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Western Digital external hard drive data recovery

My Passport, Elements, My Book, My Book Duo and easystore. WD externals are encrypted and built without a SATA port, and we are equipped for both.

  • Free evaluation
  • No recovery, no charge
  • Free shipping to the lab

WD external drive recovery in Temecula

WD sells more external drives than anyone else, so My Passport and My Book drives make up a large share of our work. They need more than a standard hard drive recovery, for two reasons that surprise most owners.

USB-native boards
In My Passport and Elements portable drives the USB socket is on the hard drive's circuit board. The drive cannot be connected by SATA until a compatible board is fitted and the original ROM data transferred.
Always-on hardware encryption
My Passport and My Book drives encrypt everything they store with a chip in the drive or enclosure, even if you never set a password. A drive taken out of a My Book and connected directly shows as unformatted. We image the drive first and then decrypt the image using the key held by the original electronics.

WD external drives we recover

My Passport, My Passport Ultra and My Passport for Mac
Portable drives, currently up to 6TB.
WD Elements and easystore
Portable and desktop drives without backup software.
My Book
Desktop drives with 3.5-inch disks, helium-filled at high capacities.
My Book Duo
Two-drive units, set to RAID 0 from the factory.
WD_BLACK P10 and D10
Game drives for consoles and PCs.
My Cloud
Network drives. See NAS recovery.
My Passport SSD and older models
Portable SSDs, and earlier Essential, Studio and Wireless drives.

Faults we see on WD externals

Dropped My Passport
Clicking, or a soft beep where the heads have stuck to the platters.
Slow-responding drive
Detected, then freezes the computer. Usually a firmware fault and not the heads.
Damaged USB socket
The micro-B connector is a known weak point.
My Book power or bridge board failure
The disk is healthy and encrypted, and the board that holds the key has died. Keep the enclosure and send it with the drive.
My Book Duo RAID 0 failure
One failed disk makes the whole volume disappear.
Forgotten password
We cannot bypass a WD Security password. With the password we can recover from a failing drive.

Western Digital models we recover, 2013 to 2026

Examples of the model numbers we see most often, grouped by the years each range was sold. Look on the underside or back of the case for the line beginning P/N: WDB, printed beside the serial number (S/N).

YearsRangeModel numbers
2012–2014My Passport (USB 3.0), 500GB–2TBHardware encrypted; USB port soldered to the drive boardWDBKXH5000ABK, WDBBEP0010BBK, WDBY8L0020BBK
2013–2016My Passport Ultra (2013 and 2015 designs), 1–3TBHardware encrypted; typical internal drives WD10JMVW (1TB) and WD20NMVW (2TB)WDBZFP0010BBK, WDBMWV0020BBK, WDBGPU0010BBK, WDBBKD0020BBK, WDBBKD0030BBK
2013–2016My Book (USB 3.0), 2–4TBHardware encrypted by the USB bridge boardWDBFJK0020HBK, WDBFJK0030HBK, WDBFJK0040HBK
2013–2026Elements Portable and Elements Desktop, 1–26TBNot encrypted; portable models have USB soldered to the drive boardWDBUZG0010BBK, WDBU6Y0020BBK, WDBU6Y0050BBK, WDBWLG0040HBK, WDBWLG0080HBK, WDBWLG0180HBK
2014–2017My Book Duo (USB 3.0), 4–12TBTwo drives, ships as RAID 0 with hardware encryptionWDBLWE0040JCH, WDBLWE0080JCH, WDBLWE0120JCH
2016–2019My Passport (2016 redesign), 1–4TBHardware encrypted; 4TB typically contains internal drive WD40NMZWWDBYNN0010BBK, WDBYFT0020BBK, WDBYFT0030BBK, WDBYFT0040BBK
2016–2026My Passport for Mac, 2–6TBSame hardware as My Passport, formatted for macOSWDBP6A0020BBK, WDBP6A0040BBK, WDBA2D0020BBL, WDBA2F0040BBL, WDBA2F0050BBL, WDBK6C0060BBL
2016–2026My Book (2016 redesign), 4–26TB256-bit AES hardware encryption on the bridge boardWDBBGB0040HBK, WDBBGB0080HBK, WDBBGB0120HBK, WDBBGB0180HBK, WDBBGB0260HBK
2017–2026My Book Duo (USB-C), 16–44TBTwo drives, ships as RAID 0 with hardware encryptionWDBFBE0160JBK, WDBFBE0200JBK, WDBFBE0280JBK, WDBFBE0360JBK, WDBFBE0440JBK
2018–2026My Passport Ultra (USB-C), 1–6TBHardware encryptedWDBC3C0010BSL, WDBC3C0020BSL, WDBFTM0040BSL, WDBFTM0050BBL, WDBEJA0060BBL
2019–2026My Passport (2019 slim design), 1–6TBHardware encrypted; 5TB typically contains internal drive WD50NDZWWDBYVG0010BBK, WDBYVG0020BBK, WDBPKJ0040BBK, WDBPKJ0050BBK, WDBR9S0060BBK
2019–2026WD_BLACK P10 and D10 Game Drive, 2–8TBNot encryptedWDBA2W0020BBK, WDBA3A0040BBK, WDBA3A0050BBK, WDBZ7D0060BBK, WDBA3P0080HBK

Not listed? These are examples, not limits. If your model is missing we almost certainly still recover it. Give us the number when you start a case.

Send the complete unit

Always send the drive in its enclosure with its cable and power adapter. For help, call RMLD on (951) 595-8065 or start a case online. See also WD internal drive recovery.

How a case works

Six steps from the first call to your files. You approve the quote and check the results before paying.

  1. Tell us what happenedCall or start a case online. A technician reviews it and tells you how to send or bring the device.
  2. Ship it or drop it offShipping to the lab is free. You can also hand it in at Temecula or London.
  3. Free evaluationWe diagnose the fault and send a firm quote. Nothing is charged for this.
  4. Recovery in our labOnce you approve, the work is done in-house. Your device never leaves our company.
  5. You check the filesYou receive a list of what was recovered and confirm it before paying.
  6. Data returnedOn a new drive, your own drive, or by encrypted download. No recovery means no charge.

More recovery services

Talk to a technician before you try anything else

The evaluation is free, and the first advice you get can decide whether the data comes back.

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