It’s compact and easy to carry around, which makes it convenient for storing and moving files. The 5TB capacity is a big plus. It’s been reliable so far and works as expected when plugging into different devices. Transfer speeds are decent for a portable hard drive, and it’s simple to use right out of the box.
K. Chaves · 2026-04-26 · via amazon
★★★★★Hardware: 5 stars; Software: no so much
Let me start by saying that I do not buy other brands. Western Digital drives have never failed me, ever. I cannot say so much for their competition. When other drives fail, I always replace them with WD. I have been using WD hardware as long as I've owned computers (over 30 years now).
I have 6 Passports at this time. 2 2-Tb, 3 4-Tb and now this 5-Tb. My laptop has pretty limited onboard drive space, so I use one of my 4-Tb drives full-time. If my computer is on, this drive is running. I use the other Passports less often, such as for backup tasks or storing media. I have only had this drive (the 5-Tb) for a few days but it will be my new "always" drive once I get all my files transferred onto it. I was surprised that its case is slightly smaller than my 4-Tb drives. I have not benchmarked it, but it seems as fast as the 4-Tb drives. When I see people complaining about a drive's speed, I wonder if they're aware how big a terabyte is. If you had the information printed on paper, you would not move a terabyte around as quickly as one of these drives!
One drawback I'm noticing is in the software. When I first attempted to install, it hung at 18% and in 1/2 hour never proceeded. I shut it down and retried. That time it successfully installed, but almost immediately told me there's an update and asked if I wanted to install that. I've tried the update several times now, but it keeps reporting that the update failed. Additionally, I tried installing WD Security but it continues to fail. I'm running Windows 10 and keep it updated, so I'm not sure where the problem could be other than in the WD software. I do my own backups, so I can't report on the WD backup software.
I'll report back if there are any changes. But for now, the product gets 5 stars from me!
Green Eric · 2021-04-09 · via amazon
★★★★★More Storage
It’s actually 5TB! Good quality and much more compact compare to my old hard drives, also much cheaper than other brands
Lush · 2026-03-23 · via amazon
★★★★★Reliable and Secure Storage!
I bought the WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive because I don’t completely trust cloud storage, and this has been the perfect solution. It’s compact, fast, and easy to use, with plenty of space for all my files, photos, and backups. The transfer speed is great, and I love knowing my data is safe and accessible anytime without depending on the internet. A solid, dependable drive for anyone who prefers physical storage peace of mind!
Dwidson Metayer · 2025-11-03 · via amazon
★★★★★Great Hardware but limited Software
I have purchased many drives from internal hard drives as a replacement hard drive or a slave drive for repairing and upgrading and building computers as well as external hard drives and Western Digital has always been super user friendly and i have never had a complaint from a client.
This product is no exception to the ease of use Ive come to expect and the quality of the product and its functionality. You can literally plug it in and start copying files without installing anything and it is very compact yet has a very large 5tb storage capacity
I had 2 disappointments with the software.
Firstly I feel an external drive is the best way to protect privacy as opposed to online storage and clouds that can be hacked. However their auto back up utility stores online and is only permitted to be used for a maximum of 5 years. I think software should last as long as the product actually lasts but i wasn't planning on using the auto back up anyway because it would defeat the purpose of trying to protect my privacy. To me storing online exposes private files to who knows how many employees that may or may not be trust worthy and companies that may or may not secretly sell a persons information.
Secondly the password protection can only be used on devices that the user / owner of the external hard drive has administrative privileges on so this would not be the best device to take to the library or an acquaintance to print a copy of a drivers license or social security card from being that there would be no admin privileges on those computers so every file on your external hard drive would be exposed. In those cases a small flash drive with only that one file on it would be best if that was the only place you could go to print it.
For this product it would be best to only use on your own devices like desktop, laptop, etc. where you have admin privileges that nobody else has the authority to revoke.
I am glad I have this so i don't lose or jeopardize important personal records and business documents, my art creations and my music library for my radio station and i don't need internet access to view, print, copy the contents, I can unplug this device and clean the hard drive before going online and Im fine with doing my own periodic back ups.
