not work if I add a 3.0 extension from the hub to my computer.
I suggest everyone register their drives on the WD site and then submit a support ticket like I did. WD handled it quickly and I am again a happy grandmother.
This problem seems to due to a problem with the cable that the drive comes with, as stated by at least one other user here. I hooked the My Passport Essential 3.0 WDBACY5000ABK-00 to a cable that came with a newer style My Passport that I purchases in November. The My Passport Essential 3.0 works normally with the ‘new’ cable. All other suggestions suggested did not work for me. I only very recently got a new computer mainboard that has USB 3.0 so I never knew the problem existed. Strange how no one from WD has posted any information on this group.
