Problem with Time Machine and a WD Passport for Mac

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Level 1

11 points

Problem with Time Machine and a WD Passport for Mac

I purchased a new " WD Passport for Mac" but Time Machine won't connect to it. I did a chat with WD and they say there is no problem with the Passport for Mac and to contact Apple as the issue seems to be in Time Machine. When I open Time Machine and select the Passport for Mac is says I must erase the passport. I did not do that and tried again to select the Passport for Mac but got the same message, so I erased the Passport for Mac. Initially I got the message that Time Machine cannot connect to Passport for Mac. Now when I repeat the process I keep getting the message to erase the Passport for Mac. The new Passport for Mac did not have a quick start guide, but says it' ready out of the box.

I use a 2020 MacBook Pro running OS X Big Sur version 11.4.

I previously have been using a WD Elements but it just stopped accepting my password and after two days of trying I gave up and bought the Passport for Mac.

Posted on Jun 7, 2021 9:25 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

PRP_53

Level 10

85,471 points

Jun 7, 2021 10:05 AM in response to Heilbronner

The Error Message being received is because the Drive is New and probably formatted for Windows usage which is either NTFS or maybe exFat.

For the drive to work on macOS and especially Big Sur the drive must be reformatted to the Apple Filing System format - which Time Machine Backup is asking to do.

Allow TM Backup to Erase the drive to the required file format and it should work.

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Answer 2

tchap532

Level 1

8 points

Jul 2, 2021 3:47 AM in response to Heilbronner

I have a similar question: my Passport won't work with Big Sur, and I've been told I need to reformat the passport which will lose everything on it. I want to know how to transfer all the files (mostly pictures) from the passport before doing this when it won't work on my computer. Can anyone help?

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Answer 3

tbirdvet

Level 6

13,767 points

Jul 2, 2021 5:33 AM in response to tchap532

How was ir formatted? Does it show upon the desktop? When did you use it last when it worked? If you used it on a windows PC you could connect again to a Windows PC and copy the files to another drive like a flash drive or Mac formatted drive then you could reformat the drive.

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Answer 4

Heilbronner Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 4, 2021 5:04 AM in response to PRP_53

Allowing ™ Backup to erase the drive worked and I was able to initially backup all my files to the WE Passport for Mac. But, I have not yet restarted File Vault, so I don't know what will happen when I try to backup my files with File Vault activated. I read that OS X 11. automatically encrypts all files even without activating File Vault. If that is true I don't know if I really need to activate File Vault. I guess I'll find out when/if I do activate File Vault.

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Answer 5

tchap532

Level 1

8 points

Jul 4, 2021 3:42 AM in response to tbirdvet

I use it on a Mac. I'm not able to open it in order to move the files. When I do, it says the developer needs to update the app before it can be used.

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Answer 6

tbirdvet

Level 6

13,767 points

Jul 4, 2021 6:17 AM in response to Heilbronner

OS11 does not auto encrypt. I'm not a fan of using File Vault with TM. TM has enough issues of its own.

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Problem with Time Machine and a WD Passport for Mac

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