[Guide] How to Format WD My Passport on Mac and PC?

As you know, macOS and Windows have their native file systems, such as APFS, NTFS, and HFS. A WD My Passport formatted with a Mac file system will fail on Windows and vice-versa. Thankfully, FAT32 and ex-FAT formats have survived to date, and these are the file systems to make your WD My Passport work properly with Mac and PC. Check out the screenshot below to see the compatibility of WD My Passport with macOS and Windows:

WD My Passport works differently on Mac and PC due to their native file systems. It’s much easier on Windows and way more complicated for Mac users. But don’t panic. With our guide, you’ll effortlessly master formatting WD My Passport both on Mac and PC.

Warning: Erasing WD My Passport empties the drive. Don’t forget to create a backup before proceeding.

How to Format WD My Passport for Mac?

1. Connect Western Digital My Passport drive to your Mac.

2. Wait for the new hard drive to be detected (its icon will appear on your Desktop).

3. Next, go to Finder > Applications > Utilities and open the Disk Utility.

4. Choose the Western Digital hard drive icon in the Disk Utility sidebar > click the Erase tab.

5. Once in the Erase dialog window, select the Volume Format drop-down list > choose APFS (native file system), MS-DOS (FAT), or ex-FAT.

Note: The ex-FAT file system is the best choice for formatting WD My Passport on Mac.

6. Hit the Erase button. The macOS will erase data on the drive and reformat it to APFS, FAT32, or ex-FAT format. Once formatting is done, you can use the drive on your Mac as a regular hard drive.

How to Format WD My Passport for Windows?

To format WD My Passport for Windows, do this:

1. Connect your WD My Passport hard drive to your Windows PC through the USB cable. 

2. Wait until Windows automatically detects the external hard drive and configures it as an expansion drive.

3. Click the Start button and type this PC > select This PC app. A new Windows Explorer window will open. You’ll see a list of installed drives and their drive letters on the left side of the screen.

4. Locate the icon assigned to Western Digital My Passport drive and right-click the connected drive icon > click Format in the pop-up menu.

5. Select the File System from the drop-down list and choose either ex-FAT or FAT32. 

6. Enter a relevant name in the Volume label field. 

7. Go with Quick Format > click Start.

Formatting WD My Passport Resulted in Data Loss?

If you have accidentally erased your WD My Passport hard drive, the best way out is to use data recovery software for Mac and Windows, depending on which computer you have.

How to Recover Lost Data from WD My Passport on Mac?

1. Install and launch Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Mac > select file type > click Next > choose WD My Passport.

2. Toggle the Deep Scan option > click Scan. Wait till the scan is over.

3. Preview your scanned files and select all the necessary ones > click Recover.

4. Select Browse to specify the save location > press Save. Wait till the recovery is complete.

How to Recover Data from WD My Passport on Windows?

1. Install and run Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Windows.

2. Select file type > click Next. Choose WD My Passport in the Recover From window.

3. Turn on Deep Scan and click the Scan button. Wait till the scan completes.

4. Preview and select files you want to recover and click Recover. Specify the drive location to save files > press Save. Wait till the recovery process is over.

Why Use Stellar Data Recovery for Mac and PC?

Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition (Windows or Mac) can scan your WD My Passport storage drive, preview recoverable files for free, and recover up to 1 Gigabyte of data without subscribing. However, if you need unlimited data recovery capability, you’ll need to upgrade the software from Free Edition to Professional Edition. Stellar Data Recovery has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can upgrade with confidence.

Things you Should Know Before Formatting WD My Passport 

• Format your Western Digital My Passport external hard drive to FAT32 or ex-FAT format to transfer the data between a Mac and Windows system conveniently.
• Specific third-party systems, like Digital Camcorders and Sony PlayStation, need the drives to be formatted in either FAT32 or ex-FAT format to perform read and write operations. Check this before selecting a file format.
• FAT32 supports a maximum volume of up to 8 Terabytes and a maximum file size of up to 4 Gigabytes. Ex-FAT supports a maximum volume size of up to 1 Petabytesyte and maximum file size of 16 Exabytes.
• Due to the limitation of FAT32, it might affect Mac’s and PC’s performance. Therefore, it is better to choose ex-FAT instead.
• Like FAT32, ex-FAT is not a commonly used file system, due to which its support may vary among third-party devices.
• The corruption chances of the external drive increase if used on both Mac and PC systems regularly. So, please back up the data before sharing it between the two computers.

Related reading:

• Guide To Mac Hard Drive Recovery
• 4 Best Ways to Recover Deleted Files from External Hard Drive on Mac
• Recover Data From External Hard Drive That Isn’t Detected
• How to Repair Corrupted Hard Disk Without Formatting

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About The Author

Ruslana Lishchuk

Ruslana is a tech content writer whose true passion is finding out about everything Mac-related. She specializes in creating macOS guides and tips & tricks. In her spare time, you’ll find her doing yoga or discovering local coffee shops in search of the best filter coffee.