WD My Bookchat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Many users report drives dying suddenly, sometimes within months of purchase and with a fraction of capacity used, including clicking noises, failure to power on, or the drive simply not being detected anymore.

@Viajero16

I'm never buying one of these again. My WD MyBook 8TB drive died yesterday for no reason at all. I safely disconnected it, moved it to another room, and it never powered on again. I was livid! never again. I promise you, I did not dribble it like a basketball on the way to the new location.launch

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August 5, 2025

@davecarlton8239

Yeah, they're crap. Really wish there was a better backup solution than drives. Total waste of money. I've lost all 6 tb of personal data on this drive now. Several companies recovery software fails utterly. Bad blocks all over. 36 hours trying and it isn't even 1% into the scan. Who can afford so-called professional recovery services? I'm not a company that can write $5-10K off. I will never buy WD again. (not a new user, i've been in I.T. for 40+ years)launch

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July 18, 2025

@Jhangles

Just tried this. Waited for the correct controller board to arrive from Germany (They seem to be getting harder to find). Unfortunately, it didn't work, but I think my disk itself died. I have the 6TB version. When it turned on, it was really loud and I'm pretty sure I could hear slight grinding. Never knew I would need a backup for my backup. I'll avoid WD products from now on. I lost years of pictures.launch

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June 14, 2023

@mikhaelshadow

If you have any credibility DO NOT RECOMMEND this drive. I've read reviews on Adorama and many people have stated their drives failed around the 6th month period. One guy said he is on his 4th one!!! There is no chance in hell I'd purchase one of these drives after reading those reviews. \n3.8 stars our of 5 is GARBAGE!!!launch

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May 2, 2023

The USB-to-SATA bridge board encrypts data by default without user consent or documentation, so if the board fails, data becomes unrecoverable even though the underlying drive may be fine.

@Ferd414

The \"fun\" part, as I just recently found out with my 10TB version I've been running for something like 6-7 years, is that the \"MyBook\" line (whatever the size of the disk inside the enclosure) uses a small SATA<-->USB conversion board that includes hardware level encryption that's on from the factory. It can't be turned off or otherwise managed by the user. When that board goes, you've lost everything on the drive. The drive may be perfect, but the USB interface board has scrambled your data automatically and invisibly. Pull the drive out and put it in another enclosure, and you'll get nothing but garbage off it. The encryption (and the key for it) is in a chip on the USB board, and *EVERYTHING* goes through it. If you're lucky, you can get an exact copy of the board, desolder the chip from the old one and replace that chip on the new one so you can get your data off, but lotsa luck with that unless you know your way around surface-mount soldering... In my case, the connector on the USB board gave up the ghost - So what did I do? Shuck out the drive, put it in another USB case, and thats when I found out that the encryption was in play. 10TB of data turned into the equivalent of a what you find in the bag under the office paper shredder. NOWHERE is the encryption mentioned in the docs for the thing. It's just \"always on\". Fortunately, I'm handy with micro-soldering, so I was able bypass that miserable little \"USB 3 Micro B\" connector by cutting the end off the cable and soldering the ends of the wires from it directly to the board, and get my data off the drive (intact, thankfully) onto a NON-ENCRYPTED drive. Once that was done, pulled the drive out of the enclosure, trashed the enclosure, then put the drive into a non-encrypted enclosure, formatted and partitioned it, and copied the data back onto it from the second drive, and now it's back to being my \"daily driver\" in the non-encrypted enclosure. NEVER AGAIN will I even consider buying a WD MyBook drive. And you shouldn't either.launch

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June 27, 2026

@doctorevil8130

I can not believe that WD would do something as Stupid, stupid, stupid, as encrypting my MyBook 3TB data without my permission. USB to SATA Bridge goes US you are screwed. Had about 6 WD MyBooks . I will never buy another. Beyond belief they would do that. Encrypt the entire drive without permission.launch

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January 14, 2026

@rustlebruxz0013

Encryption? This drive encrypts your data on the fly? If this is similar to other usb drives I've used then there is a separate circuit board external to the bare drive itself. That handles the usb interface and creates the SATA interface to the drive. That board does the encryption, not the drive. As the data arrives at the drive it is already encrypted. \n\nWhy this concerns me is an older drive quit on me several years ago. Ok, so I removed the bare drive thinking it might be ok if the problem was in the interface. Well I was half right, the drive was fine but all the data was encrypted by that board and I had no way to decrypt it as that was the failed circuit boards function when you were reading from the drive.\n\nSo for me, I still like usb external drives but AVOID any that claim encryption. Just think how much fun you'd have with 22TB of data that you could no longer read. :-(launch

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April 22, 2023

@arnedslr

Great review! Have you had any problem with the hardware encryption that I believe is standard on your drive (whether or not you set a passowrd)? I've got this drive just now, but the fact that some people say that if the enclosure malfunctions you can't access your data without the enclosure makes me doubt my purchase. Thanks in advance. :)launch

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January 12, 2021

Users report that the included brochure lacks real instructions, WD's support links can return server errors, and password/security setup options are sometimes missing from the software menu.

@OyunveTeknoloji

WD 3,5 8TB My Book\r\n1. I made it password protected. After removing and inserting the disk, the disk does not appear on my computer. When I installed the old 4TB 2.5 it showed up as \"CD Drive UDF\". Is WD Security software required for the password?\r\n2. A clicking sound is heard continuously at 5.6 seconds while the disc is running.\r\nIs the disk normal or problematic, I'm waiting for your help.launch

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December 15, 2021

@stevegrothe7877

Perfect. Thank God for guys like Ken. This video was exactly what I needed as there are no instructions in the box and I missed that the little set up files in \"Documents.\" The phone rang and I was distracted.... Naturally, I went to \"support\" to get set up instructions and the link is there. But.... the link doesn't work. It merely gives an error message \"server error.\" This being the case, Northern Viking's video saved the day, as WD support doesn't work weekends. I guess us customers aren't supposed to need support on weekends... :-))) two variations from Ken's excellent overview that I experienced setting up my HP Windows 10 desktop: 1) the little brochure that's in the box doesn't have any instructions. It's just legalese and some warranty info. Basically, a useless addition. 2) There was no way to set up a password when I went into Mybook-Apps menu and clicked on the set-up star. Just wasn't there.launch

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April 10, 2021

Commenters criticize the default exFAT format as poorly suited for many small files compared to NTFS, and question why a hard drive would ship formatted for flash-drive-style use.

@StephenFirthUK

exFAT is a pretty rubbish format if you're going to store lots of small files. For example: NTFS has a minimum block size of 4096 bytes, meaning that a file between 1 and 4096 bytes in size will take up 4096 bytes. Meanwhile exFAT has a minimum block size of 128k! That's 131,072 bytes.\n\nDon't just say exFAT is a better format. Tell people what the options are because the \"better format\" really depends on what they intend to use the drive for. exFAT is a great choice if they intend to use the drive for storing video. But NTFS is a far better option if they intend to use if for tasks that generally pump out smaller files. exFAT would be a terrible option under those circumstances.launch

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July 12, 2026

@marcse7en

Exfat? For a Hard Disk Drive? Really? That's very strange! ... It's usually NTFS for a Hard Drive in Windows! ... Exfat is for USB Flash Drives bigger than 4 GB!\n\nEDIT: It's a stupid design being upright, because as you say, if it gets knocked over while working it could damage the drive and cause a head crash!\n\nI bought a 5TB WD Essentials USB powered drive. I was VERY disappointed to find out that the USB port is soldered to the drive PCB, preventing use of the drive in other enclosures or applications! 👎 Also, the drive employs Shingled Magnetic Recording technology.launch

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April 20, 2023

Some users report write speeds dropping significantly after creating partitions or after using a portion of the drive's capacity, from around 200MB/s down to 100-135MB/s.

@AadilDar

Help...! I bought a 6tb WD my book HDD. It has a consistent speed of 190MBps, but when I create a 2TB partition, the speed on that partition drops to 135MBps, and if I again create a partition that speed reduces to 110MBps.\r\nSo is it better to not create partition at all?launch

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October 13, 2024

@ritwiksondhi

I bought two 18TB drives, one worked absolutely fine but with the second one is giving speed issue. After using 2TB, today the write speed dropped from 200 to 100MB/s...I tried transfering data on 3 different machines but same result. Any clue?\nP.S Using Sandisk Extreme SSD to transfer data..so no bottleneck.launch

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December 5, 2021

Users report the drive sometimes appears unlocked in File Explorer without entering a password, or fails to appear at all after being password protected and reinserted.

@kazuto2111

I bought me My Book 2TB External Drive and i added a password, and i have an issue and i don't' know if it's suppose to do this but sometimes when i log into my desktop i go to File Explorer and next to my Windows (C:) it shows My Book Drive and when i click on the drive it opens even though i didn't put the password in to Unlock it, and i clicked on my Folders inside and I can see my wallpaper icons and Videos in the folders but i just can't play the videos or view wallpapers without putting in the password. How do i fix this issue so the next time i turn on my desktop it Won't show My Book Drive next to my Windows (C:), and for me to not have access to the drive until I put in the password for it. Anyone had this issue before?launch

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March 3, 2024

@OyunveTeknoloji

WD 3,5 8TB My Book\r\n1. I made it password protected. After removing and inserting the disk, the disk does not appear on my computer. When I installed the old 4TB 2.5 it showed up as \"CD Drive UDF\". Is WD Security software required for the password?\r\n2. A clicking sound is heard continuously at 5.6 seconds while the disc is running.\r\nIs the disk normal or problematic, I'm waiting for your help.launch

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December 15, 2021

One detailed comment warns that heat is a major cause of hard drive failure and recommends monitoring temperatures, implying these drives can run hot enough to risk component damage.

@condorX2

Note 2 my future self.\n\nThe #1 killer for external hard drive is heat. It's crucial you get an app that monitor it. I recommend Crystal Disk info.\n\nTemperatures higher than 50°C are too hot for the drive, putting its sensitive and critical components at risk.\n\nThis is what happened when it get hot. \n\nParts of the circuit board might get burned or melt, making it difficult to read or write data. \n\nProlonged high temperatures will decrease the lifespan of a hard drive. \n\nElectrical components can degrade and potentially fail. \n\nThe metal discs (or platters) that store data can expand and contract, causing damage to other components or even a head crash. \n\nWarped platters can prevent the retrieval of data.launch

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January 19, 2024

One user describes accidentally applying the wrong voltage which blew a protection component, noting the drive's 12V line lacks robust overvoltage protection.

@greggv8

Another issue with these is they run the 12 volt lines straight through to the drive. The adapter board runs off 5 volts and is very well protected. I had a 3TB MyBook and accidentally plugged the 24 volt supply for a Dymo 400 Turbo printer into the drive. (Shame on Dymo for using the common 12V size barrel jack for 24V!) What happened was it permanently shorted the 12V protection shunt. That ran 12V to ground, saving the drive. Just had to remove that part from the drive to make it work again. Of course that also removed the over volt protection on the 12V line in the drive. If someone plugs a Dymo printer power supply into it again, its toast.\nThose protection shunts (they're like the opposite of a fuse) can only take so much. Run too high voltage through and they'll blow open (like a fuse) but in their case that will change from shunting power to ground the power will get to the rest of the electronics on the drive. I was surprised WD built their adapter board with 5V regulation able to withstand 24V. Too bad they didn't include 12V protection.launch

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March 23, 2020