I have a 160gb passport essential. I run windows 7. Any way my first problem was that when I plugged the drive in the blue light came on but it didn’t show up in my computer, sometimes it shows up in device manager and I have used several programs and they all say that it is plugged it but there is no link to open the files. I have tried regedit with no luck and have been searching for days. The drive pops up somtimes in my computer but can take up to 3 hours!
My second problem is that the files have “disappeared”. It says that there has been 19gb used but nothing shows up, just the main folders not of the sub folders or files(mp3, mp4, .mov etc.) I have downloaded so many file recovery programs, some can’t find the drive and others just don’t find any files, but they have to be there because it reads it as 19gb full. I have checked “show all files” in folder options.
I never deleted the files at any time, they where not backed up from any where else using the software just dragged in, I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE THE FILES
WHAT NOW!
thanks in advance to any one that comes up with a solution!
I have a MY passport essential SE 750gb…i have about 250gb of data stored on it…and i am having the exactly the same problem…its been two days now and i dont know what to do about it…the files seem to have disappeared…it shows 250gb used but i can see none of the files or folders…i can not access any of the data i hav stored on it…
Badly in need of a solution for this w/out having to delete or let go of my data…help!!!..thanking in anticipation!
Did you ever get this issue resolved? I have the same issue, 360 gb copied to the drive and now they no longer show when viewing the drive in Windows Explorer.
I had same problem but I was able retrieve all my data after performed a disk defrag.You can try perfoming disk defrag hopefully it should fix your issue as well
I have the same problem and received the following notice from WD about it.
See Answer ID 1164
The guy below mentions defraging, but I wonder what the risk is to doing that. I have a My Book Home Edition 2tb, which had its partition destroyed by a WD software update. Go figure. Good luck. I may risk the defrag option.
Just thought I’d chime in with whats worked for me.
I had the exact same problem…and after backing up my pc files using the SmartWare and NOT being able to view them directly OUTSIDE using the SmartWare (but via My Computer, then My Passport, etc…) I succummed to performed a manual back-up.
This is when the Passport decided to provide visibility of the SmartWare -stored back-up:
(a) The folder created is named “WD SmartWare.swstor”
(b) and in that folder is a folder with the name of my computer (USDFWWN10001573).
(c) And inside that folder is another folder begining with “Volume.40958170…”
(d) And Finally, within the “Volume.40958170…” folder is the beggining of what the SmartWare has saved my back-up as…
Of course I understand that I can obtain these files using the RETRIEVE via SmartWare software, but it was only after performing a manual back up that I was able to view these files as an external drive. Wierd.
