Read/Write Access to WD Easy Store External Hard Drive

launch Disk Utility

select View menu: show all devices

select the device by its immutable manufacturer-provided device-name

choose ERASE

take all the defaults, but give it a name of your choosing

it will run for a few minutes, then should mount on the desktop as a MacOS Volume, Read-Write.

appleavt wrote:

Hi Grant.

Thanks for the step-by-step instructions. Unfortunately, I got this error message...the operation failed...couldn't unmount disk.

MacOS is reluctant to ERASE a drive that it can see contains data, and uses a foreign file system.

The completely un-intuitive solution is that when it refuses, simply Ask Again, in the same moment, and often the procedure will go through.

It reminds me of MSDOS ¿Are you sure? messages, but without any additional verbiage at all.

appleavt wrote:

When I connect the drive to my Macbook, two files show up...

Install Western Digital Software for Mac.dmg and Install Western Digital Software for Windows.exe

Do I need to install the Mac.dmg file?

Thanks,

Un-savvy

If you choose to install those Drivers, the file will be readable, BUT:

ONLY when MacOS is fully up and operational.

That means a drive "owned" by the WD Drivers, which can NOT be accessed in Recovery, and can NOT be used to recover from a data disaster.

Installing third-party drivers is Bad Idea®