WD My Passport data recovery
Getting the files back from a WD My Passport, portable usb drive sold 2008–2026. Backups and file storage on the move. Drops and knocks are the main cause of failure.
About this drive
- Make
- Western Digital
- Model
- WD My Passport
- Capacity
- 320 GB to 6 TB
- Type
- Portable USB drive
- Interface
- USB
- Years
- 2008–2026
On many of these drives the USB connector is part of the drive’s own circuit board and the data is encrypted by that board. It can’t simply be taken out and connected by SATA; the board has to be repaired or matched to read the data.
How we recover it
We stabilise the drive first. Electronic and firmware faults are fixed on the bench; failed heads and motors are replaced in the cleanroom with matched donor parts. Then the drive is copied sector by sector, healthy areas first, and your files are recovered from the copy.
What’s it doing?
| Symptom | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Dropped, now clicking or silent | Head damage from the drop. Stop using it. |
| Light on, not showing up | USB board, power or firmware. Don’t format it when Windows asks. |
| Broken USB socket | Socket repair or board work; on encrypted models the original board matters. |
| Asks to be formatted | The file system is damaged. Don’t format; it is usually recoverable. |
| Service | Price + VAT |
|---|---|
| Initial consultationWe find out whether the fault is physical or logical, and the best way to recover it. | Free |
| Deleted files on a standard hard driveUp to two hours of work. | £99 |
| Cleanroom diagnosticFor clicking, buzzing or silent hard drives. | £79 |
| Physical recovery on a single driveLabour, plus a donor drive if one is needed. | £450 |
| SSD firmware or electronic board repairDepends on how complex the recovery is. | £450 to £650 |
| External drive for your recovered filesPrice follows the market at the time. | £150 (1 TB) to £250 (4 TB) |
No data, no recovery fee. If we can’t recover the files you need, you don’t pay for the recovery, only the cleanroom diagnostic where one was carried out. A donor drive, if one is needed, is bought at cost plus 30%.
Questions
Can a failed WD My Passport be recovered?
In most cases, yes. Most hard drive failures are electronic, firmware or head faults, and the data stays on the platters.
What should I do now?
Stop using it. Don’t keep powering it on, don’t open it, and don’t run CHKDSK or recovery software.
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Ready to get your files back?
Book online and you get a job number by email straight away. Bring the laptop or drive to our London SE1 lab, or call us to arrange a courier collection from anywhere in the UK.