As title.
I bought a WD My Book 3.0 2TB USB 3.0.
When I power on the computer the external hd is turned on automatically.
Is it possible to leave the my book off when my computer turn on?
Thanks.
Hi there.
Yes, just make sure the drive is NOT connected to your computer when you turn it on since that drive does not have any software you can use to configure it.
this is really really boring.
Can’t understood why the power on button doesn’t work as all external hard drive on the planet.
The power button works to turn it on or off at will as well, but it also turns on or off with your computer.
no good, really annoying, I would like to know the person who got the fantastic idea to automatically turn on a backup disk with a computer.
Well… WD’s drives have a few years working this way, and precisely because they are advertised for backups they turn on with the computer in case you are using a backup software that needs the drive to be present at both random or fixed periods of time, some backup programs run only when the computer is just turned on…
It doesn’t work for you, granted, but since I use Time Machine and I have it set to backup my Hackintosh (PC that runs OSX) as soon as I turn it on and some times I just turn it on and leave it alone and go away, then it is actually a welcomed feature to me… And for many, many others.
if it is good for your it doesn’t means that an external drives like this shouldn’t have an option to choose this behaviour.
really disappointed.
A few years ago, WD got a flood of complaints because the drives didn’t have an auto-on feature… Now they have people who complain because now they do -_-u
Figures… An option like what? A software just to regulare power features, needing installation? What if you can’t install the software because there’s something wrong with the computer? Then you would get people who complain because the software will not install, even if they are not to use it.
If you have a better idea then the community has an Ideas section so you can share your reasoning for future devices or updates… If you post a really good idea with deep reasoning into how it works then I’ll support it as well.
on normal hard disk there is a power button, if you leave the button on the hard disk starts when the system starts, if you leave it off you remove current from the disk and the disk remain off also when the pc starts.
This is a SMART behaviour and it works without software, the WD behaviour is simply stupid and unefficient.
Then again, It would mean that the drive would need to be manually turned on, which most users who like things to work just by looking at them will find unacceptable… Exactly as it was a few years ago.
Preventing the drive from turning on with the computer can be done by making sure the power adapter or the data cable is not connected, but if the feature was disabled then there would be no way at all to force it to start with your computer without additional software… Your case has at least one solution, what you want does not have a solution for the rest of the masses…
You’d be surprised at the millions of people who got upset because a flash drive was able to start with their computers while an external drive was not able to…
Again, If you post a really good idea with deep reasoning into how it works and that works for eveyone without a secondary software to be installed, then I’ll support it as well.
my stupid cheap philips external hard drive is capable to start with the computer if I leave the power on button to on,
and it remains off if I leave the power button to off.
this is how an external hard disk should work.
There you have an idea; post it on the ideas section so other users (Like me) can vote it.
Since you mean a physical on/off slider/press control switch, if considered, then it will be done for the next generation of drives…
done.
I was about to vote on it until I saw the way it was expressed…
I don’t care, read my answer to the person replyed to my idea. 
*Facepalm*
facepalm on western digital that after years failed to implement such a simple/mandatory feature.
*Double facepalm*
you don’t know how normal external drive works.
as I saied previously:
on normal hard disk there is a power button, if you leave the button on the hard disk starts when the system starts, if you leave it off you remove current from the disk and the disk remain off also when the pc starts.
That sounded good 10 years ago. And people used to complain of the feature you like 10 years ago, so they took it out and made it ready to be used without having to move a finger after the first connection.
You don’t like it? Blame the rest of the world and make them regret they got what they wanted.
Do you see someone else whining like you do about it? No. Why? Because it’s pointless.
People like automatic drives SO MUCH that WD even makes drives without a power button (Like the MyBook Live and the Elements Desktop) and only 1 random guy out of 1,000 fails to understand that the rest of the world likes it that way, so deal with it.
What’s the difference between pressing the power button to start with the computer and pressing the power button when the unit is off? None, because you still have to press it to turn it on. I honestly fail so see the huge fuss it is to you to disconnect the drive after you’re done working with it so it won’t start on its own the next day, like I do…
I won’t post again on this thread, so please feel free to have the last word.
