Format WD My Passport for Mac and PC: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you experiencing issues with your WD My Passport external hard drive on both Mac and PC? If so, you're not alone. Many users have reported that their WD My Passport drives become read-only when connected to a Mac or PC, making it difficult to delete, rename, or edit files stored on the device.

In this article, we'll explore some of the most common scenarios that can cause your WD My Passport drive to be read-only and provide you with actionable solutions to fix the issue.

Scenario 1: Formatting Errors

If your WD My Passport hard drive has formatting errors, it may become read-only. This is especially true if the drive was previously used on a Windows PC and then connected to a Mac.

Solution: Try using the built-in Disk Utility tool on your Mac to fix any formatting errors on your WD My Passport drive. To do this:

1. Connect your WD My Passport drive to your Mac.

2. Open Disk Utility, which can be found in Applications > Utilities.

3. Select your WD My Passport drive from the list of available disks.

4. Click the 'First Aid' button to run a scan and repair any formatting errors.

Scenario 2: NTFS File System

If you're connecting an NTFS-formatted WD My Passport to your Mac, it may not be writable due to compatibility issues with the NTFS file system.

Solution: Try reformatting your WD My Passport drive using the HFS+ or APFS file system, which are compatible with Macs. To do this:

1. Connect your WD My Passport drive to your Mac.

2. Open Disk Utility and select your WD My Passport drive from the list of available disks.

3. Click the 'Erase' button and select the desired file system (HFS+ or APFS).

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reformatting process.

Scenario 3: Read-Only Permission Setting

If your WD My Passport hard drive is set up as read-only, you won't be able to write to it even if you have the correct file system.

Solution: Try setting your WD My Passport drive to a writable state by using the disk utility tool on your Mac. To do this:

1. Connect your WD My Passport drive to your Mac.

2. Open Disk Utility and select your WD My Passport drive from the list of available disks.

3. Click the 'Enable write access' button to allow writing to the drive.

By following these simple solutions, you should be able to fix any issues with your WD My Passport drive and make it readable and writable on both Mac and PC.

Format wd passport for mac and pc