Is there a way to delete individual files from My Passport

Western Digital's My Passport external hard drives are widely used for both manual and automatic backups. However, users often wonder if they can delete specific files from the backup to free up space or remove outdated content.

The short answer is: Yes, you can delete individual files, but the process depends on how the backup was made.

Scenario 1: Manual Backup (Drag and Drop)

If you manually copied files or folders to the My Passport drive (e.g., via Windows File Explorer or macOS Finder):

Steps:

Connect the My Passport drive to your computer via USB.

Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).

Navigate to the My Passport drive.

Locate the folder or file you want to delete.

Right-click the file and select Delete (Windows) or drag it to the Trash (Mac).

Empty the Recycle Bin or Trash to permanently remove it (optional).

In this case, your My Passport works just like a regular USB drive, and you can manage files freely.

Scenario 2: WD Backup Software

If you're using WD Backup, the software organizes your files in a structured format (often under folders like "WD Backup.swstor").

Important Notes:

Files are stored in a backup folder structure sorted by computer name and drive letters.

You may see multiple versions of files depending on your backup schedule.

Steps to Delete Files:

Open File Explorer and navigate to your My Passport drive.

Go to the WD Backup.swstor folder.

Find the folder corresponding to your computer name.

Navigate through the folders to find the specific file you want to delete.

Right-click the file and choose Delete.

Be cautious: Deleting files directly from this directory could cause inconsistencies in your backup history.

Scenario 3: WD SmartWare (Legacy Software)

WD SmartWare is an older backup tool that stores files in a proprietary format and sometimes encrypts them.

Files are stored in a special folder structure and may be difficult to identify individually.

Deleting files is not straightforward and could corrupt backup sets.

Recommendation:

If using WD SmartWare, use the WD SmartWare application to manage and delete older backups, rather than manually deleting individual files.

Scenario 4: Time Machine (macOS)

If the My Passport drive is used with Apple’s Time Machine:

Time Machine creates snapshot-style backups.

You should not manually delete files through Finder.

How to Safely Delete:

Open Time Machine from the menu bar.

Navigate to the file you want to delete in the timeline interface.

Right-click and choose Delete All Backups of [file name].

Final Tips

Always back up before deleting anything, in case of accidental removal.

Use the official backup software to manage files when possible.

Deleting large numbers of files? Consider reformatting the drive if a full reset is needed (this deletes everything).

Conclusion

Deleting individual files from a WD My Passport backup disk is possible, especially for manual backups. For software-created backups like those from WD Backup or Time Machine, proceed with care and follow the appropriate method. Always ensure that you do not disrupt the integrity of your backup set while freeing up space.