Written by
Jenny ZengSummary: This article tells you how to use WD My Passport for Mac with Time Machine, how to set it up, how to format it on Mac and Windows, and how to transfer files to it from Mac. If you can't write to a WD My Passport drive on Mac, download iBoysoft NTFS for Mac to enable full read/write access.
Western Digital is a well-known brand in the storage industry. Its "My Passport for Mac" series, including My Passport for Mac and My Passport Ultra for Mac, is commonly used for backup, data transfer, and additional storage on Mac.
Depending on the purpose, you need to work with the WD My Passport for Mac drive on different levels, which can pose a challenge if you're unfamiliar with it.
We'll show you how to use My Passport external hard drive for Mac in common scenarios, helping you open, format, transfer files, and back up to it.
How to format WD My Passport for Mac?
WD My Passport for Mac hard drives default to HFS+, also called Mac OS Extended (Journaled), making them compatible with macOS out of the box. If you want to change the format, there are two ways.
Typically, you can format a WD My Passport for Mac hard drive with either Disk Utility or Terminal. Both are native tools every Mac has but the former has a graphical interface and is easier to master for average users. But in case Disk Utility doesn't erase the WD disk, we'll also explain how to erase WD My Passport for Mac using Terminal.
Warning: Formatting a drive will erase all data on it. Make sure you back up important files on the WD external hard drive before erasing it.
The first step to erase any drive on Mac is to decide what file system or format to use with it. Here are the general rules:
- Used on Mac only: Choose APFS if your Mac runs macOS High Sierra or later; Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) if your Mac runs macOS Sierra or earlier.
- Used on Mac and PC: Choose exFAT if you need to store larger files; Choose FAT32 if you want maximum compatibility and are working with files smaller than 4 GB.
- Used on PC only: Choose NTFS.
- Used with Time Machine: Choose APFS if your Mac runs macOS Big Sur or later; Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) if your Mac runs macOS Catalina or earlier.
After knowing the right format to use, choose one of the methods below to format the WD My Passport for Mac drive.
≫ ≫ To format WD My Passport for Mac in Disk Utility: ≫ ≫
- Ensure the WD My Passport for Mac drive is connected.
- Launch Disk Utility.
- Click View > Show All Devices.
- Select the physical disk of your WD drive, which usually has the brand name.
- Click Erase.
- Name it.
- Select the file system based on how you want to use the WD drive.
- Keep the scheme GUID Partition Map.
- Click Erase.
≫ ≫ To erase WD My Passport for Mac using Terminal: ≫ ≫
- Ensure the WD My Passport for Mac drive is inserted.
- Open Terminal.
- Type the following command and hit Enter.diskutil list
- Take note of the disk identifier of your WD My Passport for Mac drive. For instance, disk2.
- Replace the information in the command below and execute it to erase the drive.diskutil eraseDisk format disk_name GPT disk_identifier
E.g., to format a drive (disk2) in APFS and name it as Data, the command would be: diskutil eraseDisk APFS Data GPT disk2
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How to use My Passport for Mac with Time Machine?
If you want to use WD My Passport on Mac for backup, Time Machine is a great option. Through Time Machine, you can back up everything on your Mac, including files, apps, settings, and the operating system.
Depending on your macOS version, the steps to use My Passport for Mac with Time Machine are slightly different. To avoid any issues, it's advisable to format the drive beforehand by following the steps we mentioned above.
Once your drive is prepared, follow the appropriate steps to back up using My Passport for Mac.
On macOS Ventura or later:
- Open the Apple menu > System Settings > General > Time Machine.
- Tap the add ( + ) button, then select your WD My Passport for Mac drive, and click "Set Up Disk." (If the disk isn't formatted with a macOS-compatible format, it won't show up.)
- Choose to encrypt the disk or not and click Done.
- Click the Erase button to erase the drive for Time Machine.
- Time Machine will start preparing the disk.
- Click Options to set up backup frequency and exclude items you don't want to back up.
- Now, all is configured. If you've chosen automatic backup, it'll start backing up right away. If you selected Manual backup, click the Time Machine icon at the top-right menu bar and select "Back Up Now" to start the first backup.
On macOS Monterey or earlier:
- Open the Apple menu > System Preferences > Time Machine.
- Tap "Select Backup Disk."
- Select your WD My Passport for Mac drive and click "Use Disk."
- Click Erase when prompted.
- Make sure "Back Up Automatically" and "Show Time Machine in menu bar" are selected.
- Click Options to exclude items you don't want to include.
- If the backup doesn't start automatically, click the Time Machine icon at the top-right menu bar and select "Back Up Now.
Read How to Use Time Machine on Mac: Backup and Restore Tutorials to learn more information about using Time Machine on Mac.
Help others back up Mac using My Passport for Mac with Time Machine!
How to use WD My Passport for Mac on Windows 11/10/8/7?
As the name implies, a WD My Passport for Mac drive is pre-formatted for Mac computers. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean it can't be used on Windows PCs. To use WD My Passport for Mac on Windows, you simply need to make sure the file system is compatible with Windows.
This leaves you with three options: NTFS, exFAT, and FAT32. If your disk isn't formatted with one of the three formats, your WD My Passport for Mac drive won't mount on Windows. To use it, you must reformat it with a Windows-compatible file system.
Warning: Remember to back up files on the drive before formatting it.
Here's how to reformat a WD My Passport on Windows PCs:
- Plug the WD My Passport drive into your Windows PC.
- Open Disk Management. (Type diskmgmt.msc in the Start menu or the Run dialog box.)
- Locate the correct WD drive you want to format.
- Right-click on it and choose Format.
- Enter a disk name in the Volume label box.
- Choose a file system.
- Select Default in the Allocation unit size textbox.
- Click OK.
After that, you can access the WD My Passport for Mac disk on Windows like any other drive.
How to transfer files from Mac to WD My Passport for Mac?
There are several ways to transfer files from Mac to an external hard drive on Mac, regardless of the drive's brand. To copy the files to a WD My Passport for Mac, you can select the files needed, and then:
- Drag and drop them to the WD My Passport for Mac external hard drive.
- Right-click and choose Copy, then open the My Passport for Mac drive, right-click on the empty space, and choose Paste.
- Press Command-C, then open the external hard drive and press Command-V.
If you need to move files to a WD My Passport for Mac without copying or want to learn more about different ways to transfer files from Mac, check out this guide: How to Move Files from Mac to External Hard Drive?
If you can't transfer files to the WD My Passport for Mac hard drive on Mac, it's likely formatted in NTFS, which is a Windows proprietary file system that's read-only on Mac. To enable read/write access to your My Passport for Mac hard drive, download iBoysoft NTFS for Mac.
This NTFS for Mac driver grants you full read and write access to NTFS drives on Mac. With it, you can transfer photos, documents, videos, audio, or any files to the WD My Passport for Mac drive freely, create new folders on it, delete files from it, or edit the drive name.
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How to open WD My Passport for Mac? (Setup manual)
If you have a new WD My Passport for Mac external drive, you can set it up with the following steps.
Step 1: Connect WD My Passport drive to your Mac
Your My Passport for Mac drive kit contains the drive, a USB 3.0 cable, and a quick install guide. To access it, you need to connect the drive to your Mac with the USB cable.
When it's powered on, the LED will light up. According to the User Manual, the LED light behaves differently based on activities.
| LED Appearance | Power State/Activity |
| On Steady | Idle |
| Fast flashing, approximately 3 times per second | Activity, such as data transfer, backups, or being accessed by the system. |
| Slow flashing, approximately every 2.5 seconds | System standby |
| Off | Unit off or has been configured to have the LED turned off using WD Drive Utilities |
Step 2: Open WD My Passport for Mac external hard drive
Once your WD My Passport for Mac disk is plugged in, its disk icon will appear on the desktop or Finder's sidebar. Double-clicking the icon will open the My Passport for Mac drive and allow you to view files.
If the WD My Passport for Mac drive doesn't show up in Finder or on the desktop, you can check the Finder settings and ensure it's set to show external disks on the said locations.
- Open Finder.
- In the top-left menu bar, click Finder > Settings.
- In the General tab, tick the box next to "External disks" beneath "Show these items on the desktop."
- In the Sidebar tab, tick the box next to "External disks" beneath Locations.
Step 3: Install WD software if necessary
After opening the WD My Passport for Mac drive, you should be able to add files to it immediately.
If you want to enhance the capabilities of the drive, you can install the WD software that comes with it. But bear in mind that these tools can cause troubles after a macOS update.
For instance, if your Mac is updated but the WD software you installed is not, they'll be incompatible, resulting in your WD My Passport for Mac hard drive not showing up on Mac. Besides, most of the features the software provides can be performed in Disk Utility, the built-in disk manager on Mac.
However, if you decide to use the WD software, take the steps below:
- Inside the drive, you'll find the WD_Apps.dmg file.
- Double-click on it to bring up the WD Apps Setup wizard.
- There, click Next to start the installation.
- Choose the Installation Type.
Recommended Install: installs both the WD Drive Utilities and the WD Security software.
Custom Install: installs the WD software that you select on the next screen. - Agree to the terms.
- Enter your password when being asked.
- Wait till the installation is complete.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to manage your drive or password-protect it.
These are the general procedures to use My Passport external hard drive for Mac, My Passport Ultra for Mac, and other WD external hard drives. Share them if you benefit from this article!
