WD Elements Showing on MAC but not Showing on windows 10

WD External Drives External Drives for PC
1

Hi, i just want to ask about my WD Elements Hard Drive… I have 2 hard drives old and new. my old hard drive is showing on both mac and windows… now my new hard drive is showing on mac but not showing on windows. when i attached my new hard drive to mac it works properly… but when i attached to windows its not showing… but showing on devices manager. any help will be appreciated on what can i do.

2

That new hard drive that works on Mac, it could have been format as HFS+ format that Windows does not recognize. You could backup your data and format the drive as exFAT or get a software like Paragon that support on Mac. Then format your drive as NTFS.

3

I have the same issue! When I first bought the hard drive, I formatted it with a MacBook, and now I have a lot of data in it and I want to open the hard drive with Windows, what should I do? Which format is acceptable in both OS (Mac and Windows)? I can not see the hard drive in Disk Manager either!

4

If your data was save on the drive from a Mac system and you could not read it from Windows. You can use HFS+ for Windows by paragon software| Paragon Software
They might have free trial.

----------- The free option —
The only format that can be read from both Windows and Mac “Apple” system is exFAT.
Before you format your device as exFAT on the Mac. You need to backup your data, format the drive and then copy the data back on to the drive. This drive is now accessible on a Windows system.

I hope that help.

5

Firstly check if the connections are fine or not. Also, try to restart the computer to fix any driver-related issues. If this doesn’t help then try changing the drive letter from disk management. Just open Disk Management (right-click Start and select “Disk Management”). Look for your new drive listed there. If it’s present but not assigned a drive letter, you can right-click it and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths” to assign it one. Otherwise, formatting would be your last option.

6

I formatted with exFAT on macOS, and at first, I could see my external Hard, and also I put some data into it, then I connected my hard drive to Windows and I could see all the documents there as well, but after I disconnected from windows, and again I’ve connected the external hard to the macOS it can not be recognized! And worse is I’ve tried it one more time on Windows and the Windows OS also can not recognize it anymore! Now I can not use my hard drive on any of them! (sadly I removed all of my backup and my data is in the hard now) what can I do, it is urgent.
By the way, Disk Utility can not be opened while the external hard is connected to macOS (it is just a white page, like a loading page), when I disconnect the external hard Disk Utility is shown.

7

I formatted with exFAT on macOS, and at first, I could see my external Hard on macOS, and also I put some data into it, then I connected my hard drive to Windows and I could see all the documents there as well, but after I disconnected from windows, and again I’ve connected the external hard to the macOS it can not be recognized! And worse is I’ve tried it one more time on Windows and the Windows OS also can not recognize it anymore! Now I can not use my hard drive on any of them! (sadly I removed all of my backup) what can I do, it is urgent.
By the way, Disk Utility can not be opened while the external hard is connected to macOS (it is just a white page, like a loading page), when I disconnect the external hard Disk Utility is shown.

8

I initially formatted my external hard drive with exFAT on macOS. First time, after format was done, I could access it on macOS and even transferred data from macOS to WD external hard and then connected it with windows. However, after disconnecting it from Windows, it’s no longer recognized on macOS. Unfortunately, I’ve removed all backups. Urgently seeking guidance. Notably, Disk Utility won’t open when the external hard drive is connected to macOS, showing a blank loading page. Disk Utility works fine when WD external hard is disconnected. Any advice on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated.

9

I would prefer to format the disk from Windows as GPT-exFAT format. I believed the exFAT format from the Mac OSX is not stable and not really a exFAT format. If you can format the drive as exFAT on the Windows system. I had a case before when format the drive on Mac system and the drive is not accessible, so I format my drive on my PC laptop and it works wonder.

10

It sounds like there might be an issue with the compatibility or formatting of your new WD Elements Hard Drive. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem:

  1. Check Drive Format:

  • Windows Compatibility: Ensure that the new hard drive is formatted in a file system that is compatible with Windows. Windows typically supports NTFS and exFAT. Mac may read but not write to NTFS without additional software.

  • Disk Management (Windows):** Open Disk Management on your Windows computer to see if the drive is recognized. Right-click on “This PC” or “My Computer,” select “Manage,” and then go to “Disk Management.” Check if your drive is listed. If it’s there, it might need a drive letter assigned or to be formatted.

  1. Assign a Drive Letter (Windows):
  • In Disk Management, if the drive is listed but doesn’t have a drive letter, right-click on it and choose “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”
  • Assign a drive letter and see if the drive appears in File Explorer.
  1. Format the Drive (Windows):
  • Backup Data: If the drive is not formatted correctly for Windows, you may need to format it. Note that formatting erases all data on the drive, so make sure to back up any important data.
  • In Disk Management, right-click on the drive and select “Format.” Choose a compatible file system (NTFS or exFAT).
  1. Check for Driver Updates:
  • Make sure that your Windows operating system and device drivers are up-to-date. Visit the official WD website to check for any firmware or driver updates for your specific WD Elements Hard Drive model.
  1. USB Cable and Port:
  • Try using a different USB cable to connect the hard drive to your Windows computer. Also, try plugging it into a different USB port.

6. USB Power Management:

  • In the Device Manager, locate the USB controllers, right-click on each, and go to “Properties.” Under the “Power Management” tab, uncheck the option that allows the computer to turn off this device to save power.

7. Third-Party Software (if NTFS on Mac):

  • If you’ve formatted the drive as NTFS and are using it on Mac, you might need third-party software like Paragon NTFS for Mac to ensure full compatibility.
  1. Test on Another Windows PC:
  • If possible, try connecting your new hard drive to another Windows computer to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the problem is specific to your computer.

9. Check for Errors:

  • Run a disk check utility on the drive to check for any errors. In Command Prompt, you can use the chkdsk command. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and type: chkdsk /f X: (replace X with the drive letter of your WD Elements Hard Drive).

After trying these steps, if the issue still persists, there might be a hardware problem with the hard drive itself, and you may need to contact WD Support for further assistance or consider returning/exchanging the drive if it’s still under warranty.

11

If your WD Elements hard drive isn’t appearing in Windows Explorer despite being recognized in Device Manager, troubleshoot the issue by following these steps. Begin by checking Disk Management in Windows and initializing the disk if necessary. Assign a drive letter and format the drive if it shows as unallocated space. Update USB drivers, ensure hidden USB devices aren’t causing conflicts, and disable USB selective suspend in Device Manager. Test different USB ports or cables and confirm that your WD Elements drive has the latest firmware or driver updates. Always back up your data before making any changes and consider reaching out to Western Digital support if the issue persists.

Also, troubleshoot the issue actively by following these steps. Check Disk Utility on your Mac to see if the drive is listed, ensuring the drive is powered and using a different cable if needed. Reformat the drive on your Mac using Disk Utility with a macOS-compatible file system if it was previously formatted for Windows. Examine the System Report for USB or Thunderbolt recognition and test the drive on another Mac. Keep your macOS up to date, reset NVRAM/PRAM, and use third-party disk repair tools if Disk Utility indicates errors. Always back up your data before attempting troubleshooting steps, and if issues persist, seek assistance from Western Digital support or Mac forums.