High Sierra not compatible with WD hard drive

If you have installed any of the software that came with it,

that is likely the source of the problems. These tend to

install "drivers" that are not needed and often interfere with

how macOS works with drives.

Download and run https://www.etrecheck.com/ and post the

results here. There could very well be other items that are

creating problems.

nosheen718 wrote:

After upgrading to High Sierra, my macbook no longer mounts my WD passport external drive. Is there an easy solution to this problem? WD website acknowledges its passport isn't compatible with High Sierra. Had I known, I wouldn't have upgraded. Please help.

Did you happen to install and use WD's software? if so, it's problematic and you shouldn't. You should reformat the drive using Disk Utility. If it already has data on it hopefully you have it backed up somewhere.

There are many reports of external drives not mounting after HS. I myself had to go to Disk Utilities, select "view all" and they then reformat then they worked fine. Not sure why this happens on certain drives but this usually fixes the issue.

Can you post a screenshot of that Disk Utility window?

Can you select "mount" in DU's Toolbar, and mount it then?

I can't find any explanation for its failure to appear in the Finder, or mount on its own, other than the effects of having installed some Western Digital "drive manager" product or whatever they include with their drives. Those things cause nothing but trouble.

As suggested earlier EtreCheck may help provide additional details regarding your system. You just have to download and run it... unlike WD software no installation is required and no system modifications are made. I may or may not be able to help interpret its results, but perhaps someone else can.

I don’t know of any hard disk drives or enclosures that do not work with any macOS versions, High Sierra included. That WD “Passport” drive will work just fine.

The software their manufacturers are fond of including with them are a completely different and unrelated subject though. That software is usually poorly implemented, generally causes problems, is not required, and should never be used on a Mac.

The very first thing anyone should do with any newly acquired hard disk drive is to erase it using Apple’s Disk Utility. That accomplishes three fundamental requirements: it prepares the drive for use with a Mac or a PC, it removes its typically poorly implemented and unreliable non-Apple software, and it maximizes its available space.

Does it appear in Disk Utility?

Can you post the link where WD states their drive is not compatible?

Thanks.