The My Passport drive non Mac version does not come with a Mac version of the software however this can be downloaded direct from the Western Digital site. I personally prefer to use the facilities provided by Mac OS for encrypting my hard drive data and adding a password.
OP wrote: 'I will certainly do so once I get the data off- I have 10 issues of my magazine on it and I'm under deadline' Your first priority is to PROTECT THE DATA. I suggest you take the drive to ANOTHER MAC (not the one giving you problems).
Can you get the drive mounted? Can you see the data? Then, the next step is to attach ANOTHER DRIVE and 'copy over' the data. Once the data 'is safe', now it's time to 'go to work' on the drive.
I suggest you follow the advice in reply #5 above: - GET RID of the proprietary WD software - ERASE the drive using Disk Utility (Mac OS extended with journaling enabled) - TEST the drive using DU's 'repair disk' button. What report do you get? - IF you get 'a good report' from DU after doing the above, REPEAT THE TEST FIVE TIMES in succession. Do you get a good report each and every time? - IF SO, I'd continue using the drive.
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ - WD®, a Western Digital company, today introduced the My Passport® Air 1 TB, the only 1 TB portable hard drive for Mac users available in a stylishly thin all-aluminum enclosure.
With 1 TB of storage capacity, customers will be able to take all their digital photos, music, video, on the go, and still have enough room to save all the new content they capture along the way. The ultra-slim design of My Passport Air complements the popular MacBook and MacBook Air form factors with an all-aluminium exterior to give enhanced protection to the drive and its contents. Seamless, out-of-the-box operation with Mac computers, including Time Machine®, provides additional reassurance that valuable digital content is protected. The My Passport Air portable hard drive allows users to password protect access to their drive and hardware encrypts its contents, providing powerful protection of personal material. In addition, its USB 3.0 interface dramatically increases read/write speeds to help users manage, share, and enjoy digital content at a pace that is commensurate with the schedules of today's mobile consumer.
'WD's new My Passport Air 1 TB is the ultimate portable storage companion for Mac users,' explains Scott Steffens, general manager for WD's consumer storage solutions. 'Its ultra-slim, high capacity design and advanced content security features make it a must have accessory for even the most discerning Mac aficionado.'
Pricing and Availability The My Passport Air 1 TB portable hard drive has a 3-year limited warranty and is available on the WD store at and at select retailers and distributors. MSRP (USD) of the My Passport Air is $149.99. For more information regarding the My Passport Air portable hard drive, please visit the WD website at. About WD WD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD's leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices.
WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit the company's website at. Western Digital Corp. Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content.
Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company's website to access a variety of financial and investor information. Western Digital, WD, the WD logo, and My Passport are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
And other countries; My Passport Air is a trademark of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. And other countries. Apple, Mac, MacBook, MacBook Air and Time Machine are registered trademarks of Apple. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies.
As used for storage capacity one gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes, and one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. See support.wdc.com for limited warranty terms and conditions. SOURCE WD Copyright (C) 2013 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.