Password and USB / WD LOCK issues

The whole idea of owning a portable drive is the flexibility it is supposed to give you. Use it on multiple computers, and all you need is a USB connection that supplies enough power to it. Keep the firmware updated and you should have a working drive for years. Unfortunately WD loves to mess with adding their own software and security to the drive that causes more problems then not. I have not been able to UN-lock my 1TB passport on multiple computers for unknown reasons. The WD Unlock utility just tells me to run the program from the drive (which I’m doing) and only gives me an exit button to hit. I finally found an old Windows 7 laptop I haven’t used in a while and I was finally able to get it to unlock. Not knowing if I had access to that data again skipped my heart beat a few times. I wasn’t using it for long storage, just several hours. I have read many other users having issues with Windows 8 and not being able to get their drives operating for all sorts of reasons. And this is why unfortunately I have to find another manufacturer that doesn’t use virtual drives or force utility programs on you. Western Digital’s solution to this problem is some 19 year old Indian kid telling me to reformat. It really is too bad, but I’m thankful there is a lot of competition out there and other solutions.

Personally I don’t like encrypted drives with passwoprds for my external drives regardless of the maker. I like simple plug and play drives like the Elements.

Joe