By Lily / Last update November 13, 2024

Can you still use WD Backup for My Passport drive?

WD My Passport backup is usually accomplished by the integrated application WD Backup, which is easy to use and capable of protecting your photos, videos, music, documents, etc. However, WD Backup software has been discontinued by Western Digital since August 22, 2022. If you want more stable and powerful backup solutions, you need WD Backup alternatives.

Top 2 WD My Passport backup software

There are plenty of Western Digital backup software available online. Here I’d like to introduce the top 2 choices to you.

1. AOMEI Backupper Standard

If you want a WD Passport backup software with higher compatibility and more professional backup options, AOMEI Backupper Standard is a considerable choice.

🌟 Optimized Data Protection: Allows scheduled automated backups and incremental mode for backing up only changed files.
🌟 Customizable Settings: Manage backup compression, image splitting, operation priority, comments, email notifications, etc.
🌟 Various Backup Locations: Backup data to different locations, such as external hard drives, cloud drives, NAS, CD/DVD, internal hard drives, etc.
🌟 Versatile Disk Brands: Not limited to WD products, you can also use it to backup (to) Samsung, Crucial, Seagate hard drives, etc.

Download AOMEI Backupper right now!

Best free backup software for WD, Samsung, Crucial, etc.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
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2. Acronis True Image for Western Digital

Acronis True Image for Western Digital provides complete backup for everything, from operating systems and applications to settings and individual files. Available in different editions for both Windows and macOS, the software comes with a free 5-year license when paired with a Western Digital storage device, such as a hard drive or NAS.

Use of this software requires download and installation to a system connected to at least one of the compatible Western Digital (WD, SanDisk, G-Technology) storage products.

You may download Acronis True Image for Western Digital (Windows edition) here.

How to run My Passport auto backup in Windows

In this part, you will learn how to run WD backup in Windows 10/11 with AOMEI Backupper and Acronis True Image for Western Digital separately.

Way 1: WD Passport backup via AOMEI Backupper

1. Connect your WD My Passport drive and make sure it can be detected by Windows. Then, launch the disk backup software, go to the Backup tab, and choose File Backup to back up specific files & folders.

File Backup

Note: You can also choose System Backup for OS, Partition Backup for specific partition/volume, or Disk Backup to backup the entire computer with WD My Passport as per your need.

2. To back up PC files to WD My Passport, choose Add Folder or Add File to specify the data you want to protect, and then select the connected WD drive as the target.

Add File or Folder

3. To perform My Passport auto backup, click Schedule Backup to choose Daily/Weekly/Monthly, and do further settings like specific time points or intervals. By default, it will run a scheduled Incremental Backup.

Schedule Backup

Helpful tips:
✍ Once you set up a scheduled backup, the accumulated backup files may fill up your storage space. To avoid such a situation, you can Enable Automatic Backup Cleanup in Backup Scheme. This feature is available in AOMEI Backupper Professional or higher.
✍ You can also perform differential backup. Compared with incremental backup, it uses more backup time and disk space but takes shorter recovery time as it requires only one full backup plus one differential backup. Upgrade to unlock this feature.

4. Afterward, click Start Backup and wait for it to complete.

Start Backup

This is how you can backup computer files to WD My Passport drive. If you need to backup WD Passport to PC or other external drives or cloud drives, just select the backup source and target accordingly.

Way 2: WD Passport backup using Acronis True Image

1. Remember to connect the WD My Passport drive. Then run Acronis True Image for Western Digital, click BACKUP Column and create a Backup Name.

Backup Name

2. Click Select source and then Files and folders. Choose the files/folders that need to be backed up.

Files or Folders

3. Click Select destination and then Your external drive. Choose the WD hard drive you connected before.

Select External Drive

4. Set a backup schedule with Options. Finally, click Back up now to backup your files to WD My Passport immediately.

Backup Options

FAQs about WD My Passport backup

1. Can I recover files from WD My Passport backup if my computer crashes?

Yes, if your computer crashes or you need to recover files from your backups, you can launch the software you used for backup to restore your files to a new or repaired computer. The software should provide a restore function that allows you to select the files and folders you want to recover.

2. How do I password-protect my WD My Passport? 

You can password-protect your WD My Passport by using the WD Security software that comes with the drive. You can set a password for the drive and then use it to unlock the drive when you want to access your data. If you want to password-protect the WD My Passport backup image, you can turn to the encrypt option of AOMEI Backupper.

3. Can I back up multiple computers to a single WD My Passport drive?

Yes, you can back up multiple computers to a single WD My Passport drive as long as it has enough capacity for the backup files. With WD backup software like AOMEI Backupper, you can also compress the backup to save space or perform incremental backup to save only changed files.

Conclusion

WD backup has reached its lifespan. To perform WD My Passport backup, you may choose the best free backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard or Acronis True Image for Western Digital.

If you're looking for a WD backup tool with integrated anti-malware features, Acronis True Image for Western Digital is a solid choice. However, it offers a free 5-year license, and some users report Acronis True Image not responding sometimes.

For a completely free Western Digital backup solution, consider AOMEI Backupper Standard. It lets you back up files, systems, disks, and partitions not only to WD hard drives but also to other brands like SanDisk, Seagate, Samsung, and more.

In addition to backup and restore, AOMEI Backupper could also be used as SSD migration software. Try it now to discover more!

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