Western Digital WDXMS2500TN Passport 250 GB USB Portable Hard Drive Reviews

• ACTUAL OWNER OF 250GB WD PASSPORT!!

  
  By AFLZNB58TNCR1 on 2007-07-13
  Being a medical student, its my nature to want to help others out. So this review is to help out all my friends here on Amazon interested in an 250GB Passport like I once was. Now that I own one, let me be the first ACTUAL OWNER of one to give you all an heads up about it. If you have any further questions after this review, feel free to message me on Yahoo Messenger (my ID is amitd0c2b - thats a zero in 'd0c' not the letter O).
  
  Why do I give this external hard-drive 5 stars?
  
  #1: As of July 11, 2007 - this was the only external hard drive that was 250GB which does not require an external adaptor and only 3x5 in size. Its so small and good looking!! It hardly weighs anything (less than 1/3 of a 12 oz pepsi can). The next highest portable drive of this stature by any other brand is 160GB. What is also amazing is, its the same size and weight as other old Western Digital Passports (i.e. 120gb and 160gb models) despite twice the capacity.
  
  #2: I have owned a Maxtor One Touch external hard drive in the past, and after 2 years it spontaneously stopped working. The warranty was over, and they wanted $1000 to recover my lost memories! This Western Digital Passport comes WITH a 3 year warantee. I read a rumor somewhere that the box says 3 years but they only give you 1 year when you register - this claim is FALSE! I registered it and I got 3 years and 1 month additional (through August 2010). This alone was an amazing deal, it shows how much faith they have in their product that they are willing to give you such a long warantee (as it costs the company, not us).
  
  #3: I also read rumors that this drive does not work unless you purchase the optional Y-USB (dual USB connection cable). So just in case, I purchased the additional Y-USB cable. Well, I didn't need it. I have tried this drive in 3 laptops: mine and two of my classmate's computers. There has not been any issues with ANY of these laptops. I own an HP laptop, my friends own a Toshiba and Dell, respectively. All our laptops are about 2 years old (I'm about to get a new one this Fall when I see the new line of laptops with fingerprint readers, built-in webcams, and all these other cool features). Just in case, I recommend getting the Y-USB cable just so you have it if you ever decide to use the Passport on someoene elses laptop and it does not power up. But again, I personally have not had any problems.
  
  #4: Yes, its true the Passport does not come with a case. But it seems very durable. So if you want a case just to prevent any scratches to it, I recommend picking up one from Western Digital (the sack case for only $5!). Its a sufficient amount of space to throw in the short USB cable and stuff the entire thing in your pocket (just make sure to put the cable behind the Passport so you don't scratch the drive with the cable itself). If you want something more premium, Western Digital offers a very protective case for $25 (which is available on eBay for half the price with free shipping). I went ahead and got both the sack case and the premium case - one for lugging around in my pocket when I need the Passport, and one for travelling and protecting it when I put it in a suitcase.
  
  #5: The convenience of a light-weight and tiny drive, the beautiful looks and form factor (black gloss with blue light), and the lack of long cables and not requiring an AC adaptor, make this the reason to purchase a 250GB external hard drive of its nature. I always wanted a 500GB external, but those things are so huge and require an adaptor, the convenience of this makes this the better value. Plus, laptops such as HP are already coming out with 500GB hard drives. So now I am just going to put all my very important data in this Passport, and anything else will go in the 500GB hard drive laptop. Thats more than enough storage for me as a medical student, but I understand everyone has their own needs and requirements.
  
  Again, if you have any questions, my contact information is in the first paragraph of this review. I hope this review was helpful to you, as its my own personal opinion and we all may vary in our thoughts. I tried to be as accurate as possible though for you all. Good luck on your search for the next portable hard-drive in your life; nonetheless, from my end, I give this Western Digital 250GB Passport 5 stars!!
  
  Take care,
  Amit
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Good drive but does not work on some computers

  
  By A13EWADIC0C7MF on 2007-08-05
  This might be a good drive, but it is not usable on some computers. To power up, drive requires ~ 650 mA, which is more than USB on my HP laptop can provide.
  
  USB 2.0 Power Booster cable can be used to solve that problem. It combines power from 2 USB ports, but it is currently out of stock on Western Digital store. I am not aware of any alternative solution and I could not find similar cable on the Net.
  
  Before purchase, I would recommend:
  
  1. Check USB settings on computer
  2. Check availability of USB 2.0 Power Boost cable
  
  
  

• No Power Booster Cable

  
  By A37JAJQ2Z7WOT4 on 2007-07-09
  This is a very good drive but be aware that it does not work with all USB ports - a lot of them will not supply enough power to run the drive so you will need the power booster cable WDCA029RNN which connects to 2 USB ports to get enough power to the drive. The pity is that WD do not include this as standard since quite a number people buying this item will actually need it to run the drive. Would have got 5 stars were it not for this.Western Digital WDXMS2500TN Passport Portable 250GB Hard Drive ( Black )
  
  

• Not for Mac powerbook, or macbook (pro) users

  
  By A103828L02NFQW on 2007-12-24
  I gave this hard drive one star for one reason only - it does not work with Mac laptop computers - other than that I have used it on a windows laptop and it works fine.
  
  This is my story - Recently, after doing extensive research about portable hard drives, i decided to get the WD Passport 250GB drive to use with my Mac Powerbook G4. In all of the WD ads, and on their web site, they say these drives work with Macs and nowhere do they qualify this statement. I received the drive today and attached the USB cable to my Mac and the little blue light turned on, and started to blink. Unfortunately, my Mac did not recognize the drive or so I thought. So I looked online in the help section of the WD site and found an article that said it may take a little longer for macs to read the drive because of the formatting. So I left the drive connected and went about my business and over 2 hours later, nothing!!!! I took the drive over to my wife's window's laptop, plugged it in and voila it worked fine. So it is not the drive. Then I thought that my recent upgrade to Leopard might be responsible, but since the upgrade, I haven't had any problems with any of the other portable drives that I use on a regular basis. Finally I went back to the WD support site and after 2 hours of searching, I found the answer and here it is:
  
  Question: Why is a WD Passport external USB hard drive not detected when connected to a Macintosh PowerBook Laptop?
  
  Answer: Problem: A WD Passport external USB hard drive is not detected when connected to a Macintosh PowerBook Laptop.
  
  Cause: Many 15" and 17" Macintosh PowerBook and Mac Book Pro Laptops do not provide enough power through a single USB port for the WD Passport(tm) external USB hard drive to work correctly. The WD Passport(tm) external USB hard drive requires a minimum of 1000Ma (Milliamps) of power for proper usage.
  
  Resolution: You can purchase a WD Passport(tm) Power Supply or a USB 2.0 Power Booster Cable from links below to the Western Digital Online Store.
  
  The above was taken from the WD support site - So buyer beware.
  
  

• Compact size with a large capacity

  
  By AGGAQLXPVGM5D on 2007-09-19
  The Western Digital Passport line of hard drives is excellent. After using a 160 GB hard drive for 6 months, I realized that the reliability and ease of use of this drive was hard to resist. Priced competitively to other manufacturers, it has a great value.
  
  I purchased the 250 GB hard drive to augment my portable storage to keep all of my necessary files without having to resort to finding an outlet that most external hard drives require.
  
  The most important thing to do before using this drive is to Quick Format it in NTFS to handle larger files (> 4GB). It comes from the factory in FAT 32.
  
  It is a quiet drive and runs without the heat that most plug-in externals have.
  
  Constructed of lightweight plastic it is portable but not 'fragile'. I have accidentally dropped mine a few times without adverse effects.
  
  It's big use is for laptop users and academics who need large amounts of space in a small footprint. With the low key glossy black finish, it's simple styling is not an eyesore. A USB cable is provided.
  
  Highly recommend this line of external hard drives.
  
  
• I highly DO NOT recommend this drive for portable use
  By A3K1RB5R42LAQF on 2007-08-16
  If you planning on keeping this drive in one spot such as on your desk and not using it for on the go, then this drive may work out.
  This drive is no passport portable device, it needs to be stable to prevent damage to its internal disk and moving parts-
  
  I bought this drive planning to use it for school and even with careful packing in my computer case the drive still got messed up. So instead I bought a 16gb flash drive that does not have the internal moving parts like this drive has and it ended up working perfect.
  
  If you end up buying this drive make sure to register it with ED because I am 100% positive if you use it as a portable drive you will need it replaced by the WD warrenty-
  
  
• Don't believe the doubters about power consumption issues
  By A1NBDQTHHYQCLP on 2007-12-31
  All good reviews, but don't believe the issues with power. WinXP SP2 blocks the use of the drive because it thinks it draws too much power. But there is a simple procedure to override this (from WD site):
  
  "Problem:
  Under Windows XP, an error message of "Power Surge on Hub Port" or "USB device has exceeded the power limits of it's hub port" is displayed when connecting a USB device to a USB port on a computer or Hub.
  
  Cause:
  Under some computers, USB devices are only allowed to draw a maximum of 500 milliamps (mA) per connection from the USB port on the computer system or from a USB hub. Under the Windows XP Operating System, with the release of Service Pack 2, if a device attempts to draw more than this (500 milliamps), a USB port balloon message is displayed to indicate this over current condition. When connecting a USB device that draws power from the USB bus, a very brief over current condition is sometimes detected by the OS, and the warning message is displayed.
  
  Resolution:
  This message has no affect on the functionality of the USB port. The USB hard drive should still function correctly on the USB port regardless of the error message. To prevent the USB Power Surge Alert message from displaying, please complete the following steps:
  Click on Start.
  
  Click on Control Panel.
  
  Double-click on the System Icon.
  
  Click on the Hardware Tab.
  
  Click on the Device Manager button.
  
  Click on the + next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers to expand the selection.
  
  Right-click and select Properties on any listing that displays USB UNIVERSAL HOST CONTROLLER.
  
  Click on the Advanced Tab.
  
  Check the box that says: Don't tell me about USB errors."
  
  This works fine, and the drive works fine afterwards. I suspect it actually draws less power than they say. Maybe it has a brief power draw spike on startup, but it's running power seems less. In any case, it works fine without the Y cable. I do think it is tacky that WD doesn't give the cable for free, since my $7 Sabrent 2.5" Hard drive enclosure came with a y cable.
  
  But most likely the drive will work fine for you. It is a lovely quiet drive, and takes up no space at all.
  
  PS I just tried it on my IBM X31, which is several years old, and it worked fine. So I think the power issue is really a non-issue, but if you really are worried about frying your usb port, then buy the Y-cable.
  
  
• Drive Failures Within a Week
  By A3QXNX8XLKLKIE on 2007-09-25
  Western Digital has always had a tremendous reputation for quality drives. I used a TEAC casing with Seagate drive for years as a portable drive without any issues.
  
  Within a week of getting this model, the drive wouldn't spin up. The drive had been carried in a protective case and used on solid surfaces when in use--a desk, in most cases. One reviewer, Brandi, reviewed that the drive has problems when being moved--I'm not sure if the movement caused the issue or not, but if that's the case, then the drive is a failure for a "portable hard drive".
  
  Unfortunately, replacement or not, I'm now leery of the device and see backups going from weekly to daily. :( What a hassle.
  
  
• DO NOT BUY IT!
  By A1HM080TTZ8U5W on 2007-11-06
  Don't purchase this product if you own a MacBook. My MacBook would NEVER recognize this external hard drive NO MATTER WHAT I DID - including purchasing a cable with a double USB end! It has been extremely frustrating to work with.
  
  
• iPod-like Sleekness, Huge Drive- Just Plug and Save!
  By A1MGRH4E2I1XWN on 2007-09-22
  I'm using the 250GB Western Digital Passport to back-up files on my Macbook, which only has a 100G drive, so this is 2 1/2 times bigger.
  I read a lot of reviews on different websites before purchasing this drive.
  PROS:
  1. Portability: The Passport is just slightly bigger than my iPod.
  2. Piano black finish looks: This will be sitting on my desk most of the time and looks great next to my black Macbook.
  3. Does not need an additional power block: This portable drive takes its power from the included USB cord.
  4. Plug-and-Save: I was saving files onto this external hard drive within minutes of opening the package. Pops up as a drive on the desktop.
  
  I saved about 50G worth of files, movies and music onto the drive. It took about 10-15 minutes, so it definitely wasn't super-fast.
  
  The direct playback of a movie from the drive was excellent. I ran both movies simultaneously from the MAC HD and the WD HD, and they looked and sounded identical with no skipping.
  
  CONS:
  1. Too bad it doesn't come with a carrying case, which you can buy separately.
  2. Takes a while to save files. But this is my first external hard drive, so I have no point of reference. Maybe they all take a while...
  3. No software to sync the WD passport to your Mac so that you can have it automatically back-up files when it's plugged in. I just manually drag and drop. It does have software for PCs.
  Nonetheless, I highly recommend.
  
  
  
• Small, light and reasonable speed - powered by USB
  By A3UJVH7WB0OO3C on 2007-07-18
  This drive works really well. I have two of them that I use with my MacBook Pro. I did a striped raid with them for a total of 500GB and I'm very pleased with the results (and the speed).
  
  
• Complete Winner
  By A3REEVWVD4VFAA on 2007-11-25
  Dragged two of these all over the bush in Southern Africa for a two week photo safari. Worked perfectly under desert and swampy conditions. No problem with usb power on my little Mac G4 notebook. Backed up my irreplaceable photos flawlessly. Carried in a padded pouch in an overstuffed backpack. Bounced around the lower cargo bin of a couple bush planes. Bottom line= I am thrilled and will buy more for backup and archiving!
  
  
• Very happy with this 'little' HDD
  By A34G3Y5H64A7YM on 2007-12-26
  Works as described. Extremely light. Using it with a MacBook Pro as a Time Machine backup drive. There are other drives that are portable, however they need 2 USB connections - one for data and the other for power. This one works with the single cable that's included.
  
  
• I couldn't live without my Passport.
  By A3D9VXSUDX8J36 on 2008-02-26
  I recently purchased the WD 250GB Passport after using a Maxtor One Touch external hard drive for the last three years. I have a very specific use for this portable device which, as its name suggests, is roughly the size of a passport. I use it for the backup storage of my entire iTunes music library consisting of more than 10,000 songs maintained on my desk top computer (with a Windows 2000 operating system) and on my IBM T41 Thinkpad (with a Windows XP operating system). (It holds up to 62,000 songs, or 71,000 photos.) It works without any problems whatsoever on both systems. Based upon my personal experience with the WD 250GB Passport, there are at least six reasons why I would recommend this state-of-the-art portable hard drive to anyone considering purchasing such a device:
  
  1. It is compatible with either a Mac or PC as storage unit.
  
  2. It utilizes a USB connection and requires no external power source.
  
  3. It features Google software for searching and managing files.
  
  4. It is light-weight (weighing less than 4 ounces), has a sleek, glossy black design, and mine included a padded black case.
  
  5. It is very easy to use, even for someone (like me), who isn't too computer savvy.
  
  6. It offers a 3-year limited warranty.
  
  G. Merritt
  
  
  
• Thumbs all the way down-WD Portable Passport
  By AOABNRMQO9RED on 2007-10-16
  I have a similar experience with this product, within a couple of months of getting a Passport Portable 160GB Hard Drive, the drive wouldn't spin up. I have just placed an order for a replacement portable drive and it is *NOT* a Western Digital Passport.
  
  
• Best in its class....Bestest Best
  By A21NJV26DFOSF0 on 2007-11-21
  Best in performance...
  I'm using it with Dell Latitude D600 laptop without any issues.
  
  Just one small thing. It requires little bit higher power from your USB port, so it doesn't work if I connect it to the USB port on my keyboard. My Laptop doesn't recognize anything, because keyboard port is not able to give enough power to this drive...
  
  Well me being a techy person this problem is not a problem at all. There are so many solutions for this small issue...I really don't care...I don't have any limitation on variety of USB ports availability
  
  Highest speed USB data transfer.
  I was ble to copy GB's of data in minutes. I never used stop watch to count seconds and minutes its taking, but I have never felt that its responding slow.
  
  
  Smallest in size...(pocket size drive)
  
  Highest in capacity (250 GB)
  
  Best in prize (you will never be able to get anything portable so cheap and of this capacity (I mean 250 GB). I bought 250 GB in $150. Almost 60 cents per GB. Not bad at all.
  
  So what you get in the end...
  
  Bestest in performance...
  Fastest in speed....
  Smallest in size...
  Highest in capacity in portable drives...
  Cheapest in prize...
  
  Do you want anything else....Are you kidding...??? Forget about anything else and get this one...you will never regret. I promise...
  
  
• So far so good...
  By A1MPEG5S1DNI52 on 2007-12-02
  Despite all the negative reviews for this product its not bad. I got this for my laptop and as an external hard drive for more cpu space. It would be nice if they had a 320gb one but 250gb is a very good amount of space for most people. I have heard some stories about the passport and was reluctant to get it but I got mine on sale at best buy for $140 and it was actually cheaper to get it at the store then it was online and they have a return policy if anything happens before january 31st you can return it so I decided to get it there. Even though its only powered by a usb cable it still transfers pretty fast just as any normal hard drive powered by a usb cable. This is a great product if you need more storage for your laptop or cpu. The black finish is nice it gets scratches easily but that doesn't bother me anymore because practically everything from ipods to tvs nowadays will get scratched easily if you don't take care of them. As of now I have yet to run into any problems with this product the 360 reads the passport really well I can listen to my music on it and view my pictures as well which is another plus because I was afraid the 360 wouldn't read it. If you need the extra space get this one you won't find a bigger one although I'm sure a 320gb passport isn't far away from being a reality. I also forgot to mention that the passport works fine with both windows xp and it is windows vista certified.
  
  
• Once again -- you have been warned...
  By A25BA0GMV8Z4GR on 2007-10-20
  As many others have said -- it doesn't work with all USB drives. My wife and I are both on Powerbook G4s, here's is a year older than mine and it works fine on hers. On mine, I guess there isn't enough power out of the ports. Otherwise, a very cool little drive. Not the fastest, but the size is unbelievable.
  
  
• ???
  By A25M3S9IU5WX0G on 2007-11-04
  I like to think that I would like this product, but unfortunately I have yet to receive it. Due to amazon's policy on not shipping electronics to APO addresses I was forced to send it to the U.S. just to have it sent from there to Iraq. And since the US Postal service's policy is to place the contents of the package on the outside, visible for all to see, somebody saw a free hard drive staring at them and decided to help themselves to it......
  
  
• It Works...eh...
  By AQVBO2VC6O5IB on 2007-11-12
  Yes, it works. It works like a wonder...but beware: if you have a Mac Powerbook G4 (or earlier...) the USB does not have enough juice to power this baby. Luckily I have a Mac Cinema Display and plug it the back of that (with it's independent power source). But all that aside, this drive rocks. It's super small, light and holds a ton.
  
  
• Great backup HD
  By A3GM951Z60CHA9 on 2007-12-25
  I bought nifty portable hard drive to work with a MacBook and Time Machine. Before buying, my main concern was compatibility with my Mac. Reading other Amazon reviews and checking the Western Digital website (www.wdc.com/en/) reassured. This was plug and play simple. Leopard/Time Machine took care of formatting, etc automatically. One issue in other reviews was the power to the HD - not a problem. The Passport powers itself thru the USB cable and must draw a fairly low amount because I haven't noticed any effect on the battery life. A couple reviews were critical of the short USB cable. It is short but certainly is long enough to tuck the Passport behind the laptop out of sight. The length is perfect for use on my knees - any longer would be in the way. I'd debated Firewire vs a USB drive. The first Time Machine backup took about 20 minutes, but since then I hardly notice it is even happening. The USB is plenty fast. Bottom line after a month of use - 5 stars.
  
  
• Beware: does not work on PowerBooks
  By A28A7HS42FZD09 on 2008-02-08
  I run Mac 10.4, and according to the specs, this drive should have worked. The USBs in my computer are not enough to power the machine, so I ended up with a beautiful, shiny brick. If one needs a Y-Adaptor connecting to two ports for the product to work in a PowerBook, then the product (or at the very least, the description) should include such information.
  I feel ripped off.
  
  
• Great drive, short USB
  By A2D4XCPQESZWJI on 2007-07-18
  This is the latest in small/huge storage drives (July 2007). The USB cable is very short (about 20-cm or 8-inches). No choice for partitioning, the drive already comes preformatted to 250GB. Software comes on the drive it self, so it has to run first to access the software. There is no cover case (leather/clothe) just the external drive so you might need this Small External HD Case Black.
  
  
• something i have been waiting for for some time
  By A2JF2VBIYDNJ1I on 2007-10-20
  I got mine from Circuit City on sale about 150. I do a lot of travel and i needed a small footprint but large capacity external HD and this is the one I have been waiting for. Previously I had been used a LaCie 250GB which was larger in size and also need to have an external power supply. the LaCie drive external power supply is not only bulky but a pain in trying to connect to the drive and carry around. Further the whole drive broke down after a few months. It was hard to find an external drive which is small in footprint, large in capacity, and DO NOT require an external power supply. Finally thanks to Western Digital, they now have it. I am happy with everyhing thus far. The only con i can find are - the rubber cover for the mini USB connection could be a bit early to break off and also a bit fragile. Also the black shing surface shines but could scratches easily. It is best to have a case to go along with it. I am now trying a "amentities bag" I got from Northwest Business Class and I put the socks they gave you inside, and then the drive and the USB cord. Seems to protect the drive very well. Overall excellent product for the 1 month i have been using it, thus far.
  
  
  
  
• Western Digital 250 GB Hard Drive Surpasses Expectations
  By A1XOK2E84T1WY on 2007-10-23
  I use my Western Digital 250 GB hard drive to transfer information, pictures, music, etc. between my three computers. It works very well and I would recommend it to anyone looking for additional storage or a compact way to move information. It works simply, just plug in the USB cable and you are in business.
  
  saxman
  
  
• Small, sleek, stylish, and slim - Is that a hard drive in your pocket?
  By ASNGEUJ0LCACM on 2007-11-11
  The small, sleek, stylish, and slim size and professional look is something rare for external hard drives. I've got a "portable" 300 GB Seagate which works, formatted for PC and readable by my MacBook, but I needed something truly portable such as the Passport. The best deal is at Costco, which includes a free case. I registered the product online and confirmed that the manufacturer warranty is 3 years, not including the Costco guarantee.
  
  The ads are true, it's plug and play. No need to install any drivers. No problems so far with my MacBook. I was disappointed that the Passport does not use firewire, but the USB transfer rate seemed fast enough to me. Some people complained that the USB cable was short, but it's perfect for people on the go with a laptop (who wants to carry cords?). The Passport was able to charge on my MacBook without having to buy and use the optional cable. I am disappointed that the free backup software is not compatible with Macs, but that's not a deal breaker. So far, so good, but I'll admit that I just bought it, so I'm going to be conservative and rate it 4 stars.
  
  
• Works on my Dell D600 with only 500mA per port
  By A38PF5I55NJGTA on 2007-11-24
  I've been thinking about buying this drive but was afraid it would not work with a single USB port as people said here. My USB ports do limit power to max 500mA. However, surprise, it does work and I've had no problems reading nor writing. I also tried it on couple of other Dell notebooks with no problems. I bought mine (black) at Costco with included neoprene carrying case. It is a nice drive, the form factor is cool although I would preffer a metal case. I recommend it.
  
  
  
• Decent Drive for the Money
  By A2QOU0YOHHLXYD on 2007-12-19
  First off, I have been a fan of Western Digital's external drives for the past two years since I discovered them to be a low-cost, fairly solid brand. There are few brands on the market now who offer lower prices for the same amount of data storage.
  
  I own a Passport drive from about two years ago as well. By comparison, that drive was a little bigger and heavier. But by the same token, it seems a bit more substantial. This drive seems much more fragile. The sounds of internal functions of this drive, though softer than those of earlier models, seem much more clearly audible because of this drive's thinner skin. The glossy exterior also seems to be more prone to dust and scratches as well.
  
  Also, for anyone thinking about it, DON'T push the glowing blue light on the front of the drive. I thought it was some type of fancy on/off button and ended up punching part of it into the body of the drive.
  
  Performance-wise, I really have no complaints. This drive has not failed me in the several months that I've owned it. I leave it attached for several hours a day and have yet to notice any issues. I'm running it on Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard formatted as a Mac OS Extended drive.
  
  Bottom line, aesthetics and tactile signs of durability aside, this drive is a great value. At 150-odd dollars for 250 gigs of storage in such a small package, I can't complain.
  
  PS: Be aware, if purchasing with the Case Logic Small External HD Case, note that the fit is not perfect. The elastic in the case doesn't hold the Passport all that snugly. Maybe some sewing or other small modification can fix this.
  
  
• did not work with iMac
  By ASXYCJMBNWW24 on 2007-12-22
  The 250GB USB portable hard drive was not reliably recognized by my iMac. I didn't have the desire to trouble shoot something like this right out of the box because dependability is something that I would expect in a hard drive. There are too many competitors and too many Macs out there to tolerate this so I sent it back. I may try a Lacie or Maxtor....
  
  
• Possible USB solution; comments about software
  By A1YOLH0L8ALRLD on 2008-01-26
  If it won't run, try unplugging some USB cords to "free up power," then try the Passport.
  
  I've owned this for about a week and just today resolved a major problem. I scoured the internet for a solution for why this product worked flawlessly on my laptop (HP Pavilion with Windows XP) but gave an error message on my Dell with Windows XP desktop ("USB device not recognized", or somesuch message.) While speaking to the nice fellow on the helpdesk in India, I happened upon the solution for me: I had to unplug a USB cord to a printer to plug in the Passport USB and, miracle, the desktop recognized it! Yeah, me! It hadn't worked in the back ports previously, nor in the front ports. Perhaps I had too much power being sucked out of the back and unplugging the printer released it all. If I'm lucky, it'll work on the front ones, too; but I haven't tried that yet.
  
  As for the online documentation and the little that comes with the product: we feeble techie-wannabees need a little more information to use the product to its fullest. For ex., the WDSync icon sits among several others and I was hesitant to click it. "Sync" what? I guess I'm synchronizing, or updating, data. I'm still not sure if I have to update everything or if there's someway to update only files that have changed since the last update. Also not sure if selecting "all files" is what I need or if I can select only a few and so speed up the download process. I plan to use this to make my work computer portable I'm still learning, but am encouraged.
  
  Thanks to all who posted ideas previously. It put me on the right track once I happened onto a solution.
  
  

• Case Logic Compact Portable Hard Drive Case (Black)
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• Aluratek High-Speed USB 2.0 External 500GB Hard Drive - Silver (ACBS350500F)
• Caselogic PHDC-1 Small EVA External Hard Drive Case (Red)
• Western Digital WD Passport 250GB Portable Hard Drive with Carrying Case, Black

• Case Logic Compact Portable Hard Drive Case (Black)
• USB Power Adapter Y Cable
• Western Digital 160GB 2.5-inch Passport USB Portable Hard Drive
• Western Digital 320 GB Passport 2.5" USB 2.0 Hard Drive
• Western Digital My Passport Essential 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive WDME3200TN (Midnight Black)