Old Passport unlocks but no files showing

WD External Drives WD Portable Drives
1

My old passport with lots of files on it, unlocks OK and was working yesterday, but suddenly all my PC shows is wdsmartware with a drive letter and no files…
Disk management shows wdsmartware with a drive letter but no mypassport. Re-scanning does nothing, nor changing the drive letter or a different USB. It only shows the smartware partition and says the rest is unallocated. Everything in properties shows the drive working fine. The files are all still there but I cannot access them. It is the same on another PC. Any ideas?

2

Hi @CARRIE31,

Have you opened a Support Case? If not opened, for more information, please contact the WD Technical Support team for the best assistance and troubleshooting:
https://support-en.wd.com/app/ask

4

I have same issue bro. If someone have any idea can you please tell

5

What does that mean? What does it mean to you? Is ‘wdsmartware’ a directory (i.e., folder) or an application? What is your OS?

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It sounds like your WD My Passport external hard drive is experiencing some issues with its file system. Here are a few suggestions to try and recover your files:

  1. Update WD SmartWare: Make sure you have the latest version of WD SmartWare installed on your computer. You can download it from the official Western Digital website. Sometimes, updating the software can help resolve compatibility issues.
    2. Check Disk Management: Open Disk Management again and see if the drive shows up there. If it does, but only shows the SmartWare partition, it’s possible that the main partition has become corrupted or inaccessible. In that case, you may need to perform data recovery on the drive.
    3. Data recovery software: Try using data recovery software like Recuva,Stellar Data Recovery software. These programs can scan your drive for lost or deleted files and attempt to recover them. Ensure you select the correct drive letter or device when using the software.
    4. Use Command Prompt: You can try using the Command Prompt to repair the file system errors on the drive. Open Command Prompt as an administrator, then type the following command: chkdsk /f X:, where “X” is the drive letter assigned to your WD My Passport. This command will attempt to fix any file system errors on the drive.
    5. Contact WD Support: If none of the above steps work, it’s advisable to reach out to Western Digital support for further assistance. They may have specific troubleshooting steps or tools that can help recover your files.

Remember to avoid any formatting or partitioning attempts until you have exhausted all possible data recovery options, as they may further jeopardize your chances of recovering the files.

7

CARRIE31 said: “wdsmartware with a drive letter and no files…” and “The files are all still there but I cannot access them.” I think it might be fruitful to verify what CARRIE31 has written before proposing solutions that might further confuse him.

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The problem with your WD My Passport external hard drive may result from a partition issue. The sudden disappearance of files while the drive appears in Disk Management suggests potential data corruption or a problem with the partition table. First, consider using data recovery software to retrieve files. Then, you can use disk management tools like DiskPart (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac) to attempt partition repair. If unsuccessful, it may require more advanced data recovery techniques by professionals. Ensure you have backups in the future to prevent data loss and consider contacting WD support for guidance on potential warranty or hardware issues.

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