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Capacity: 3 TB
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Compare to Similar Hard Drives
WD Elements 3 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive | WD My Book 3TB External Hard Drive Storage USB 3.0 File Backup and Storage | WD My Passport 2TB Portable External USB 3.0 Hard Drive Storage Black … | WD My Book Studio 3 TB FireWire 800 External Hard Drive |
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| Customer Rating | ||||
| Price | $119.99 | $130.53 | $138.34 | $159.00 |
| Shipping | FREE Super Saver Shipping | FREE Super Saver Shipping | FREE Super Saver Shipping | Free Shipping |
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Beach Camera |
| Hard Drive Size | 3 TB | 3 TB | 2 TB | 3 TB |
| File System | NTFS | NTFS | NTFS | HFS+ |
| Hard Drive Type | Desktop | Desktop | Portable | Desktop |
| Add to Cart | Add to Cart | Add to Cart | Add to Cart |
Product DetailsCapacity: 3 TB
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Product Description
Capacity: 3 TB
From the Manufacturer
WD Elements™ Desktop External Drive - Simply affordable.
Western Digital's WD Elements Desktop USB 2.0 external hard drives are the right answer for simple, reliable add-on storage. Simply plug one in to a USB port and start saving your photos, music, video, and files.
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WD quality inside and out - Designed with the same commitment to quality that made WD external drives the number one selling drives in the world.
Plug-and-play simplicity - Just connect the power and plug it into a USB port to instantly add more storage to your computer.
Designed to save power - Turns on and off with your computer. Enters idle mode when not in use. Utilizes a WD drive with power-saving WD GreenPower Technology™ and an EnergyStar compliant power supply.
Packaging - Packaged in a minimized way and recyclable packaging made from recycled materials. Preformatted for PCs - Designed for use with Windows-based computers. Can be easily reformatted for use with Macs.
Preformatted for PCs - Designed for use with Windows-based computers. Can be easily reformatted for use with Macs.
Compatibility
Available USB port, Mac OS® X Tiger® or Leopard®, Windows® Vista®/XP
Note: Compatibility may vary, depending on user's hardware configuration and operating system.
What's in the box
USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter, Quick Install Guide.
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Product Description
Simply affordable. Western Digital's WD Elements Desktop USB 2.0 external hard drives are the right answer for simple, reliable add-on storage.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
485 of 499 people found the following review helpful
By Scott
Size Name:1 TB|Amazon Verified Purchase
I purchased the 1tb Elements (WDBAAU0010HBK-NESN) for use with a Dish DVR 622.
Installation was was truly "plug and play". I simply took it out of the box, plugged it in, and it was immediately recognized by the DVR. I have since transferred about 200gb of content to/from it, and have watched content directly from the drive. So far, it is working perfectly. It automatically spins down after a few minutes of non-use, as well as when the DVR is powered off. It also spins back up automatically (less than 10 seconds) when the DVR accesses it.
One thing some people might not like: The case is designed to sit flat (as pictured), not on its side. There are four small non-skid pads on the bottom corners, but none on either side. There is no indication on the box, in the documentation, or on Western Digital's web site as to whether the drive will work properly on edge. As a general rule, WD drives are designed to operate sideways or even upside down (any X,Y,Z orientation), so this one probably will too -- but you'll need to provide your own non-skid pads.
Several similar Western Digital drives, such as the late model "My Book" series, now include a firmware-based CD-partition that is difficult to remove, and can cause compatibility issues with some devices. That partition contains backup software and utilities that are of questionable value in any case, and of absolutely no value when using the drive with a non-computer device (like the Dish DVR). The Elements -- at least at time of this review -- doesn't include any of that junk. (Note: WD does have a downloadable utility to remove the partition from the other drives, but if you don't want that junk then save yourself the time/trouble and just buy the Elements drive.)
Installation was was truly "plug and play". I simply took it out of the box, plugged it in, and it was immediately recognized by the DVR. I have since transferred about 200gb of content to/from it, and have watched content directly from the drive. So far, it is working perfectly. It automatically spins down after a few minutes of non-use, as well as when the DVR is powered off. It also spins back up automatically (less than 10 seconds) when the DVR accesses it.
One thing some people might not like: The case is designed to sit flat (as pictured), not on its side. There are four small non-skid pads on the bottom corners, but none on either side. There is no indication on the box, in the documentation, or on Western Digital's web site as to whether the drive will work properly on edge. As a general rule, WD drives are designed to operate sideways or even upside down (any X,Y,Z orientation), so this one probably will too -- but you'll need to provide your own non-skid pads.
Several similar Western Digital drives, such as the late model "My Book" series, now include a firmware-based CD-partition that is difficult to remove, and can cause compatibility issues with some devices. That partition contains backup software and utilities that are of questionable value in any case, and of absolutely no value when using the drive with a non-computer device (like the Dish DVR). The Elements -- at least at time of this review -- doesn't include any of that junk. (Note: WD does have a downloadable utility to remove the partition from the other drives, but if you don't want that junk then save yourself the time/trouble and just buy the Elements drive.)
1,690 of 1,770 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:1 TB
I work for Computing support at Arizona State University, and I have enough technical knowledge to be certified as a TECH JUNKIE :)
I am a photographer too, so I have tons of Photos (about 160GB), Videos, Software, Movies and Documentaries. I was looking for a simple external hard drive without any backup software included, I am smart enough to do manual incremental backups with file tree structure intact (I use GOODSYNC to backup, its very simple and easy to use, for not so TECH savvy people try SYNCTOY by Microsoft).
I have looked at many many external HDDs and narrowed down to two models "Samsung Story 1TB - very good one too" and this one (I wanted it to be cheap too - got this for $85. I did not go with other WD models because of their annoying Backup Software.
Coming to the WD Elements 1TB: Its much smaller than I expected. It is dead silent, I had to touch it to convince myself that it was running, when I first turned it on. Its not too heavy either. The indicator light is placed at the rear, which is a very good thing (I find these LED's annoying, especially at night).
After I did the first setup, I copied 383GB of data (931GB was total space). It took about 4hr 47min, speed varied between 20MBps to 37MBps. This is pretty good speed for USB 2.0. It was just a bit warm (my old segate hard drive would be very very hot for this amount of data transfer).
I would recommend it to beginners or pros alike. I am very happy with this purchase!
UPDATE:
After about three months of heavy usage, it never gave up on me. Its still dead silent and works flawlessly. It never got even warm!!... Read more ›
I am a photographer too, so I have tons of Photos (about 160GB), Videos, Software, Movies and Documentaries. I was looking for a simple external hard drive without any backup software included, I am smart enough to do manual incremental backups with file tree structure intact (I use GOODSYNC to backup, its very simple and easy to use, for not so TECH savvy people try SYNCTOY by Microsoft).
I have looked at many many external HDDs and narrowed down to two models "Samsung Story 1TB - very good one too" and this one (I wanted it to be cheap too - got this for $85. I did not go with other WD models because of their annoying Backup Software.
Coming to the WD Elements 1TB: Its much smaller than I expected. It is dead silent, I had to touch it to convince myself that it was running, when I first turned it on. Its not too heavy either. The indicator light is placed at the rear, which is a very good thing (I find these LED's annoying, especially at night).
After I did the first setup, I copied 383GB of data (931GB was total space). It took about 4hr 47min, speed varied between 20MBps to 37MBps. This is pretty good speed for USB 2.0. It was just a bit warm (my old segate hard drive would be very very hot for this amount of data transfer).
I would recommend it to beginners or pros alike. I am very happy with this purchase!
UPDATE:
After about three months of heavy usage, it never gave up on me. Its still dead silent and works flawlessly. It never got even warm!!... Read more ›
375 of 388 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Register the drive with Western Digital to get the warranty updated !
December 16, 2009
By A. E.
VINE™ VOICE
Size Name:1.5 TB|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought 3 of these drives for $99 each around Black Friday. The value cannot be beat and I always prefer Western Digital due to their Advance Replacement policy.
One of the drives had issues. I always check all new drives I buy with the Western Digital Life Diagnostics program which is available for free from Western Digital. All drives passed the test without issues. The test will take at least 12 hours to complete on such a large drive. One of the drives was dropping the transfer rate after copying 500 GB to it for no reason and I had to replace it. What is really disappointing is that the drive passed the test so I have no confidence in the diagnostic program anymore.
The moment you receive the drive check your warranty online at the Western Digital website. The warranty for this model is only 1 year which I consider absolutely insufficient for a drive. The bad thing about it is that Western Digital starts counting from the manufacturing date and by the time you get it, the warranty left is only 9-10 months which is ridiculous. They will update the warranty to 1 year after the purchase date but you will have to send them the receipt and be patient. It took them 2 weeks to respond to an online request. They also have an option to extend the warranty for another 2 years for $25 per drive. I might consider that....
I recommend this drive because the size, price and ease of use. It doesn't have any of the limitations of the fancier Western Digital drives. It is just a big, cheap external hard drive.
Update - September 16 2010
Today I bought another one and when cheking the warranty it was shorter by 6 months. I went through my regular procedure to write to WD Customer support when I realized they had a link that was addressing the issue.... Read more ›
One of the drives had issues. I always check all new drives I buy with the Western Digital Life Diagnostics program which is available for free from Western Digital. All drives passed the test without issues. The test will take at least 12 hours to complete on such a large drive. One of the drives was dropping the transfer rate after copying 500 GB to it for no reason and I had to replace it. What is really disappointing is that the drive passed the test so I have no confidence in the diagnostic program anymore.
The moment you receive the drive check your warranty online at the Western Digital website. The warranty for this model is only 1 year which I consider absolutely insufficient for a drive. The bad thing about it is that Western Digital starts counting from the manufacturing date and by the time you get it, the warranty left is only 9-10 months which is ridiculous. They will update the warranty to 1 year after the purchase date but you will have to send them the receipt and be patient. It took them 2 weeks to respond to an online request. They also have an option to extend the warranty for another 2 years for $25 per drive. I might consider that....
I recommend this drive because the size, price and ease of use. It doesn't have any of the limitations of the fancier Western Digital drives. It is just a big, cheap external hard drive.
Update - September 16 2010
Today I bought another one and when cheking the warranty it was shorter by 6 months. I went through my regular procedure to write to WD Customer support when I realized they had a link that was addressing the issue.... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does the job
USB drives are pretty ubiquitous these days so there's no much to say about them. The drive is quiet and works as fast as any USB drive I've tried.
Published 1 day ago by Dan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Be Sure to Download the Proper Drivers, Otherwise a Nice HDD
I got this used, and it was in good shape when it arrived. It doesn't overheat and it makes very little sound. Read more
Published 1 day ago by SoundDragon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Two-year review
I have been using mine as backup for about two years now, and have had no technical issues other than some very slight, intermittent, high-frequency noise when the device is... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for wireless back-up and media storage
I use this drive for wireless back-ups and additional photo and music storage for 3 different computers. Read more
Published 2 days ago by DCS801
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's okay
I've used WD harddrives for years. this is one died after about 18 months. might have been a fluke as i've always had very good experiences with WD products.
Published 2 days ago by Jeffrey A Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
this has proven to be exactly what I needed, will handle way more than I will put on it, and hold a good backup for the two computers I have
Published 4 days ago by Charles O. Lewis
2.0 out of 5 stars
Stopped working after just over a year.
Was using this as a backup drive and it completely died on me out of nowhere after just over a year. Read more
Published 4 days ago by M. Leigh
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Far So Good
I've had mine about a week now. Plugged it in and took off. No problems so far. Very easy to operate. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Mat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!
There was a little bit of extra setup on a Mac. I had to call the company to have them help me set it up, but once set up, it works like a charm.
Published 5 days ago by Mark Luchauer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works perfectly with Dish DVR-612 too!
As "Scott" mentioned in his review from 2009, this works with the Dish DVR-622 satellite receiver. I have the DVR-612 model and it works with it as well! I bought this 1. Read more
Published 5 days ago by The Blu-ray Boy
