Steps for WD My Passport not detected but LED blinking

If your WD My Passport external hard drive is not being detected by your computer but the LED is blinking, it usually means the drive is receiving power but isn’t being properly recognized. This could be caused by a range of issues—ranging from USB port problems to partition corruption or drive failure. Here’s a comprehensive troubleshooting guide in around to help you figure out what’s going on.

1. Check the Basics

Start with the most common and simplest steps:

Try a different USB port — Preferably a USB 3.0 port if available, or even a USB 2.0 one if that doesn’t work.

Use a different cable — Faulty or damaged cables are a very common cause of detection problems.

Test on another computer — This will help determine whether the issue is with the drive or your current machine.

Avoid USB hubs — Plug the drive directly into the computer's USB port.

2. Listen for Drive Sounds

With the drive plugged in, listen closely. If you hear clicking or repeated spinning up and stopping, these are signs of hardware failure. If the drive spins normally and stays spinning, the issue may be software-related.

3. Check if the Drive Appears in Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (macOS)

On Windows:

Press Windows + X and select Disk Management.

Look for the drive listed as unallocated, offline, or with no drive letter.

If found but unallocated: Right-click > New Simple Volume > format it.

If no drive letter: Right-click > Change Drive Letter and Paths.

If listed as “Unknown” or “Not Initialized”: Right-click > Initialize Disk.

On macOS:

Open Disk Utility.

Look for the drive on the sidebar.

If it’s grayed out, try mounting it manually.

If not showing up, move on to the next steps.

4. Check Device Manager / System Report

Windows:

Open Device Manager > Expand Disk Drives or Universal Serial Bus controllers.

If you see an unknown device or yellow warning icon, right-click and uninstall, then unplug and replug the drive.

macOS:

Go to Apple Menu > About This Mac > System Report > USB.

Look for My Passport under the USB tree. If it’s listed, your Mac is detecting it at the hardware level, which is a good sign.

5. Use Diskpart (Windows) to List Disks

Open Command Prompt as admin, then run:

If your WD My Passport appears here but not in File Explorer, it likely has a corrupted partition or file system issue.

6. Try Linux or Recovery Software

Linux systems (like Ubuntu live USB) often recognize drives that Windows can’t. You might be able to recover data or format it there. If Linux detects it, copy your files and reformat the drive.

Alternatively, use recovery tools like:

Recuva

EaseUS Data Recovery

TestDisk (for partition repair)

7. Check for WD-Specific Tools

WD offers WD Drive Utilities and WD Discovery. These can:

Diagnose drive health

Perform quick or full drive tests

Erase or reformat the drive

If the tools don’t recognize the drive, it could indicate a deeper hardware failure.

8. Final Step: Hardware Failure?

If:

The drive isn’t detected in Disk Management, Disk Utility, or BIOS

You’ve tried other cables and systems

It makes unusual noises

Then the drive could have controller board failure or internal mechanical damage. In this case:

Don’t open it (voids warranty and risks damage)

Contact WD Support

Consider data recovery services (expensive but possible)