WD Passport external hard drive not being detected

EpicJungle · 10 Jul 2012

Hi,
my 80GB WD Passport is not being detected by my laptop when plugged in (by USB). A LED at the side of the external hard drive indicates that it is being powered on even though the computer shows no sign of detection (no sound indication; nothing showing up in My Computer). May someone please assist me in solving this problem? Thanks a bunch.

External Hard Drive Specs
80GB Wd Passport, model wd1200u017-002.
It is only compatible with USB 2.0.
(please note that my WD Passport is very old)

Computer Specs
Windows edition: Windows 7 Home Premium
Manufacturer: Dell
Model: N5110
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2310M CPU2.10GHz 2.10 GHz
Installed memory (RAM): 6.00 GB
System type: 64-bit Operating System
(note this computer has both USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, & I tried the harddrive in both ports)

(guys, formatting the WD Passport is not an option as the drive contains important files.)

EpicJungle · 12 Jul 2012

So, there's nobody willing to help? Please, there's irreplaceable files in my WD. Thanks again :)

F5ing · 17 Jul 2012

Sorry we've missed your post.

Besides observing the lit LED, can you feel the drive motor start up?

Does your machine's BIOS detect the drive?

Does your machine still use other devices properly (and you get the detection sound)?

Have you tried the drive connected to another machine?

EpicJungle · 17 Jul 2012

Thanks for replying, better late then never!

Yes, I can feel it start up (the vibration).

Um, I'm not sure how to check if the BIOS detects it, mind assisting me?

Yes, all devices are working properly on my laptop, and I do get a detection sound.

Yes I have (on 2 laptops, XP and Windows 7), and both failed to detect my WD Passport.

F5ing · 17 Jul 2012

EpicJungle said:

Thanks for replying, better late then never!

You're welcome! Wasn't sure if you had given up after all this time!

EpicJungle said:

Yes, I can feel it start up (the vibration).

Good!

EpicJungle said:

Um, I'm not sure how to check if the BIOS detects it, mind assisting me?

The first splash screen you see when you boot should identify what key needs to be pressed to enter the BIOS. Could be F2, F10, F12, Del, Esc or some other key. Power up or reboot the machine and tap that key repeatedly, about 1/2 second between taps, until you see the BIOS screen (if it continues to Windows you've missed it and have to retry). Once you're in the BIOS you've got to navigate to the screen that details USB devices. Hopefully you'll see something there for the drive.

EpicJungle said:

Yes, all devices are working properly on my laptop, and I do get a detection sound.

Good sign; it's not a problem with your PC.

EpicJungle said:

Yes I have (on 2 laptops, XP and Windows 7), and both failed to detect my WD Passport.

Not a good sign, at least as far as your drive is concerned.

You can try the following from WD to find out if it can see your drive:

WD Support / Downloads / SATA & SAS / WD VelociRaptor

Don't worry about the product on that page; they use the same software for most of their drives.

If none of that helps I think your only hope may be to remove the drive from the housing and use a PATA/SATA to USB adapter to bypass the electronics built into the housing itself. The chances of being able to do that may be limited with WD drives though. Some of their externals don't have standard drives in the housing; those drives don't have a standard connector, and instead use a special connector that fits the connector in the housing.

One other thing to look at is the USB cable itself. Check that the connections are free of lint/crud. You might have some luck if you can find and try a compatable cable.

EpicJungle · 19 Jul 2012

I tried checking if the WD Passport appears in BIOS, but I can't find the tab which includes details for USB drives.. mind enlightening me?

I also tried the download from the WD Support, and it also doesn't detect my WD Passport. I know it works, as it has detected my other, newer WD Passport.

I will try to use your instructions on using a PATA/SATA USB adapter soon and inform you of what happens, thanks!

Also about the USB cable having dirt, I've already tried several USB cables on the WD Passport and the computer still failed to detect it.

Also, another note: when connecting my WD Passport along with making a vibrating noise, it also makes an irregular clicking noise. Does this mean anything or is it normal?

Again, thank you for your help! :)

airbusA346 · 19 Jul 2012

I am having a similar problem with my My Passport Essential SE (USB 3.0).

It works on my work computer (running Win 7 64-bit Pro). When I connected the it to my home computer (running Win 7 64-bit Ultimate) the other week, it wasn't detected until I restarted the computer. But today it just won't be seen by my computer at home. The LED comes on and I can hear/feel the HDD starting up.

It can not be seen in Device Manger (it isn't listed at My Passport etc) and it isn't shown in Disk Management.

And formatting isn't an option.

Can anyone help?

Thanks.

F5ing · 20 Jul 2012

EpicJungle said:

I tried checking if the WD Passport appears in BIOS, but I can't find the tab which includes details for USB drives.. mind enlightening me?

I also tried the download from the WD Support, and it also doesn't detect my WD Passport. I know it works, as it has detected my other, newer WD Passport.

I will try to use your instructions on using a PATA/SATA USB adapter soon and inform you of what happens, thanks!

Also about the USB cable having dirt, I've already tried several USB cables on the WD Passport and the computer still failed to detect it.

Also, another note: when connecting my WD Passport along with making a vibrating noise, it also makes an irregular clicking noise. Does this mean anything or is it normal?

Again, thank you for your help! :)

You're welcome!

Some BIOSs are so simple there may not be much there, just make sure you go through all the menus/submenus to check for anything related to USB.

Clicking noises are definitely not good. If listening real closely to most any drive you might hear some noise as the heads move from spot to spot, but if they're noises that are new and much more readily audible, it's not a good sign.

So are the clicking noises new?

F5ing · 20 Jul 2012

airbusA346 said:

I am having a similar problem with my My Passport Essential SE (USB 3.0).

It works on my work computer (running Win 7 64-bit Pro). When I connected the it to my home computer (running Win 7 64-bit Ultimate) the other week, it wasn't detected until I restarted the computer. But today it just won't be seen by my computer at home. The LED comes on and I can hear/feel the HDD starting up.

It can not be seen in Device Manger (it isn't listed at My Passport etc) and it isn't shown in Disk Management.

And formatting isn't an option.

Can anyone help?

Thanks.

airbusA346, best to start your own thread. Some of these threads get pretty long and it can get confusing. Although the issue is similar, the details for each situation can vary rather dramatically, and it gets hard to keep track of which set of details belongs to each poster.

FYI: You can always stay informed of new posts in any thread without actually posting; just click on "Thread Tools" at the top of the thread's page and select "Subscribe...".

tamawood · 17 Aug 2013

I had this problem as well and the only thing that worked was the following:

Click on Start --> In search box, type cmd. When it shows "Command Prompt" in the search list,
right-click on it and select the option "Open as administrator".
Open the command prompt and type the below commands
set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
Press Enter
start devmgmt.msc
Press Enter
"Device Manager" window will be opened.
Now in the device manager, click on "View" --> Select "Show hidden devices"
Now expand the nodes "Disk Drives" and "Universal serial bus controller" by clicking on "+" symbol. If you find any greyed entries --> Right click on it --> Select "Uninstall".
Restart your PC and connect your external drive.