


Whenever possible WD recommends using the USB cable that came with the external portable drive. This includes "reel" cables and extension cables even if the total length is less than 18 inches. Some third-party data cables may be able to transfer enough power to the drive. The drive may not get enough power to run if a USB cable longer than 18 inches is used. Make sure that the USB cable is no longer than 18 inches in length (22 inches for My Passport drives manufactured prior to 2007). Please refer to the section titled WD Discovery.Ĭonnect the USB cable directly into your computer (do not use a USB hub, please refer to Answer ID 30483: USB Hubs Not Recommended). WD Discovery comes preloaded on supported drives. No software is needed for external drives to function as storage devices. Upon connecting to the computer, the external hard drive should be recognized and ready for use.

External Drives may also be referred to as USB Drives or Direct Attached Storage (DAS) devices.
