WD Black Not Detected in Kitfox

If your WD Black drive (HDD or SSD) is not being detected in WD Kitfox, here’s a deep dive into possible causes and how to troubleshoot it. (Assuming “Kitfox” here refers to WD’s new tool replacing Dashboard.)

What is WD Kitfox & Its Limitations

WD Kitfox is Western Digital’s utility for drive health, temperature, firmware updates, etc.

It officially supports WD internal HDDs (WD Black HDD, Blue, Red, etc.) and some external WD drives like P10, D10.

Important: Kitfox is not compatible with SSDs.

Many users report Kitfox fails to detect various WD Black HDDs even though other tools (CrystalDiskInfo, OS Disk Utility) see them.

There’s community feedback that “Kitfox supports HDD drives. It doesn’t work with SSDs.”

Thus, if your WD Black is an SSD model (e.g. SN770, SN850, etc.), Kitfox may simply not support it, which would explain non‑detection.

Common Causes & Diagnosis Steps

Here’s a checklist to isolate what’s going wrong:

Potential Issue What Happens What to Check

Unsupported drive type Kitfox ignores the drive Confirm whether your WD Black is HDD or SSD. If SSD, use a different utility (e.g. WD Dashboard or manufacturer SSD tool)

Cable / Connector / Port issues Drive is not recognized at hardware level Swap SATA/USB cable or port, test on another port or PC

BIOS / firmware configuration OS or utility can’t see the drive Check BIOS/UEFI for drive presence, ensure correct mode (AHCI vs RAID), disable conflicting modes

Drive failure / hardware defect No detection anywhere or erratic behavior Test drive in another system, run S.M.A.R.T diagnostics, listen for unusual noises (for HDD)

Software conflict / permissions / driver problems Kitfox blocked or misbehaves Run Kitfox as admin, disable security software, ensure drivers are up‑to‑date

Kitfox software bug / version incompatibility Bug in Kitfox prevents detection Update Kitfox to latest version, or roll back if recent update broke detection

Suggested Steps to Troubleshoot

Verify Drive Type

If it’s an SSD, Kitfox may not support it. Use an SSD support tool instead.

Confirm OS / BIOS Sees It

Enter BIOS/UEFI at startup, see if the WD drive is listed under storage devices.

In the OS (Windows: Disk Management / Device Manager; Linux: lsblk / fdisk -l) check if the drive is present.

Swap Cables / Ports

The problem might be a faulty SATA/USB cable or port. Try alternate connections.

Run Diagnostics / SMART Checks

Use a tool like CrystalDiskInfo, HDTune, or the drive manufacturer’s utility to read S.M.A.R.T. data or run tests.

Update / Reinstall Kitfox

Download the latest Kitfox version from WD, uninstall the old one, reinstall, and then scan again.

Run as Administrator / Disable Security Software

Sometimes Kitfox is blocked by permissions or antivirus. Right‑click → “Run as admin,” or disable security software temporarily.

Check for Firmware / Driver Updates

Update your motherboard or storage controller drivers and firmware. Also check if the drive’s firmware needs updating (via supported tool).

Test on Another System

If possible, connect the WD drive to another machine. If it’s detected elsewhere but not on your main system via Kitfox, it points to a local software or hardware conflict.

What to Do If It Still Doesn’t Work

If the drive works and is detected by other utilities but Kitfox still cannot see it, then the issue likely lies in Kitfox itself (compatibility or bug).

Contact WD Support with logs and details: model number, OS version, Kitfox version, how/where you connected the drive, steps you tried.

Use alternative monitoring / firmware tools suited to your drive type (for SSDs, WD Dashboard or official SSD utilities).

In the case the drive itself is faulty or hardware‑level issues are detected, back up data (if possible) and consider RMA/replacement.

If you like, I can walk you through step by step using your specific drive model and operating system (Windows or Mac) and help detect whether it’s a Kitfox limitation or a hardware issue. Do you want me to do that?