WD My Passport not detected on macOS after firmware update fix

1. The firmware update broke the WD kernel extension — here's the real fix

I know how frustrating this is. You update the firmware on your WD My Passport drive, and suddenly it's gone from Finder. No pop-up, no drive icon, nothing. Your Mac's Disk Utility might even show the drive but calls it "internal" or lists it with a weird name like "WD SES Device."

Here's what actually happened: that firmware update installed — or tried to install — a new version of the WDDriveUnlockKEXT.kext or WDKernelExt. On macOS Monterey 12.3 and later, Apple started blocking kernel extensions (kexts) by default. Your firmware update didn't account for this, so the kext got quarantined. The drive won't work without it.

The fix: Reinstall the latest WD Drive Utilities for Mac (not the old WD SmartWare). Skip the firmware update tool — it's broken. Grab version 2.1.0.9 or newer from WD's support site. Here's the exact process that works every time:

1. Unplug the drive. Yank it out. Don't eject — it's not mounted anyway.
2. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security (or System Preferences on older macOS).
3. Scroll to the bottom. If you see a message like "System software from Western Digital was blocked from loading," click Allow next to it. This is the step 90% of people miss.
4. If you don't see that message, open Terminal and run:
   

   sudo kextutil -v /Library/Extensions/WDDriveUnlockKEXT.kext

   This will tell you exactly why it's blocked. Most likely it says "not permitted" or "validation failed."
5. If that fails, delete the old kext entirely:
   

   sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/WDDriveUnlockKEXT.kext

   Then reinstall WD Drive Utilities from the official package.
6. Reboot your Mac. Yes, a full reboot is required. Not a restart of Finder, not a sleep/wake cycle — a real reboot.
7. Plug the drive back in. Wait 30 seconds. Your drive should appear.

One more gotcha: If your drive is password-protected via WD Security, the firmware update may have wiped the stored password profile. In that case, you'll need the original password. No password? You're stuck with a paperweight — call WD support and hope they can help.

2. The firmware update corrupted the drive's partition map

Sometimes the firmware update process crashes mid-write. This nukes the partition table. Your Mac still sees the physical drive hardware, but it can't read where the data starts or ends. The drive shows up in System Information under USB but not in Finder or Disk Utility's volume list.

Check this first: Open Disk Utility (from Applications > Utilities). Click View > Show All Devices. If you see the drive listed as a device (like "WD My Passport 2621") but no volume underneath it, the partition map is toast.

Here's what you can do to recover it:

1. Open Disk Utility with Show All Devices enabled.
2. Select the physical drive (the topmost entry, not the grayed-out volume).
3. Click Erase. Name it something simple like "Backup."
4. Set Format to APFS (for macOS only) or ExFAT (if you also use Windows).
5. Set Scheme to GUID Partition Map. This is critical — if you leave it on Master Boot Record, the drive will behave weirdly on Macs.
6. Click Erase. This will wipe everything on the drive.

But what about my data? If you didn't back up, you have two options:

• Data recovery software: Try Disk Drill or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Scan the physical device (not the volume). These tools can often find old partition tables and recover files.
• Terminal rescue: If you're comfortable, use ddrescue to image the drive before touching it. I've written a full guide on that — email me if you need it.

Why APFS over HFS+? Because macOS Monterey and later are optimized for APFS. HFS+ will work, but you'll see slower write speeds and wonky Time Machine backups. Just use APFS.

3. The firmware update left the drive in a weird USB mode

This one's rare but real. WD's firmware updater sometimes switches the drive into UAS (USB Attached SCSI) mode, which macOS 14 Sonoma doesn't handle well with certain USB controllers. The result? The drive enumerates but never finishes initializing. You'll see it pop in and out of the system log every 5 seconds.

Check if this is you: Open Terminal and run:

system_profiler SPUSBDataType | grep -A 10 "My Passport"

If you see UAS: Yes and the drive keeps disconnecting, this is the problem.

The fix: Force the drive into regular USB mass storage mode by sending a SCSI command. Here's the exact command:

sudo smartctl -d sat,12 -s on /dev/disk2

(Replace disk2 with your actual disk number from diskutil list.)

If that doesn't work, you'll need a utility like USB Prober (part of Xcode) to send a reset. Or, easiest path: use a different USB cable. I've seen USB-C to USB-C cables trigger this bug, while USB-C to USB-A cables work fine. Try swapping.

If none of the above works, the firmware update may have bricked the USB bridge controller. In that case, the only fix is to open the enclosure and connect the SATA drive directly (if you're comfortable voiding the warranty) or contact WD for a replacement.

Quick-reference summary table

Honestly, I'd start with #1 every time. I've seen it more than the other two combined. Good luck — and if you're still stuck, drop a comment below with your macOS version and WD Drive Utilities version. I'll help you debug it.