My Passport for Mac – Cannot See or Open the Volume

If your WD My Passport for Mac is not showing up or you're unable to open the volume in Finder, Disk Utility, or desktop, it can be a result of several possible issues—ranging from cable problems and file system corruption to macOS compatibility or drive failure. This guide walks you through step-by-step solutions to diagnose and (hopefully) fix the issue.

1. Check Physical Connections First

Start with the basics:

Make sure the USB cable is firmly connected on both ends.

Try a different USB port on your Mac.

Try a different USB-C or USB-A adapter if you're using a modern Mac without USB-A.

Test the drive on another computer—preferably another Mac—to check if the issue is isolated.

Sometimes, the cable or port may be defective even if it charges other devices.

2. Check Finder Preferences

The drive might be connected, but hidden from Finder:

Open Finder

Go to Finder > Preferences > General

Ensure "External disks" is checked under "Show these items on the desktop"

Go to the Sidebar tab and ensure "External disks" is checked there too

Now, see if the drive appears on the desktop or Finder sidebar.

3. Open Disk Utility

If the drive isn’t visible in Finder, open Disk Utility:

Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities

In the top-left, choose "View > Show All Devices"

Now check for the following:

If the drive appears (grayed out or otherwise), select it.

If the volume is mounted, you should see a button to Unmount (which means it’s working).

If it’s not mounted, click Mount to try mounting the volume manually.

4. First Aid: Repair the Drive

If the drive shows up in Disk Utility but won’t open:

Select the volume (e.g., “My Passport”)

Click First Aid

Let it check for errors and attempt automatic repair

If successful, try mounting or accessing the drive again.

5. Drive Not Recognized at All?

If the drive does not appear in Disk Utility or Finder:

Try a different Mac or PC to test if it’s recognized elsewhere.

Try a new cable or external USB enclosure (the issue could be the SATA-to-USB bridge).

If still unrecognized, the drive may be mechanically or electrically failed.

6. Check File System Compatibility

If the drive was used on Windows or a Time Machine backup was interrupted:

A Mac-formatted drive (HFS+, APFS) won't be readable on Windows unless special drivers are used

A Windows-formatted drive (NTFS) may not be writable on macOS

Consider reformatting—only if data is backed up or not needed

To reformat:

Open Disk Utility

Select the drive (not just the volume)

Click Erase

Choose format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS

Name the drive and confirm

Warning: This will erase all data.

7. Data Recovery Options

If the drive contains important data and isn't mounting, consider:

Using recovery software like Disk Drill, Stellar Data Recovery, or Photo Rec

Contacting professional data recovery services if the drive is physically damaged

Conclusion

Not seeing or opening your WD My Passport for Mac is usually caused by mounting issues, file system errors, or bad connections. Using Finder preferences, Disk Utility tools, and a process of elimination, you can often restore access or determine the next steps. If critical data is at stake, avoid formatting and consider recovery services.