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WD Passport and Macbook Pro

I just got a new Macbook Pro with Retina Display (OS X 10.10 Yosemite) and I tried to connect my old WD My Passport Essential (USB 3.0) Model WDBACY5000A. My new Mac is not recognizing the external hard drive. It is not recognized in System Information or Desk Utility. I can feel the external hard drive running when it is plugged into the computer, but the computer is not recognizing it anywhere. The hard drive has worked on older versions of Mac and on PCs. My prior computer was a PC and the external hard drive works fine with the PC. Is there a compatibility problem? Please help!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Feb 8, 2015 11:29 AM

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4 replies

Feb 8, 2015 11:35 AM in response to CajunFox

First thing to do is update Yosemite. Download and install OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 Combo Update. See if that fixes the problem with the USB port. Be sure to try the drive in each USB port on the computer if you have more than one.


If it still doesn't work then return it to the place of purchase for repair or replacement. If you wish to replace it you must do this within 14 days from date of purchase, and you must return the system to what was originally installed:


Install OS X Using Internet Recovery


Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.


Boot to the Internet Recovery HD:


Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.


Partition and Format the hard drive:


  1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
  2. After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
  3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.


Reinstall OS X: Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.


Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.


This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

Feb 20, 2015 9:05 AM in response to CajunFox

For my hard drive that doesn't show up at all, the problem is not Yosemite per se. It's the USB3 driver incompatibility. Try using a USB2 cable (micro USB just like an android charger cable that plugs in half of the slot on your hard drive) and it will work. Or try connecting it to an older computer that has USB2 ports on it (with the original USB3 cable) and it will work BOTH on Yosemite and Mavericks. Of course it will transfer data at USB2 speeds. Apple screwed up the drivers again so we have to wait for them to 1. receive thousands of complaints 2. wait for eternity to acknowledge there's an issue. 3. take their sweet time fixing the USB3 drivers. Until then you can get by with USB2 cables. I hope this helps!

WD Passport and Macbook Pro

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