WD5TB My Passport Ultra, Blue, Portable External Hard Drive, backup software with defense against ransomware, and password protection, USB-C and USB 3.1 - WDBFTM0050BBL-WESN

This product is used to store large data files on both Fedora-33 and Rocky-8 linux systems. They are moved between the two systems allowing machine based access. The NTFS file system just needed to be configured in /etc/fstab, the blkid gave the device location, and then the mount command allowed access to the device so that it acted like any other. They are inexpensive enough that three devices are now attached to the same linux box giving multiple terrabytes of storage. The USB-C connection with adapter gives a quick change between the USB ports of the Rocky Linux USB-A 3.0 ports and the fedora-33 USB-C ports, allowing portable connection to each computer. Access speeds seem higher with the 5T USB-C than with the USB-A devices (e.g. the non Ultra version of the 5T drive).I keep the cable attached to the device at all times. Experience with others has taught me that the connection to the device is direct to the circuit board, so this procedure keeps the connects to a minimum. I do not tug or flex the attaching cables. Three are operated horizontally and one is operated vertically. There does not seem to be any difference in performance between vertical or horizontal operation.Longevity - I have both the 1T and 4T versions which I purchased almost 10 years ago which I use to store pictures (1T) and data files (4T). I started purchasing 5T drives in 2017 and 2018, and again in 2022. All but the 1T device are continually used daily and have had no issues.

Hooked right into my Macbook Pro no issues right from the start. Easy to use, easy to retrieve from. I do a YouTube Travel channel and it has a lot of storage so my macbook doesn't get full' If there is a complaint it would be in the drop down menu to eject the disk: the 'erase this disk' is the the option directly below the 'eject this disk'. Luckily there is a double check option for erase.

Using it for Time Machine backup on Mac. Excellent. Good quantity of storage. USB C connection is a very welcome feature Looks good. So far has worked perfectly.

Love this backup. No issues after multiple backups.

Ordered a 5TB drive, received a 5MB (4.9MB) drive in a box labelled 5 TB. Based on the number of positive reviews for this product, I wrongfully assumed this issue had been resolved. (Shame on Amazon for continuing to market this product.) Spent several minutes using Disk Utility to verify the drive I received only has 4.9MB of storage, NOT the 5TB I purchased for a whopping $179.00+ tax. Complete waste of my time during a work day.Am returning the drive and will be purchasing another SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD because the Seagate drives I own are unreliable and dismount without notice – usually when I am in the middle of a project, which guarantees all of my changes and new work are lost.For those who are interested, I use Mac compatible, reliable external drives with a decent lifespan and transfer speed. Plug and play is a plus, not a must. I will re-format exFAT drives like the SanDisk Pro G-Drive ArmorADT. Functional cable that comes with the drive is also a must. Western Digital is notorious for shipping drives with defective cables.I decided to give this drive a try based on positive reviews posted by Amazon purchasers and a review in MacWorld (they certainly missed the mark). This product was a complete waste of my time and money. Don't be duped! Save your money and skip this external drive.If you want a great reliable external drive with a good transfer speed (that doesn't significantly degrade as the drive fills) and good lifespan (mine are 5 yrs and counting), buy the SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD. The G-Drive is a bit spendy, but they are ruggedized drives, unlike Seagate, the WD My Passport Ultra and many other brands – and you won't go thru the stupid crap I just experienced with this WD My Passport Ultra drive that only had 4.9MB of storage space. SHEESH ...The SanDisk Pro G-Drive offers VARIETY with 5 drive sizes: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB and 6TB. They are RELIABLE and come with a good quality cable (unlike Western Digital). Note: the SanDisk is formatted to exFAT, so you will need to re-format using Disk Utility – but that's a breeze and only takes a few minutes.Save yourself time, hassle and aggravation ... avoid this drive and buy a SanDisk Pro G-Drive ArmorADT.

I set up the disk today, but there were difficulties. There was supposed to be a "Quick Start" guide, but the only guide in the package was a carefully folded guide in very small print and about a dozen languages to the warranty. I found two pieces of software on the disk, one was for MacOS and one was for MSWindows. The MacOS one put up a window that said "Connecting," but didn't do anything useful, the other was useless on my computer. Time Machine couldn't set up the disk for its use until I dismounted it and used DiskUtility to reformat it. Aside from these difficulties, the disk worked fine.