My Passport for Mac isn’t Opening Although Unlocker does Unlock

If your WD My Passport for Mac drive unlocks with WD Security or WD Unlocker but doesn't open or mount on your Mac, you're not alone. Many users encounter this issue where the password unlocks the drive, yet the disk either doesn't appear in Finder or throws up read errors.

In this article, we’ll explore the possible causes and walk you through step-by-step solutions to help you recover access to your drive.

🔐 What’s Happening?

Your WD My Passport drive uses hardware encryption. Unlocking it with WD Unlocker simply gives macOS permission to read the disk—but if the file system is damaged or the disk fails to mount, the drive may still appear unusable.

Common symptoms include:

Drive unlocks, but nothing shows in Finder

Disk Utility sees the drive but can’t mount it

WD Discovery or WD Drive Utilities shows the drive as unlocked, but not available

🔎 Common Causes

1. File System Corruption

If the drive was removed improperly, suffered a power loss, or wasn’t ejected safely, macOS might struggle to read it—even after unlocking.

2. Mounting Errors

macOS may unlock the drive but fail to automatically mount the file system, especially if the format is HFS+ or APFS and has errors.

3. Security Software Conflicts

Third-party antivirus or system monitoring tools can interfere with external drive mounting after unlocking.

4. Drive Hardware Issues

If the drive is older or showing signs of failure (e.g., clicking sounds or slow response), it may unlock but fail to operate reliably.

🛠️ How to Fix WD My Passport Not Opening After Unlocking

✅ 1. Check Disk Utility

Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility)

Look for your My Passport drive in the sidebar

If it shows but is grayed out, click Mount

If mounting fails, click First Aid to repair it

If First Aid fails, the file system may be too corrupted for macOS to repair.

✅ 2. Try a Different Mac or USB Port

Try connecting the drive to another Mac to rule out local system issues.

Avoid USB hubs. Plug directly into your Mac’s port using the original cable.

✅ 3. Use Terminal to Mount the Drive

Open Terminal

Find the identifier (e.g., disk2s2) for your unlocked volume.

Then run:

diskutil mount /dev/disk2s2

(Replace disk2s2 with your actual identifier)

✅ 4. Use Third-Party Tools (Read-Only)

Apps like Disk Drill, Stellar Data Recovery, or iBoysoft can often access corrupted drives in read-only mode for data recovery—especially if macOS can't mount the drive natively.

✅ 5. Backup and Reformat (Last Resort)

If the drive unlocks but cannot be repaired or read:

Use recovery software to retrieve your data

Reformat the drive in Disk Utility (choose APFS or exFAT depending on use)

⚠️ Reformatting will erase all data, so only do this if you’ve backed up important files or don’t need the contents.

🧠 Final Thoughts

If WD Unlocker works but My Passport doesn’t open, don’t assume the drive is fully functional. It likely means the encryption unlock succeeded, but the file system or drive itself is damaged. Using Disk Utility, Terminal, and recovery tools can help retrieve your data before reformatting.

Still stuck? Consider contacting Western Digital support or a professional data recovery service if the contents are critical.