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While disconnecting your WD external hard drive from Mac machine remember to click on the option “Eject” Do not remove WD My Passport external hard drive during the transmission process. Plug the WD Passport drive into your computer and wait for it to be identified. Check the 'Enable Auto Unlock for User [Name]' box to disable password.
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Western Digital's Passport external hard drives come with preinstalled software that enables you to monitor drive health and password protect the entire disk. In situations where you have sensitive information stored on your drive, adding a password makes sense, particularly if you are moving it between machines and offices. However, be aware that should you forget your password, the drive will need to be wiped to access it again. Plug the WD Passport drive into your computer and wait for it to be identified by Windows to get started.
1.Open File Explorer. Choose 'Computer' from the navigation pane and then double-click on the WD Passport drive (typically labelled 'My Passport'). Double-click the WD Apps Setup.exe file to begin configuring the bundled software on your system.
2.Click 'Next' to dismiss the opening screen of the setup wizard, check the box to accept the license agreement and then click 'Next' again. Place a check next to all of the programs you'd like to install and then click 'Next' to begin the installation process. The WD Security utility is the one that offers password protection for your drive.
3.Click 'Finish' when the wizard has completed its tasks to close the dialog, and WD Security launches automatically. It can also be launched in the future using the WD Security shortcut on the desktop.
4.Check the 'I Understand' box to confirm you understand the consequences of applying a password to your drive. Enter your chosen password twice, as well as a password hint to display should you forget it. Check the 'Enable Auto Unlock for User [Name]' box to disable password protection when you are logged into the current Windows user account.
5.Click 'Save Security Settings' to apply your chosen password to the drive. To change the security settings for your drive in the future, launch the WD Security utility and enter your password. Select the 'Change Password' radio button and reconfigure your password and password hint as needed. Click 'Update Security Settings' to confirm.
Tip
- After the WD Passport drive is locked, you will be prompted for the password whenever you shut down and restart the computer, you disconnect and reconnect the drive or your computer exits Sleep mode (depending on your system configuration).
Warning
- This article applies to version 1.0.4.11 of the Western Digital apps suite, the latest version as of August 2013. If you're using a later or earlier version of WD Security, the steps may differ slightly.
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About the Author
An information technology journalist since 2002, David Nield writes about the Web, technology, hardware and software. He is an experienced editor, proofreader and copywriter for online publications such as CNET, TechRadar and Gizmodo. Nield holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and lives in Manchester, England.
Cite this Article Choose Citation Style
Nield, David. 'How to Set Up a Password for a WD Passport.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/set-up-password-wd-passport-73174.html. Accessed 27 December 2019.
Nield, David. (n.d.). How to Set Up a Password for a WD Passport. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/set-up-password-wd-passport-73174.html
Nield, David. 'How to Set Up a Password for a WD Passport' accessed December 27, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/set-up-password-wd-passport-73174.html
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Important:This article is about removing the WD SmartWare 1.6.X software (This allows the user to backup their data, controls the drive lock function, and the drive label function) from the PC or Mac. It does not assist with hiding or removing the VCD. For assistance with doing this see Answer ID 18331: How to remove (disable/hide) the Virtual CD (VCD) for Windows or Mac OSX on a WD My Book or WD My Passport |
Please click to view the Use of Third-Party Software or Websites disclaimer
A third party utility may be used to uninstall WD Smartware in the event that Windows is unable to uninstall it. Please see Wise uninstaller
Please select the Operating System (OS) being used from the list below to display the instructions.
Windows 10 | Click Here for Instructions (instructions will appear below this table) |
Windows 8 | Click Here for Instructions (instructions will appear below this table) |
Windows 7 & Vista | Click Here for Instructions (instructions will appear below this table) |
Windows XP | Click Here for Instructions (instructions will appear below this table) |
Mac OSX 10.5.x (Leopard), 10.6.x (Snow Leopard), 10.7.x (Lion), 10.8.x (Mountain Lion), 10.9.x (Mavericks), and 10.10.x (Yosemite) | Click Here for Instructions (instructions will appear below this table) |
Windows 10:
- Start by right-clicking on Start and selecting the Control Panel.
- Under Programs select Uninstall a Program.
- Find WD SmartWare in the list of programs and right click on it. Left-click on Uninstall on the menu that appears. Double-clicking on WD SmartWare will also uninstall it.
- Windows will ask if the user is sure they wish to remove WD SmartWare from the computer. Click Yes if the user wants to remove it, or No to cancel.
- A status bar will pop up while Windows configures the software. Wait until this bar completely fills (It may fill multiple times depending on how the system is configured).Note:
The user may receive a windows security message during this step asking if they wish to perform this action. Select Yes if this appears - WD SmartWare should now be removed. Check in the Uninstall a Program list to verify that it has been uninstalled.
- If an error message is received during this process, please Contact Us for additional assistance.
Windows 8:
- Start by opening the Control Panel.
- Under Programs select Uninstall a Program.
- Find WD SmartWare in the list of programs and right click on it.
- Left-click on Uninstall on the menu that appears.
- Windows will ask if the user is sure they wish to remove WD SmartWare from the computer. Click Yes if the user wants to remove it, or No to cancel.
- A status bar will pop up while Windows configures the software. Wait until this bar completely fills (It may fill multiple times depending on how the system is configured).Note:
The user may receive a windows security message during this step asking if they wish to perform this action. Select Yes if this appears - WD SmartWare should now be removed. Check in the Uninstall a Program list to verify that it has been uninstalled.
- If an error message is received during this process, please Contact Us for additional assistance.
- Start by opening the Control Panel.
- Under Programs select Uninstall a Program.
- Find WD SmartWare in the list of programs and right-click on it.
- Left-click on Uninstall on the menu that appears.
- Windows will ask if the user is sure they wish to remove WD SmartWare from the computer. Click Yes if the user wants to remove it, or No to cancel.
- A status bar will pop up while Windows configures the software. Wait until this bar completely fills (It may fill multiple times depending on how the system is configured).Note:
The user may receive a windows security message during this step asking if they wish to perform this action. Select Yes if this appears. - WD SmartWare should now be removed. Check in the Uninstall a Program list to verify that it has been uninstalled.
- If an error message is received during this process, please Contact Us for additional assistance.
- Start by opening the Control Panel.
- If the screen looks like the image below click on the Switch to Classic View link in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Otherwise skip to step 3 below.
- Find 'Add or Remove Programs' in the list of options and double click on it.
- Find WD SmartWare in the list of programs and click on the Remove button.
- Windows will ask if the user is sure they wish to remove WD SmartWare from the computer. Click Yes if the user wants to remove it, or No to cancel.
- A status bar will pop up while Windows configures the software. Wait until this bar completely fills (It may fill multiple times depending on how the system is configured).
- WD SmartWare should now be removed. Check in the 'Add Remove Programs' list to verify that it has been uninstalled.
- If an error message is received during this process, please Contact Us for additional assistance.
- Start by opening Finder with the WD External Drive (including WD SmartWare) attached to the Mac.
- Select the WD SmartWare Virtual CD from the list of attached drives.
- Open the Extras folder on the VCD.
- Find the WD SmartWare Uninstaller.app icon and double-click on it.
- The uninstaller will ask if the user wishes to remove WD SmartWare. Click Yes if it wants to be removed, or No to cancel.
- A password prompt will show. Enter the username and password of an administrator account for the Mac. If there is only one user on the Mac enter the username and password usually used to log in.
- A reminder will be received that a reboot of the system is needed. Simply select OK on this prompt.
- On the following screen select Exit to close the uninstaller. WD Smartware should now be removed from the system.
- Reboot the system when the installation is complete.
- If an error message is received during this process, please Contact Us for additional assistance.