Hi,
I bought a new WD My Passport 5TB V3 (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) today, and I’m trying to figure out whether the behavior I’m seeing is normal or whether I should return/exchange the drive.
The drive occasionally makes a mechanical click, sometimes every 10 seconds and sometimes once a minute. This mostly happens when the drive is not transferring files. I’ve included a video where you can hear it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR6UMAS6XvY
The click sounds similar to the sound the drive makes when shutting down.
Transfer issue:
The first time I tried transferring 15 video files, only 1 transferred successfully. I tried again afterward and the transfer worked. I then did a larger 30 GB transfer, which completed successfully without errors. Interestingly, there were no clicking noises during that transfer. The clicking returned when the drive had finished the transfer.
WD Drive Utilities tests:
Quick Drive Test: Passed
Complete Drive Test: aborted after a few minutes
I tried the Complete Test again and it got to around 50% before aborting
I initially used a USB hub, but then bought a USB-C to USB 3.0 Micro-B cable and connected the WD directly to my MacBook to rule out the hub/power as a possible issue. With the direct connection, the Complete Drive Test got to around 60% before aborting again.
Other thing I noticed:
The drive has a few scratches on the underside, despite being sold to me as new. I’m not sure whether these are normal cosmetic marks or evidence that the drive may have been handled/used previously. The scratches can be seen in the linked video.
Would you consider this normal behavior, particularly the clicking?
Should I be concerned about the Complete Drive Test repeatedly aborting?
Would you return/exchange the drive, or is there another test I should perform first?
Thanks so much for your input!
