If your older WD My Passport drive is not working on Windows 11, follow these steps to troubleshoot and fix the issue:
Step 1: Check Physical Connections
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Reconnect the Drive – Ensure the USB cable is securely connected to both your WD My Passport and the computer.
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Try a Different USB Port – Sometimes, certain USB ports may not provide enough power, especially on older drives. Use another USB port (preferably a USB 3.0 port).
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Test the Cable – If possible, use a different USB cable to check if the existing cable is faulty.
Step 2: Check if the Drive is Recognized in Disk Management
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Open Disk Management – Right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management.
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Locate WD My Passport – Look for your WD My Passport drive in the list of drives. It may show as “Unallocated” or without a drive letter.
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Assign a Drive Letter (if missing) –
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Right-click the WD My Passport drive and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
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Click Add, select a drive letter, and click OK.
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Initialize the Drive (if uninitialized) – If the drive shows as “Not Initialized”, right-click on the drive and choose Initialize Disk. Follow the on-screen instructions (choose either MBR or GPT based on your drive size).
Step 3: Update or Reinstall USB Drivers
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Open Device Manager – Right-click on the Start button and select Device Manager.
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Expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers – Locate your USB controllers.
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Update the USB Drivers – Right-click on the USB controller and select Update driver. Choose Search automatically for drivers.
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Reinstall USB Drivers (if updating doesn’t work) – Right-click on the USB controller and select Uninstall device. After uninstalling, restart your computer, and Windows will automatically reinstall the USB drivers.
Step 4: Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
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Open Troubleshooter – Press Windows + R, type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic, and hit Enter.
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Run the Troubleshooter – Follow the on-screen instructions to detect and fix any hardware issues, including external drives.
Step 5: Check for File System Errors
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Open File Explorer – Right-click on your WD My Passport drive (if visible) and select Properties.
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Go to Tools Tab – Under Error checking, click Check.
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Repair the Drive – Follow the prompts to scan and repair any file system errors on the drive.
Step 6: Update WD My Passport Firmware
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Download WD Discovery – Go to the official WD website and download the WD Discovery software.
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Install and Run WD Discovery – Launch the software and check for any firmware updates for your WD My Passport drive.
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Update Firmware – If an update is available, follow the instructions to update the drive firmware.
Step 7: Format the Drive (if needed)
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Warning: Formatting will erase all data on the drive. Only proceed if you’ve backed up important data or the drive is empty.
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Open Disk Management – Right-click on the Start button and choose Disk Management.
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Right-click on the WD My Passport Drive – Select Format.
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Choose File System – Select NTFS for Windows or exFAT for compatibility with both Windows and Mac.
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Click OK to start the formatting process.
Step 8: Try the Drive on Another Computer
If the above steps don’t work, connect the WD My Passport to another computer (preferably one with a different operating system) to see if the issue persists. This can help determine whether the problem is with the drive or your Windows 11 system.
By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and potentially fix the issue with your older WD My Passport drive on Windows 11. If the drive remains unresponsive, it could indicate hardware failure, in which case you may need to contact WD support for further assistance. 
