I am trying to access My Passport Wireless Pro using a 2021 iPad Pro using the USB C port. It will not recognize the drive using my iPad Pro using Files. I have tried using the supplied USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 cable via an adaptor and using a USB C to USB 3.0 cable from a third party. The USB C to USB 3.0 cable works fine with my MacBook Pro, the computer sees the drive but I am unable to get the iPad Pro to see it using the USB cables. Can anyone give me some trouble shooting advice? BTW, it connects fine via WiFi, I just wanted to be able to connect via cables.
Hi @OrangeM2C,
Please test health of your drive using Western Digital Drive utility:
Link: How to Install and Use WD Security and WD Drive Utilities Features
When you plug the wireless pro into a computer. . .it acts like a standard external hard drive.
How does the iPad treat standard external drives? If you can’t read such a drive. . you won’t be able to read this drive either.
Just to clear up this part of the issue, I just downloaded the WD Drive Utilities to my MacBook Pro, connected my MPWP to my MacBook Pro and the drive utility won’t recognize it. It just requests Attach a Supported Drive. Is the MYWP not a supported drive?
The iPad will connect and recognize SSD drives and SD Cards just fine. It appears to not be able to connect to spinning external drives. But, and this is a peculiar but, the My Passport Wireless Pro (MPWP) will connect to my iPad Pro 2021 with one dongle using either USB C to USB Micro B or USB A to USB Mircro B from a vendor called iLuv using a USB C to multiport adapter that has USB C, HDMI and USB A. I just now connected my iPad Pro to another 9 in 1 USB C adapter from a vendor GKEAPZA using the USB C 3.0 port and the MPWP is being connected just fine. I suspect it is the protocol of the USB C connection that determines if it will connect or not. I just re-connected just using only the WD supplied USB C to Micro B cable directly to the iPad Pro and it won’t connect. Go figure. To summarize, it appears the MPWP works with a USB C cable if the USB standard is 3.0 or newer.
