WD My Passport 1TB Portable External Hard Drive Storage USB 3.0 Black

by Western Digital

• Sleek, compact design
• Automatic backup software
• Password protection and hardware encryption
• Data Transfer Rate on USB up to 5 Gbps
• 2-Year Limited Warranty
• Sleek, compact design,Serial Bus Transfer Rate (USB 3.0)5 Gb/s (Max)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 3.2 x 0.7 inches ; 6.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B006Y5UV4A
• Item model number: WDBBEP0010BBK-NESN
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2,743 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #1 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Data Storage > External Hard Drives
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 20, 2012

Product Description

Capacity: 1 TB | Color: Black

From the Manufacturer

My Passport Portable Hard Drive – Mini drive. Mega capacity. Multi colors.

My Passport offers high capacity in a sleek portable drive. It features ultra-fast USB 3.0 connectivity; automatic, backup software; and password protection and hardware encryption to help protect your files from unauthorized use with plenty of room to store all your files.

Automatic backup
WD's automatic, continuous backup software works quietly in the background to help protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file, it's instantly backed up.

High capacity, sleek design
Offering high capacity in a compact drive, My Passport is the ideal companion for anyone with lots of videos, photos, music, and files that they want to help protect and take on the road.

Password protection secures your drive
Use WD Security to set password protection and hardware encryption and protect your files from unauthorized use or access.

Features at a glance Ultra-fast data transfers with USB 3.0 interface USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility Automatic backup software Sleek compact design with plenty of storage Password protection and hardware encryption 2-year limited warranty

Ultra-fast transfer rates

- When connected to a USB 3.0 port, My Passport lets you access and save files in blazing speed. Reduce transfer time by up to 3 times when compared to USB 2.0 transfer rates.*

*Performance may vary based on user's hardware and system configuration.

USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility

- With this single drive you get compatibility with your USB 2.0 devices today and the ultra-fast speed of USB 3.0 when you’re ready to step up to the next generation.

Automatic, continuous backup software

- WD's automatic backup software works quietly in the background to help protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file, it’s instantly backed up.

WD Security

- WD Security utility allows you to set password protection and hardware encryption for your drive to protect your files from unauthorized use or access.

WD Drive Utilities

- Register your drive, set drive timer, run diagnostics and more using WD Drive Utilities.

USB-powered

- Powered directly from the USB port on your PC. No separate power supply is needed.

WD quality inside and out

- We know your data is important to you. So we build the drive inside to our demanding requirements for durability, shock tolerance, and long-term reliability. Then we protect the drive with a durable enclosure designed for style and protection.

Ideal for

• Transferring files in blazing fast speed with USB 3.0
• Connecting to USB 2.0 devices today and USB 3.0 devices when you're ready
• Backing up your files with automatic, continuous backup software
• Securing your files from unauthorized access with password protection and hardware encryption
• Adding extra storage for your videos, music, photos, and files
• Connecting and powering through your USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 interface

What's in the box

Portable hard drive, Automatic backup software, WD Security software, WD Drive Utilities software, USB cable, Quick Install Guide.

Compatibility

Formatted NTFS for Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
Requires reformatting for Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard, or Lion
Note: Compatibility may vary depending on user's hardware configuration and operating system.

For more great WD products, visit the Western Digital Store at Amazon.com

External Storage Comparison Chart Storage with backup Storage with backup and anywhere access My Passport My Book Essential My Book Live My Book Live Duo     Ultra-fast backup and storage to go. Ultra-fast storage and backup. Shared storage for computers, tablets and smartphones. Double-safe storage for all your screens.   Interface USB 3.0, USB 2.0 USB 3.0, USB 2.0 Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet   Capacity range 320 GB - 2 TB 1 TB - 3 TB 1 TB - 3 TB 4 TB - 6 TB   Mobile apps       Automatic backup software   Password protection and hardware encryption   Network connection       Remote access       Portable form factor         PC ready   Mac ready

Product Description

My Passport offers up to 1 TB capacity in an amazingly small enclosure. It features ultra-fast USB 3.0 connectivity; compatibility with USB 2.0; automatic, backup software; and password protection and hardware encryption to help protect your files from unauthorized use.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1,916 of 1,997 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential storage backup tool in a digital world April 24, 2012

By Joanna Terrero TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Color Name:Black| Size Name:2 TB|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I'm a computer repair technician, and one issue I have all the time with my customers is, the famous, 'a virus hijacked my computer and those precious pictures are inside'. Yeah, the prom, the honeymoon, or the newborn pictures are usually held without ransom. Most of the time we are dealing with malware of some sort that affects the Windows operating system files, but leaves the data intact. So, before I repair the computer, I rescue the pictures, and any other file they might value. However, not all repair technicians do this, most allege that the files are corrupted, which might be the case, but usually it really means they are too busy to rescue anything, don't know how to do it, or will not do it unless paid big cash.

For one own's sakes, the best thing to do is backing up the data before the computer gets infected, or the hard drive fails. For pictures I recommend backing up the original files into data discs, but for faster everyday files backups (music, movies, games, software etc.) is better to use an external hard drive.

The Western Digital My Passport 2 TB is an awesome way to carry large amounts of data in a tiny container, that is always available and secure. I love its dimensions, both physically and in bytes.

Also, the truly fast data transfers done with the USB 3.0 interface save time every day. Speaking of the USB connector, another great feature is that only requires a single USB port for power, while many external hard drives and enclosures, with form factor 2.5", require two USB ports.

This drive is great not only to keep multimedia files, but also for storing documents in digital form, because it saves space. Besides, in case of an emergency it's faster to grab it then a folder. I've been doing backups using both hard drives and discs, and it has been of great help throughout the years. For example, the last time I moved, the new school district wanted my daughter first vaccines' records. I knew I have the original card somewhere in a box, but I needed it fast. Then I remembered I scanned the card years ago, and that print-scanned image, which was storage in my daughter's digital folder, inside my external hard drive, saved me hours of search and quickened her registering process at the new school.

About the WD SmartWare software offered by the manufacturer, I hesitated before going for it, because in the past WD back up software didn't work well for me. However, when one is dealing with such a big amount of data, doing it manually is a pain, and the alternative of using the backup and restore features included in Microsoft Windows 7, is something I would only do for a complete system image, not for the everyday backup. So, I installed the WD SmartWare software and so far, it's performing well, it does require time and attention to learn its functionality though. If you decide not to use the WD SmartWare, you can still use the hard drive right out of the box, like any other external hard drive.

Besides reading the user's manual, I strongly suggest that before plugging in the drive into your computer, you go to the Western Digital My Passport's support page, and read how to use it.

Because there are a few details to know before starting backing up your data. Among these topics, How to install WD SmartWare from the external drives, How to create a category backup using WD SmartWare, How to backup specific files and folders using WD SmartWare, How to retrieve a backup using WD SmartWare, Setting up security to lock or unlock a WD external drive with WD SmartWare, (videos are provided in some of these), and How to partition and format a WD drive on Windows (7, Vista, XP) and Mac OSX etc., etc.

I can't post links here, but one can do a search for WD Support / Downloads / My Passport and will find the page where a variety of software that works with the Western Digital My Passport 2 TB, can be downloaded for free.

However, the most important fact of reading Western Digital's support information for this drive, is to learn how to use it 'before' entrusting your valuable data to it. Specially, if you choose to install the WD SmartWare software.

There are very important steps everybody should know while setting up these drives, so it's clearly stated on the Western Digital's support pages.

For example, while installing the software, it will ask if you want to apply any security (password & encryption) to the drive. Before setting up the password you must check an, I understand box, certifying that you understood that if you forget the password, the data is unrecoverable. I repeat, and excuse the capitals, but this is crucial, IF YOU FORGET THE PASSWORD, THE DATA IS UNRECOVERABLE.

Since there is no way to retrieve your password if you forget it, please write that password in a secure available location. If you want, it's possible to change your security settings, remove security or/and change the password, but in order to do either, you still need the original password entered the first time.

If you forget your password, you will not be able to access the data storage in the hard drive, but you can continue to use the drive again if you format it. Of course, the process of reformatting the hard drive will erase all the data inside the unit, and remove the password.

I highly recommend the Western Digital My Passport 2 TB external hard drive.

I do have an warning though, the only proven and trusted way to preserve important files is to burn them into data discs (CD/DVD/Blu-rays). Because hard drives have a limited lifespan, and will fail sooner or later, usually without any warning signs. An external hard drive is very convenient to use, but the stuff that cannot be easily replaced, should always first be backed up on discs. Trust me, it will give you peace of mind. Also you can have two different hard drives with the same information, like I do. If you really don't want to keep discs around anymore.

320 of 334 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The PERFECT External Storage Drive For My Macbook Pro July 29, 2012

By Ronald Epstein

Color Name:Red| Size Name:1 TB|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow. So many mixed reviews here, and like those of you who are pondering over whether it is worth purchasing this Western Digital MY PASSPORT, there may not be a clear answer.

Let me tell you my story.

Recently bought the new Retina Macbook Pro with its 500GB SSD drive. For a person like me who puts a lot of software on my laptop and does quite a bit of movie editing, hard drive space is a premium. So, when figuring out how to handle nearly 200GB of music, I decided it would probably be best to run iTunes off an external drive instead of taking up space on the Macbook.

Again...Wow. Reading these reviews on Amazon was quite unnerving. So many great experiences with this drive followed up by a handful of negative experiences -- many talking of total hard drive failure. It's almost as if you are rolling the dice as to whether you'll receive a drive that works or doesn't.

...then there's the reviews from people who claim they are having problems using this drive on their Mac.

Well, I picked myself out a RED 1TB drive. Thought it was a cool color and didn't mind paying the premium price for it. In addition, I picked up this fantastic Case Logic QHDC-101 Hard Case on Amazon for $10. It's the perfect compliment to the red hard drive that fits snuggly inside.

Using the Western Digital MY PASSPORT on a Mac couldn't be easier than opening the package, plugging the USB cord into the Macbook, and then formatting it using Disk Utilities. From package to format took under 4 minutes.

And for anyone claiming to have a problem using this drive with their Mac, this is all you need to do...

1. Plug in the drive via USB connection
2. Go to APPLICATIONS -> UTILITIES -> DISK UTILITY
3. Click on the hard drive icon located at the very top left sidebar
4. Select the ERASE tab and FORMAT in Max OSX Extended (Journaled). Assign your drive a name if you wish.

That's it. Easy.

The drive works incredibly fast thanks to its USB 3.0 compatibility, which is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0. The drive is extremely quiet, and I didn't notice it getting warm.

And, yes, you can run your iTunes off the external drive.

304 of 322 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Smart form-factor. So-So software April 5, 2012

By LDB

Color Name:Black| Size Name:1 TB|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is my first experience with a Western Digital hard drive. I purchased the 1 TB Passport drive as opposed to others mainly because CNET awarded its Editors' Choice for the 2 TB model ( which was not available for sale when I placed my order). I am currently using the WD SmartWare (version 1.5.4.5) that comes with loaded the device.

Pros:
Smart form-factor. Very small and sleek for a 1TB drive.
USB powered ( just plug it into your USB port). No need for a power cable or bulky ac adapter. Makes for true portability.
Impressive USB 2.0 speed during my initial back up of 131 GBs worth of files/content.
Automatic file backup feature
One USB cable( supplied)supports both 3.0 and 2.0.
Surprisingly quiet and runs fairly cool too.
Excellent customer support. I called twice and spoke to well trained/professional technicians.

Cons:
WD Smartware software. Surprisingly so-so for this cool little device. Not as intuitive or slick as I had expected or read about. (Am wondering if I would be better off deleting the Smartware software altogether.)
This version of Smartware is not very flexible and doesn't include a full system backup( system image)feature. I had to install another application to create a system image ( Luckily WD provides a free copy of an application called Acronis for its customers--however I had to call customer service to learn about this application and be told where to find it on their support page.
Automatic backup feature only works while your system is idle.

Based on my overall user experience with this device to date ( only a few days) I am somewhere between a 3.5 and 4.0 rating. If however portability with incredible amounts of storage capacity ( the next model goes up to 2Tbs !)in a pocket size device is your main priority--then I don't think there is anything else currently on the market that beats this device in that regard.