12 Ways to Fix WD Passport Not Showing Up on Mac and Windows

WD passport is an External Hard drive that users can use with Windows and Mac laptops. Many users store their essential files on this hard drive so no one can access them. We know that these files are very important to you, and you don’t want to lose them no matter what happens. But you may suddenly meet WD Passport not showing up issue on Mac or Windows, and you need help to figure out what to do. Don’t get annoyed because we will show you how to deal with this issue with 7 ways.

Why is WD My Passport Not Showing Up?

If WD passport not showing up has occurred, then below are some of main reasons why this is happening.

Fault in your USB cable or Port.
Physical damage.
Drivers are outdated.
Unassigned Drive letter.
Drive not mounting.

As mentioned above, there could be several reasons why WD my passport for mac or Windows not showing up is happening to you, but don’t worry; we will help you fix this issue as soon as possible.

How to Fix WD Passport Not Showing Up on Mac?

You can try multiple fixes mentioned below to resolve the issue on Mac. Try these fixes one by one until you find the one that suits you.

Way 1. Update WD Discovery

Update the WD Discovery is one of the easiest and most effective solutions to fix the problem on Mac. Follow these steps to update WD Discovery on Mac.

Open the App store on your Mac.
Select the Update option from the left panel.
Now the list of available Updates will appear on your screen.
Click on the update option next to WD Discovery to update the App.
You can also select the Update All option to update all apps available.

Way 2. Restart Your Mac

Restarting your device is still the best solution to many issues. It also can solve the issue that the WD Passport is not showing up. Follow the instruction below to restart your Mac.

Select the Apple icon in the top left corner.
From the dropdown menu, click on the Restart option.
Your Mac will shut down and restart automatically after a few moments.

Way 3. Reconnect the WD My Passport

If your WD passport is not showing up, then that could also mean that your External hard drive is not connected correctly.

Follow this method to reconnect your WD passport correctly.

fix wd my passport ultra not showing up via recoonecting the WD my passport

1.First, check that your USB cable is connected properly to your Passport. If not, then first remove it.
2.Secondly, clean the USB cable port and then reconnect the Passport to your Mac.

Way 4. Use Another Port And Use Another Cable

As we all know, damaged cables or a dirty port can also prevent Mac from recognizing your external hard drive.

So try swapping the cables and then connect your WD passport to another port. You can also use a dry microfiber cloth to clean the port. To do these, you may fix the WD passport issue.

Way 5. Check the “External Disks” Option in Finder Preferences

You should ensure your drive isn’t hidden because Mac allows its user to select what devices can be displayed on finders or Mac. If your WD Passport is connected and not showing up on Mac and Finders, this may be the case.

Follow these steps to unhide your WD Passport.

Select the Finder option from the menu and then select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
Now click on the General tap.
The option to show the items on the desktop will appear on your screen. Select the External Disk option.
Then go to the sidebar tab and check the External disks option available under locations.

Now go back to the desktop or Finder to check if your WD Passport is showing up.

Way 6. Use Disk Utility to Repair the WD drive

There is a repair tool available on Mac called First Aid. This tool can analyze your external hard drive and repairs the basic issues with your drive. Follow the instructions below to run First Aid on your Mac to fix WD My Passport not showing up issue.

From the Finder menu, select the Application option.
Choose then Utilities and then click on Show All devices.
Connected devices appear on your screen, then, select your WD passport.
Now select the First Aid option and then click on the Run button.
Once the process is complete, try to mount the WD passport and then access it now.

Way 7. Format Your WD Drive

If the above methods failed to fix your problem, then the last option left for you is to format your WD my passport drive. This method will clean everything from your drive, including errors.

Sadly this method will also erase any data available on your drive. So, we recommend you to backup all your data before performing this method.

Open the Finder menu and then select Application from the left panel.
Now click on Utilities, and from the left corner, select show all devices.
Choose your WD My Passport and click on Erase option.
Follow the on-screen instruction to format your drive.

How to Fix WD My Passport Not Showing Up on Windows 10/11?

The issue can also occur on your Windows. If your WD isn’t working on Windows as well, here are some fixes that you can use to solve WD My Passport not showing up on Windows 10/11.

Way 1. Replace the Cable and Use Another Port

The main problem that causes WD my passport not showing up on Windows 10/11 is your cable or Laptop port. Using another cable will solve this issue if it is the case.

If your laptop still doesn’t recognize your drive after changing the cable, then it may be that your UBS port isn’t working. Try changing to another port or plugging it into another computer or Laptop to see if it works.

Way 2. Show hidden Devices

It may be hidden if your drive is connected properly and still not showing up on your desktop. Follow these steps to show hidden devices on Windows.

Navigate to your Desktop and select the This PC option.
Now click on the View option available at the top.
Then check the Hidden item box, and all the hidden devices will appear on your screen.

Way 3. Update the WD External Drive Letter

the WD passport problem may be caused by WD external drive letter. You should follow these steps to update the WD External Driver Letter on Windows to fix the issue.

Press the Windows keys + R and then type diskmgmt. msc, and then click OK.
Disk Management will open on your screen, right click on WD passport and then select the Change Drive Letter and path option from the drop-down menu.
Click on Add to update the drive letter, choose the letter and then click on the OK button.

Now your Driver’s letter is updated and the problem is fixed.

Way 4. Update WD External Device Driver

The problem can also be fixed by updating WD External Device Driver. Here are the steps for you.

Press the Windows key + X and then select the device manager.
Select Disk drives and then right-click on WD Devices.
Click on the Update option and then select the search automatically for the driver’s option.
If there is any latest update available, it will install automatically.

Way 5. Reinstall the WD Hard Drive USB Controller

If updating the drivers doesn’t solve your issue, then reinstalling the WD Hard Drive from USB control might do the trick.

Open the Device manager and click on USB Controllers.
Right-click on WD My passport controller and choose Uninstall device.
Select the uninstall button to confirm it, and restart your device to reinstall the WD driver.
Now, you can find the WD passport not showing up issue is fixed.

How to Recover Data after Fixing “WD My Passport Ultra Not Showing Up”?

When you try to fix the WD Passport not showing up problem, you may lose your files. Luckily, you can recover your data with one amazing and professional tool known as StarzSoft Data Recovery Tool. This tool can help you to recover your data from formatted, lost and crashed devices.

Starzsoft supports up to 1000+ formats and helps you to recover your data from different sources such as WD My Passport, Desktop, Memory Card and more. Follow these instructions to recover your data with this tool.

Free DownloadSecure Download

Install the Starzsoft tool from its official site.
Launch the program and then connect your WD Passport to your PC.
Select it and then click on the next to begin the process.
Now deep scanning will start; you can pause and start at any time.
Lost files will start appearing on your screen.
Double-click on your lost file to check if it is what you need and then click Recover.
Select the path to save your lost file, and click on recover.

Final Words

Don’t panic if WD Passport not showing up on Mac or Windows. First, try finding the reason that is causing the issue and then find a solution accordingly. You can always fix your WD My Passport unless the drive is physically damaged. Also, in case you lost your important files when trying to fix WD passport not showing up issue, we recommend you to use StarzSoft Data Recovery to get your data back in several minutes.