(Old Model) WD My Passport Ultra 1 TB Portable External USB 3.0 Hard Drive with Auto Backup, Black

What a great value for $70..wow. You cant beat that price. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside knowing that my Macbooks time machine will auto backup to this. I am a tech guy and Ive always told everyone to backup, backup, backup, but I never did myself. Does that make me a hypocrite? Lol. At any rate, for people that are less-tech savvy using a mac, when you first plug it in, just tell your Mac to use it as a time machine disk, then go to system preferences , and look for time machine and make sure its turned to the on position on the left and theres a little checkbox at the bottom of the screen that says show time machine icon in menu bar. I compel you to do that so you can simply click on it and press backup now, when you want, but keep in mind, Mac does it for you once you set it up. If you have anymore questions about time machine, just go to Google and type in time machine Mac with no quotes or just go to Apple.com and type HT201250 into the search area on the top right of the site, you can also type that into Google and it will also pull it up. *I was no compelled by any entity to write a review on this hard drive, the information provided was strictly my own, unless otherwise stated.*

This drive works very well with USB 2.0, but 3.0 is most ideal for read/write speeds. However, on an older Mac as I have been using for nearly 7 years, it is only USB 2.0. After you connect the drive, you see some folders and files. Copy them to your computer and backup to a CD-R or flash disk, for instance. This is if you need to reuse the programs on the drive. You go into the utility program and erase the contents, making sure you choose the proper format type. I prefer storage for manual backup, which I find a little more time involved, but to ensure that the backup you would otherwise use, say, Time Machine, actually copies all your files and folders. I typically do not trust any backup program, nor have I dared to try since Roxios GoBack 3 in 2001. If you want to use the Passport on Mac and Windows, the utility tells you basic information about the option. The process of erasure and readying the drive is fast. You can also check the drive for errors in case of improper removal. The files disappear from the drive and non-retrievable. (That is why I said, copy them to another storage source in case you need them again in the future, if they are not available for download from Western Digitals site.) A few issues making it four stars in my review... (Cons: 2.) Pros: Small but solidly heavy (nice paperweight?). Edges a little hard but does not cause discomfort. Printed design is catchy. Good performance, for a non-solid-state (moving parts/platters type). Well made, but smells like a musky bandage. Cons: After copying large quantity of data (files, folders, size, and so forth), icons may appear erratic, or the drive will not unmount. This causes your computer not to restart. If this happens, shut your Mac off improperly, wait, and cold boot again. Scan for errors if you think something is not right. System stability and very short USB cord are my two complaints about this drive. It may be targeted for laptop users, which makes sense. Very small size good for travel bag. It is even smaller than most cameras!

Works as advertised, easy to set up. My only concern was that it initially took over an hour to do the original backup, and the software doesnt have a progress indicator to show how its progressing. I was VERY tempted to call customer support, but I left it running for over an hour and when I came back to the computer it was done. Of course, subsequent backups only use recently modified files, so they are almost instantaneous. I have the software set to automatically back up my files daily, which is more than enough for what I am working on. The only other comment Ill make is that the software could be more user-friendly. Most buttons have self-explanatory words on them, but the most useful button has only a clockface icon on it, again making it confusing to use and leading a novice (like me) to be a bit frustrated. Once I understood how it worked I was quite happy with it. Noiseless, never fails and plugs into a USB port in the back of your computer. Also, files may be OPTIONALLY encrypted. Lastly, the software allows you to restore files to your existing computer OR to another one if your original one is down (this is important).

I ordered 2 WD Passport Ultra 1TB Portable external USB 3.0 Hard Drives with Auto Backup. The first drive worked properly on a new Dell 15-3521 Laptop running Windows 7 Professional, but when I tried to use the second WD Passport external drive on another Dell-3521 Laptop running Windows 7 Professional it would not install if the USB 3.0 cable was plugged into any USB 3.0 port on the Dell Laptop. After swapping drives and computers and cables around, it became apparent that the USB 3.0 cable that came with the second WD Passport Ultra HD is defective. The drive will install and be recognized on either computer only if it is plugged into a USB 2.0 port which defeats the purpose of having a high speed USB drive if it cant work at USB 3.0 speeds. Either drive will work with either laptop at USB 3.0 speeds on USB 3.0 ports if the non-defective USB 3.0 cable is used! All I really need is a replacement cable that works, but since Amazon.com LLC filled the order, I have not figured out how to request a simple replacement for the defective cable without having to return the entire order. I could use some assistant! Or, I can order another USB 3.0 cable which should solve the problem! I hope I hear from someone at Amazon about this!

I had been using a Seagate FreeAgent Go 640GB portable drive for about three years now, and wanted something with some more space and higher transfer speeds. I purchased this drive for its beefy 2 TB of storage space and speedier USB 3.0 interface. Out of the box, you get the drive, a 15 USB 3.0 cable, soft pouch, quick install guide, and a 3-year limited warranty. The drive looks nice, and appears to be of good construction. Doesnt look or feel cheaply made. I like how compact it is. Its about an inch shorter in length than my FreeAgent Go, and maybe a millimeter or two thicker. The included soft pouch is a nice addition and helps keep dust and dirt off of it. Not an ideal case solution if youre prone to dropping things or somewhat rough with your belongings, so you might want to invest in a more rugged case. It works fine for me though as I keep mine in a messenger bag when on the go, and its a nice addition considering most other drives dont come with anything. The included USB cable is long enough to plug into the USB port on the front of my PC and reach my desks surface. So, thumbs up there. Functionally, the My Passport Ultra 2TB works as advertised. Transfer rates are roughly 3x faster than that of a USB 2.0 drive. I noticed the difference in speed right away when transferring large files (1-5GB+), taking only 2-3 minutes instead of 5-10 minutes or longer depending on file size. I work with large media files all day long, so the bump up in transfer speeds is really nice. The drive is very quiet while running. You wouldnt even know that its on except for a tiny little LED indicator light to the right of the USB connector port. So, why only four stars? Hardware-wise, The Passport Ultra is no different from WDs regular Passport series of portable drives. Theyre the same exact drives, only slightly different in appearance. What the regular Passports lack from the Ultra is the soft pouch, the Ultra label, and WDs misleading labeling on the box that touts, Auto & Cloud Backup Plus Security. The Auto backup is merely referring to WDs abysmal backup software included on the drive, WD SmartWare (more on that later). The Cloud backup is basically instructions on the box for setting up a DropBox account. No kidding! Theyre advertising cloud storage on the front of their packaging like its a feature theyre offering. Flip the box over and youll see that its nothing more than an advertising gimmick for DropBox with instructions on how to set up an account.

Let me start my review by saying that I am your average reviewer with a solid understanding of technology but I am by no means an expert. The best review of this product has already been written by gravemind At the time that I am typing this review, Graveminds review was second from the top when sorted by most helpful Read that review.... it will answer many questions that I didnt even think to ask when I bought this. Okay, that said, heres my review.... I am giving this 5 stars based SOLELY on the fact that these store my photo files and have done so without incident for a few years now. I am a photographer with an insane number for photo files. I own about ten of these drives in both 1tb and 1tb sizes. I also own drives from other companies. I import my photos using lightroom and have them go to two of these drives. If I was smart I would have a third drive hooked up just to be safe, but alas, the USB ports on my current computer died a couple of years ago so I am somewhat limited. I know, I know, I could plug in a 3.0 hub. I just havent done it yet. So these drives store my photo files and they read and write very fast. I am almost afraid to type that I havent so far gotten any read or write errors because now probably my whole system will go to hell. Still, for now, theyre great. I have never managed to get their backup system to work for me and I suppose I should deduct a star for that but frankly I never really planned on using their backup system. It would be nice, but I cant at all figure it out. BOTTOM LINE: if you need solid feeling and performing backup drives and you dont much care about the bundled software, these drives are a five star experience. If you are looking for the software as well, look elsewhere.

Flawless. Just load this up with all your photos and documents. (Highlight folders, right click, hit send to WD Passport or highlight and drag.) It can take whatever you give it pretty much unless you are decades behind this holds a ton of data. No clumsy CDs or DVDs to store! Delete, add upload download, it works perfect and as easy as working from a folder, file or destination on your pc. Just plug in the USB cord to your pc and get going. I own two of these and a great feeling all my photos/documents are safe and secure as with two I can store them in separate locations in case of fire or disaster. Burning CDs suck, this is the way to go. Oh and just take this palm size device to any WalMart or any photo processor, plug it in and select and print from all your folders. Such a great feeling to have everything stored and not afraid of a glitchy pc dropping everything.

I have been a loyal Western Digital user for years. Every hard drive I have ever bought has been WD. This drive had many negative comments describing drive failure and poor customer service. I wrote it off as other people doing things wrong. After 6 weeks of use (only about 6-18 hours a day), the drive suddenly failed. One afternoon it began making the clicking noise hard drives make when they fail. I immediately disconnected it, and let it cool to room temperature, even though it was only around 100*F when it died. When I plugged it back in later, it started up and allowed the Unlock program (which is hosted on the drive itself) to run and accept my password. It will then display a newly attached drive connected to my computer, but no information will ever load about it (capacity, free space, etc.) even if I leave it for two hours to sort itself out. The WD drive utilities program only gives an unspecified drive failure error code. Put simply, my drive failed with no warning. Shortly after the drive failed, I contacted WD via their websites forms. The next day I received an email outlining my two options, both of which were for a same-item replacement. I had had a long, rough day at work and didnt feel like explaining why I didnt want a replacement, so I saved it for the next day. The next day (19 hours later), I received an email stating that since they were unable to contact me via email that I was going to receive a phone call from them. I replied and said I did not want a call, and that if I wanted to talk on the phone I wouldnt have used the website, and said I would contact him later. I quickly got another email telling me my case had been suspended until I was ready to deal with it. Highly irritating. When I emailed and explained why I didnt want to trust my data to a device that had already failed on me once and countless times to other users, I was told there was nothing else they could do for me. Do not buy this drive. The best portable drive according to several reputable consumer electronics reviewers is the Seagate Backup Plus, which is only $10 more than this one. I am ordering one on payday. I suggest you look at one of those instead. Do not buy Western Digital. I never will again.

good solid-state hard drives for permanent data backup UPDATE! many years later the drive failed. that sucks a lot it was a lot of work collecting all the data and putting it onto this drive. Ive learned and done some more research that the operating temperature of this drive in solid state drives in general needs to be climatically controlled to cooler temperatures. this was not exposed to wrecks sunlight it was in a safe dry place in a drawer in my house. I live in a dry climate in Colorado apparently when the ambient temperature gets into the high 80s or 90s it is in the danger zone for the solid state drive and that probably caused the failure. really disappointed but thats information I did not know hopefully it helps someone else. keep these in temperatures below 80s. I use this for many years backing up so many of my old hard drives and SD cards and even some old data cds. would definitely recommend solid state back up hard drives for everyone easily connected to multiple devices through usb.

I wrote this glowing review below and only hours later I went to do an update of an existing backup and it is not working (or if it is, its going so slowly that it will take days to backup * FIVE GB * - which is ridiculous. It took less than 5 minutes to do the initial backup, and now that Ive connected the passport to my PC to update the files already backed up, its been going for over an hour. Same data (just a couple of edits on some excel files), same USB port, etc. For 5GB of data. You can copy / paste to the drive, but the whole reason I liked it is because I thought it would backup changes for me. Sigh. ******************************************************************** So easy to use! I was dreading picking out a new external hard because I was sure I would experience some awful technical issue and end up buying my brother a plane ticket to Atlanta just to help me backup some music and photos of my kids. But the WD Passort Ultra is really fast and easy to figure out. You plug it into the USB 3.0 port if you have one (it will say SS = Super Speed) or any other USB port if you dont. It does its installing new hardware thing and then the notification pops up that the device is ready to use (I use my Passport using Windows 7 and Windows 8). You go to My Computer, double click on WD Apps Setup, follow the prompts and after a minute the WD Smartware is installed on your PC. You then double click the WD Smartware icon and you can set your preferences. I chose continuous backup, but you can also set a certain day of the week and time to have your files backed up. I dont intend to keep the drive plugged into my PC while I work, this way it updates right away when I plug it in. For the backup scope, I chose the advanced setting. It says this is for experienced users, but all it asks you to do is select the folders you want to back up. I selected my Document, Pictures, Videos & Music folders. If you need your email backed up or anything that is not in a central location, you might want to use the default setting. You click enable backup and it begins backing up the folders youve specified onto the Passport. I use this drive to backup personal documents on my work PC and all doc/photos/videos/music from my personal PC. I can view them by viewing the folders on the drive and opening the WD SmartWare.swstor folder. There I see a folder for each of my PCs and if you drill through into those folders you will see your backed up data. You can do all kinds of other fancy things (versioning, etc.) but Im just trying to keep it simple. I bought the Amazon basics case for it, and its perfect, holds the device and the cords.