Have WD discontinued external desktop drives in the UK?

As of early, Western Digital has not officially announced a complete discontinuation of external desktop drives in the UK. However, there are significant signs that their availability has changed quite a bit:

On the official WD UK online store, many traditional external desktop models such as the WD Elements Desktop and WD My Book ranges are consistently out of stock or have replaced the “Buy” button with a “sales enquiry” link instead of a direct purchase option. This has led to confusion among customers who think the products have been discontinued.

Customer reviews on the UK Trustpilot page reflect frustration that around “70% of products are unavailable” on the WD website, and some customers report difficulty finding WD drives in regular retail outlets.

Importantly, though, there’s no formal statement from WD confirming a UK discontinuation of external desktop HDDs. So the lack of availability seems to be logistical or channel-related rather than a declared end-of-life for the product category.

Why This Confusion Is Happening

Several factors may be contributing to the situation in the UK:

1. Supply and Stock Challenges

WD (and the storage industry as a whole) has faced widespread supply issues over the past few years, especially for high-capacity HDDs due to market shifts and manufacturing constraints. This has meant some products are harder to keep in stock globally, not just in the UK.

Retailers often list WD desktop drives as unavailable or “temporarily out of stock,” but these listings can persist for long periods — in some cases giving the impression the model is discontinued when it’s really just low supply.

2. Distribution Channels vs. Direct Sales

WD sells through multiple resellers and distributors as well as its own shop. It’s possible that WD is prioritising distribution through third parties (e.g., Amazon, computer stores, specialist retailers) rather than direct sales on the WD UK site — which can create a mismatch between “official stock” and actual products people can find elsewhere.

This can happen if a manufacturer wants to reduce inventory holding on its own site but still supply third-party sellers.

3. Shifts Toward Other Storage Types

Across the industry, portable SSDs and 2.5-inch portable HDDs (like the WD Passport and Elements portable ranges) are more consistently stocked than larger desktop drives. Many users today favor smaller portable devices for convenience, and some retailers have reduced desktop HDD stock as a result.

Products like Western Digital WD 16TB My Book Desktop External Hard Disk D and Western Digital My Book 22TB External Hard Drive do exist (WD still manufactures large desktop drives), but where and how easily you can buy them in the UK varies widely by seller rather than being controlled by WD centrally.

Current Availability Snapshot

Here’s how things look right now:

Still widely available (or easier to find):

Portable external drives like WD Elements Portable External Hard Drive and Western Digital My Passport Portable

Larger desktop models listed with third-party sellers (availability depends on the retailer)

Harder to find on WD UK official store:

Desktop-oriented models like WD Elements Desktop External Hard Drive or older My Book desktop models

Some older or specific capacity variants

This suggests the category isn’t dead — just patchily stocked.

Summary 

WD external desktop drives are not officially discontinued in the UK.

However, many models appear out of stock or unavailable on the WD UK shop, leading to customer confusion.

The availability issue seems more related to supply, channel distribution and stock management than an outright product retirement.

Portable WD drives (HDD and SSD) are still widely available and supported.

If you want help finding specific WD desktop drives available to buy in the UK right now, I can check current listings and supplies for you.