I recently purchased a new original SSD. Everything works as stated, but the WD Dashboard utility does not detect it. I connected the disk via a USB → SATA adapter, and the utility detected it, but did not recognize it.
I have checked both AHCI and IDE modes, but the result is the same. I believe the issue might be related to the firmware, as there have been critical updates recently.
Could you please guide me on how to manually install the firmware and what steps to take to resolve the issue? I would appreciate your assistance.
If WD Dashboard isn’t detecting your SSD, first check if the drive appears in BIOS and Device Manager. If you’re using a USB to SATA adapter, try connecting the SSD directly to the motherboard, as WD Dashboard may not support USB adapters properly.
Make sure your SATA/AHCI drivers and chipset drivers are up to date. Also, reinstall WD Dashboard from WD’s website and run it as an administrator. If you’re looking for a firmware update, WD doesn’t provide manual installation files, so you’ll need to contact WD Support for assistance.
If the issue persists, try connecting the SSD to another PC to see if it gets detected properly.
This drive is recognized by everything except the native utility, which, according to the developers, is supposed to even repair and update faulty drives.
WD support is completely incompetent in this matter; they ask for a photo and a receipt. This drive was a gift, and in the country where I live (Caucasus, Georgia), asking for a receipt for a gift is considered disrespectful. Even asking how much your gift costs is seen as inappropriate.
Regarding support, they gave me no useful answers—just requested some information, and that was it.
I can name at least 10 Chinese brands that will sell me a 1TB SSD with better specs for the same price. I bought WD because, for 20 years, this company never let me down. But times change, and looking at how poorly the Dashboard software is written—where it detects everything except its own drives, while other utilities work fine—I can say the quality has dropped significantly.
Well, times change, and WD does too. Now, it’s all about marketing. I’m really disappointed, but I’ll have to switch to a Chinese brand.
WD used to be a company known for reliability, but now it seems they invest more in flashy ads than in actual product quality and support. If they can’t even ensure their own software recognizes their own hardware, it speaks volumes about their priorities.