WD 2TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Black, backup software with defense against ransomware, and password protection, USB 3.1/USB 3.0 compatible - WDBYVG0020BBK-WESN

You can't go wrong with Western Digital. Very small package for huge storage. Plug and Play - connected the USB cable, (included) and my computer immediately recognized it. The portable drive is larger than the drive on my laptop, so I partitioned it into 2 virtual drives. One partition for an Image/Backup and a second partition for file backup & storage. The partitioning process was flawless and now my computer recognizes two separate drives. I am super happy with the WD SSD portable drive. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting a portable drive. I'm even thinking about buying another larger drive and partitioning into more virtual drives for backup of other computers. My only complaint and major disappointment with WD, is that the free "WD Backup" software is no longer supported by WD and hasn't been for a few years. They offer a free version of Acronis, which doesn't work. Installed the Acronis software, created a bootable disk on a USB Flash (thumb) drive, then rebooted the computer from the thumb drive and created a full backup/ disk image to the new WD drive. The software seemed to run perfectly, and said the backup was successfully created. I felt really good that I had a full backup of my 2015 laptop, in case I ever need to replace the mechanical HDD. But it was a false peace of mind. Only 2 weeks after using the Acronis backup software, my computer was crashing shortly after bootup, which it had never done before. So I thought I would test the new drive and backup. After rebooting with the Acronis USB Boot drive, it asked for the location of the image file. The computer recognized the WD drive with all of the Acronis backup folders. But then the Acronis software said all of the folders were empty and there was No Image found. WTF?! Acronis said it successfully made a full disk copy. But then the software could not find its own image. DO NOT USE the ACRONIS software. I was fortunately able to fix the boot/crash problem using other software. But if my hard drive had completely failed, I would not have a usable backup copy to restore to a new drive. I would have been screwed. It would have been better if I never attempting to create a backup. At least I would known that I didn't have a backup copy to rely on, rather than falsely thinking I was protected. In addition, the "free" software isn't really free. It's only a 30 day free Trial version. So if you make a full backup within 30 days, and later have a critical problem, you will be forced to purchase the full version to perform the restore. The backup file versions are propitiatory, so you can't use another brand of software to do the restore. They've got you! You can make a free backup/copy (if you can even get the software to work properly). But then you have to pay for the software to actually use the Backup in order to Restore. This is akin Ransomware. I have since purchased other backup/imaging software and made a full (working) backup to my new WD drive. I'm very happy about that.

This model is the latest generation of the many My Passport drives I've owned or purchased for clients. They have proven reliable and good performers. They have incrementally improved with each new generation. This model features a new case design which I feel is much better looking and is slightly smaller than the last version. BOTTOM LINE (for the impatient): This model is a little bit faster than the last (2016) model I bought. I got the black 2TB model and this generation offers up to a 5TB model as well as the usual smaller capacities. This model is just noticeably faster than the last generation on sequential reads and writes when I tested using CrystalDiskMark. This My Passport has a new design that returns to rounded corners and soft-look matte case. I like this much better than the older one with its cheap-looking (to me) styling. The drive is slightly less thick, wide and long than the 2016 model. In my laptop bag that’s welcome even if not a lot smaller. I’m very pleased with this My Passport drive as with ones purchased over the last decade plus. It’s reliable, fast for a USB mechanical HD and gives a lot of space for a low price. If you want more details, read on... SUMMARY: The My Passport USB 3.0 drives are simple to use and come with reasonable software tools and backup/sync software. These are now in a single installer on the drive. I have my own backup solution and do not want encryption on this drive, so have not explored this software. If these are of interest, be sure to check for newer versions on the WD web site. Pluses: + This drive works fine with Windows, Linux or Mac out of the box. With Linux or Mac (where it is read-only with NTFS). They generally performs best when reformatted with a native file system to the respective operating system. Mine came formatted with NTFS for Windows. + This generation has 5TB, 4TB, 2TB, and 1TB models. The 500GB models were dropped a couple of generations ago and more recently the 3TB models. + This drive is faster than the last generation, but just a little. Up to about 3% faster in benchmarks, but barely noticeable in practical use. + The form factor of the new drive is lighter and slightly smaller before with a much nicer case without pointy corners and scratch/fingerprint prone glossy finish. + The warranty has been returned to 3 years from 2 years on the 2016 generation. Minuses: - It comes with the same very short USB 3.0 cable as previous versions. I like a longer 3ft (or more) USB 3.0 cable : a very good upgrade purchase for the My Passport drives. IN THE BOX: The My Passport comes in a easy to open retail package containing the drive and a annoyingly short USB 3.0 cable. There are a couple small pieces of paper for warranty and quick-start. That's it. The cable in this model is the same as previous versions. This may be just fine for a lot of folks but I keep some 3ft (or more) USB 3.0 cables handy for longer runs to my desktop or even on top of a tall computer. FORM FACTOR vs. PREVIOUS GENERATION: I'll compare the new generation of My Passport with my 2016 My Passport Ultra This Model My Passport's dimensions: 1TB-2TB: 0.27lb, 4.22in X 0.44in X 2.95in 4TB-5TB: 0.46lb, 4.22in X 0.46in X 2.95in 2016 My Passport's dimensions: 1TB: 0.37lb, 4.33in X 0.64in X 3.21in 2TB-4TB: 0.54lb, 4.33in X 0.85in X 3.21in TESTING: I tested both my older 2016 My Passport 4TB drive and my new My Passport 4TB model using CrystalDiskMark benchmark software and by copying 11GB folder of updates and files to the drive. This was to compare the benchmark with real-world copying. The 11GB folder has a broad mix of file sizes and types including files an over 2GB iso DVD image. Using CrystalDiskMark I found sequential reads were about 3% faster and writes about 8% faster with the new model. Random reads were just a tiny bit slower and writes were about 8X (!!!) faster. While the benchmarks showed significant differences using them in my real-world copy test the difference was most noticeable with lots of smallish files, but not so much with large sequential reads/writes. If you need to write smallish files this drive is noticeably better than the 2016 model and about the same for large files. For my testing the My Passport drive was connected to built-in USB 3.0 controller on my Dell 7710 Precision Mobile Workstation. I also tried it on a older add-in card with the Renasas USB 3.0 chip set on my Dell Precision T7500 tower. I have the latest Renasas drivers installed. Both are running build 1903 of Windows 10 Pro and both have SATA SSD boot drives. I used CrystalDiskMark V7 64bit version. CRYSTALDISKMARK Results: The New Generation My Passport: Sequential Read (Q8T1): 129.18 MB/s Sequential Write (Q8T1): 119.75 MB/s Sequential Read (Q1T1): 120.37 MB/s Sequential Write (Q1T1): 118.08MB/s Random Read (Q32T16): 4KiB 0.6 MB/s Random Write (Q32T16): 4KiB 10.8 MB/s Random Read (Q1T1): 4KiB 0.49 MB/s Random Write (Q1T1): 4KiB 7.8 MB/s The 2016 My Passport: The New Generation My Passport: Sequential Read (Q8T1): 125.5 MB/s Sequential Write (Q8T1): 113.7 MB/s Sequential Read (Q1T1): 119.1 MB/s Sequential Write (Q1T1): 113.7 MB/s Random Read (Q32T16): 4KiB 0.573 MB/s Random Write (Q32T16): 4KiB 1.290 MB/s Random Read (Q1T1): 4KiB 0.505 MB/s Random Write (Q1T1): 4KiB 1.305 MB/s REAL WORLD COPY: In my real world copy test the new My Passport drive was just noticeably faster than the older My Passport Ultra. More on the writing than reading side and more noticeably with smaller files than larger files. It peaked out at about 70MB/s with large files. I never dropped below 35MB/s even with large amounts of small files being copied to the drive. The 2016 My Passport Ultra peaked out at about 68MB/s and dropped several times to 30MB/s. I'm thinking the newer drive may have a larger on-drive write cache or maybe it's just a bit faster drive. Maybe both. On big copies the new My Passport may save you a few seconds here or there but if copying a lot of small files to it the difference was much more noticeable. CONCLUSIONS: The My Passport line of drives from Western Digital has been very good to me and to my clients. This reliable and good to excellent performing line has a long positive history with me. This WD My Passport model is an evolution over the 2016 My Passport. I'm picking it for new purchases over the older model, but won't rush out to replace older drives. I like this 2019 My Passport’s rounded corner case better than the 2016 sharp edged and glossy one, but it's very minor point for me. Overall it's an excellent evolution to a 5 star predecessor and continues to be a very good external storage choice. For making improvements in small file write performance and correcting the 2016 bad case design issue this new 2019 generation of My Passport drives is worth 5 stars in my opinion. Hope this helps someone!

Bought this for my boyfriend who is a musician and in the middle of writing music.. works for him to save his mp3s of his music, piece by piece, as he goes.. then he can pass it off to his bandmates so they can work on adding their music magic, so in the end, it will become one awesome album!

I recently purchased a 1TB storage device, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. This portable powerhouse has transformed how I manage my digital world. With ample space, I can easily store my entire media library, important documents, and countless photos without worrying about running out of room. The setup was a breeze; I just plugged it in, and it was recognized immediately by my devices. The transfer speeds are impressive—backing up files is swift and efficient. I especially appreciate the compact design, making it easy to toss in my bag and take anywhere. Overall, this 1TB storage device has made organization a snap and has provided peace of mind, knowing my data is secure and portable. I highly recommend it to anyone in need of reliable storage!

Inexpensive backup! I typically use a combination of hard drives for my photography backups. For important stuff like weddings, I only use solid state drives, but for my everyday photos like kids sports or travel, I don't mind using a mechanical drive. The thing I consider when buying one of these is the price per GB. I use a high-resolution 61 MP camera and usually keep both RAW and JPG copies. My RAW files can be 80GB per image or higher, so I fill these up fast. This is a great alternative option to buying SSDs which are currently double the price. This is my second one from WD and I'm pleased with the size and stability of the drive. It's just a bit thicker than my SSDs but still easily portable for when I'm on the road. The drive runs extremely quiet too and I don't notice a lot of heat when I'm using it. Connection is simple, just plug and play for Window or Mac. The speed isn't great. Obviously, no challenge to a SSD which is lightning fast for me, but I think the speed on this could be a bit faster. Granted, my files are big and 5TB allows for a lot of folders and files, but I feel like it drags a little bit when I open my Finder. I'm using this on a Mac Studio M2. I haven't had any issues with WD drives failing in the past, so I do trust that this will last quite a while. As I mentioned before, I wouldn't put critical files on it unless I had another backup copy somewhere. But for general use, portability, and storage amount, this works great. I never use the software that comes preloaded on the drives, so I can't speak to that. I've heard that it's no good anyway, but it's basically not an issue. I typically delete anything pre-loaded anyway.

We love the WD My Passports. Great for backups. Comes with backup software, but we don't use that. We use Handy Backup instead. The 5TB is the perfect size for what we need. Easy to connect and disconnect. These drives last 4-5 years with continuous use. We replace them every 4 years and have never had 1 die before being replaced.

I've been using the WD 2TB external hard drive since late 2021 (it's now the start of 2026). It's served me extremely well, and without any flaws or issues, for all that time. Note that the original I bought was defective, but its replacement has been an ideal storage solution for over 4 years. I did have to buy a second xhd, but that's only because I have a large digital media library. One is for movies alone, the other one - this one in question - has more than enough room for the last 5 years of work documentation, my entire music library, all of the TV shows I have digitized, my audiobook library, and there are still hundreds of gigs of space remaining.

I bought two WD 4 TB external HDDs many years ago. They've both been reliable workhorses. So when I needed to expand my storage to 6 TB HDDs, I bought them from WD, one blue, one black. WD's quality control has fallen. My new blue HDD works fine, but the black one had problems. It made loud clicking sounds. Not a good sign. The last time I had a new HDD (from Seagate) that clicked loudly, over 30 years ago, it suffered full mechanical failure within months. But the new black WD HDD wasn't just loudly clicking. My Lenovo laptop, running Windows 11, sometimes didn't recognize the HDD. If I unplugged the HDD from the laptop, then replugged it, then the laptop recognized it. This problem never showed up with the blue HDD, which never clicked. I copied over 2,900 MP4 files onto both of the new WD HDDs. I didn't use WD's copy program, as some reviewers had problems with it. I used Windows 11 Explorer to drag & drop the files. Later, I opened the files' folder on the black WD HDD. The MP4 files were listed. But when I clicked to watched one, my movie program said: File Not Found. I clicked several other MP4 files, but always received the message: File Not Found. I returned the black HDD (kept the blue one), and bought a third WD 6 TB HDD, a red one. Once again, when I began using it, it began loudly clicking. Bad sign. But I gave it a shot, copying my MP4 files onto it. I watched some of the transfers, saw that the files were copying. But the next day, my Lenovo once again didn't recognize the red HDD, not until I unplugged and replugged it. Not a good sign. Then when I opened the files' folder, I saw that most of the MP4 files I had copied were not listed -- files that I had seen in the folder the night before. Yet Windows 11 Explorer indicated the files were there, based on the number of files it counted, and on the amount of free space remaining on the HDD. But when I opened the files' folder on the HDD, the files didn't appear. I then tried to drag & drop the missing files a second time onto the HDD, but Windows 11 said that files with the same names already existed on the HDD. Although they didn't appear when I looked into the folder. I might put this down to a problem with Windows 11, but for the fact that both problem HDDs (the black and red ones) clicked loudly, which should not be the case. Neither of the old WD 4 TB HDDs click loudly, nor the new blue WD 6 TB HDD which has no problems recognizing files. I still need backup storage. I'll have to return the red WD HDD as well, and seek another brand.