How to Recover Files Deleted from WD My Passport - WD My Passport Recovery

WD My Passport drives are popular for their reliability, compact design, and large storage capacity. Many people use them to store photos, project files, videos, and backups.

But even the most reliable drives aren’t immune to problems. Accidental deletion, formatting, or corruption can lead to sudden data loss when you least expect it.

The good news is that deleted files can be recovered, especially if you act quickly and avoid using the drive right after the loss.

This guide walks you through some free methods to check for recoverable files and shows you how to use Remo Recover when those basic steps don’t work.

Table of Contents

• Method 1: Check the Recycle Bin (and the WD drive’s $RECYCLE.BIN folder)
• Method 2: Check Your Backups (Cloud or Manual)
• Method 3: Retrieve Files from WD My Passport Using Windows File Recovery Tool
• Method 4: Recover Deleted Files with Remo Recover (Recommended)
• Tips To Avoid Data Loss On WD My Passport Hard Drive
• Conclusion

Free Ways to Recover Deleted Files

Method 1: Check the Recycle Bin (and the WD drive’s $RECYCLE.BIN folder)

If you deleted files while the WD My Passport was connected, Windows might have sent them to the Recycle Bin.

Here’s what to do:

1. Open the Recycle Bin on your desktop and look for the deleted file.
2. If it’s there, right-click and choose Restore.
3. If not, open your WD drive in File Explorer, go to View > Hidden Items, and open the folder named $RECYCLE.BIN.
4. Check inside for your deleted files and restore them if available.

Why this can help:
External drives formatted with NTFS often have a $RECYCLE.BIN folder where deleted files are stored temporarily. If both your system Recycle Bin and this folder are empty, the deletion is permanent and recovery software will be needed.

Method 2: Check Your Backups (Cloud or Manual)

Before using recovery tools, take a minute to verify that your files aren’t already backed up somewhere.

Check:

• Cloud drives like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or iCloud
• Other external drives, USBs, or network storage
• WD Backup or WD Discovery (if you set them up earlier)

Many users are surprised to find an older copy of their missing files here.

Method 3: Retrieve Files from WD My Passport Using Windows File Recovery Tool

Windows File Recovery is a free command-line utility introduced by Microsoft. The tool restores deleted files from all storage devices such as SSDs, HDDs, pen drives, SD cards, and more-

Follow these steps to begin recovery on your WD My Passport hard drive.

• Open the Microsoft Store, search and install the Window File Recovery tool.



• Now, Launch the Windows File Recovery, and use the syntax below to start retrieving deleted files from your WD My Passport.

• Use the basic command line: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/switches].
  For example, winfr E: C: /regular /n *.png (This tells the tool: "Recover all PNG photos from my E: drive to my C: drive")
• Next, follow the on-screen instructions to recover data from the Western Digital My Passport hard drive.

Note: Refer to this article to recover data from Western Digital My Book Live

Method 4: Recover Deleted Files with Remo Recover (Best Method)

If your files are permanently deleted, lost after formatting, or the drive has become corrupted, Remo Recover is your best option for getting them back safely.

Why Choose Remo Recover:

• Scans WD My Passport drives sector by sector to locate lost data
• Recovers deleted, formatted, or inaccessible files
• Works with over 500 file types which includes photos, videos, documents, and more
• Supports RAW or unrecognized external drives
• Lets you preview files before saving them

Whether your drive shows "You need to format the disk," appears as RAW, or shows 0 bytes, Remo Recover can help.

How to Use It:

1. Download and install Remo Recover on your Windows or Mac computer.
2. Connect your WD My Passport drive.
3. Launch the software and select the drive.
4. Click Scan to begin searching for lost files.
5. While the scan runs, use Dynamic Recovery View to preview files in real-time.
6. Select what you want to recover and save it somewhere other than the same external drive.

Common Reasons For Data Loss From WD My Passport Drive

• Accidentally deleted files from My Passport drive
• Formatted or reformatted WD My Passport Drive
• Improperly inserting and ejecting the external disk
• The file system corruption leads to external hard drive not responding issue
• Changing the file system of your drive (ExFAT, NTFS, FAT/FAT32)
• Abruptly removing the disk from your computer while transferring photos
• Severe virus or malware infection leads to WD My Passport drive corruption
• Power surge issues while working on My Passport drive

Tips To Avoid Data Loss On WD My Passport Hard Drive

1. Scan WD external hard disk with an updated antivirus tool
2. Create more partitions that can help you manage data on your My Passport drive effectively.
3. Make use of the copy and paste command. And avoid unnecessarily using the cut and paste command while transferring data from your WD drive.
4. Do not abruptly disconnect WD hard drive when it is in use.
5. Do not connect your Passport drive to any system attacked by a virus or malware threat.