# TLDR Review: WD My Passport 4TB External Hard Drive *Published: 2026-01-12 | Updated: 2026-01-12 | Source: https://shopsavvy.com/reviews-tldr/wd-my-passport-4tb-external-hard-drive* --- ## Verdict If you want a large-capacity, portable external hard drive with solid performance, strong hardware encryption, and a trusted brand, the WD 4TB My Passport is a compelling choice. Its compact design and fast small-file transfers make it ideal for media-heavy users and ongoing projects. However, beware that the included backup software needs careful handling—it’s often unreliable and may lead to costly software purchases for restoring data. For a more dependable backup experience, consider using your own third-party backup tools alongside this drive. If software ease-of-use is a top priority, you might want to explore other backup solutions or drives with better-supported native software. **Top pro:** Reliable plug-and-play functionality that is immediately recognized by your computer without complicated setup. **Top con:** Backup software included has shifted from WD’s native solution to a trial version of Acronis that many users find unreliable and confusing. ## Product: WD My Passport 4TB External Hard Drive **Brand:** WD [Compare prices and price history on ShopSavvy](https://shopsavvy.com/products/wd-my-passport-4tb-external-hard-drive) ## Pros - Reliable plug-and-play functionality that is immediately recognized by your computer without complicated setup. - Large 4TB capacity provides ample room for media libraries, important documents, and ongoing projects like music albums. - Compact, lightweight design with a pleasing matte finish and rounded corners makes it highly portable and fingerprint-resistant. - Improved write speeds, especially for small files, with up to 8x performance boost in random write operations compared to previous models. - Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux out of the box (though reformatting is recommended for non-Windows systems). - Includes password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption for enhanced data security. - Comes with WD’s suite of software including WD Security, WD Backup, and WD Drive Utilities to manage backups and drive health. - Trusted WD brand with a solid history of dependable external drives and a 3-year limited warranty for peace of mind. - USB 3.1 / USB 3.0 compatibility ensures fast transfer rates up to 5 Gbps, much faster than traditional USB 2.0 drives. ## Cons - Backup software included has shifted from WD’s native solution to a trial version of Acronis that many users find unreliable and confusing. - Acronis software may falsely report successful backups but fail to locate backup images when needed, risking data loss if relied on exclusively. - Restoring data via the included backup software may require purchasing a full license after the free trial, creating unexpected extra costs. - Proprietary backup file formats limit the ability to restore files using alternative, third-party backup programs without workarounds. - The included USB 3.0 cable is quite short, which can be inconvenient and may require purchasing a longer cable separately. - Real-world speed improvements are mostly noticeable with smaller file operations; sequential read/write speeds show only modest gains over older models. ## Pros vs Cons at a Glance | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Reliable plug-and-play functionality that is immediately recognized by your computer without complicated setup. | Backup software included has shifted from WD’s native solution to a trial version of Acronis that many users find unreliable and confusing. | | Large 4TB capacity provides ample room for media libraries, important documents, and ongoing projects like music albums. | Acronis software may falsely report successful backups but fail to locate backup images when needed, risking data loss if relied on exclusively. | | Compact, lightweight design with a pleasing matte finish and rounded corners makes it highly portable and fingerprint-resistant. | Restoring data via the included backup software may require purchasing a full license after the free trial, creating unexpected extra costs. | | Improved write speeds, especially for small files, with up to 8x performance boost in random write operations compared to previous models. | Proprietary backup file formats limit the ability to restore files using alternative, third-party backup programs without workarounds. | | Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux out of the box (though reformatting is recommended for non-Windows systems). | The included USB 3.0 cable is quite short, which can be inconvenient and may require purchasing a longer cable separately. | | Includes password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption for enhanced data security. | Real-world speed improvements are mostly noticeable with smaller file operations; sequential read/write speeds show only modest gains over older models. | | Comes with WD’s suite of software including WD Security, WD Backup, and WD Drive Utilities to manage backups and drive health. | | | Trusted WD brand with a solid history of dependable external drives and a 3-year limited warranty for peace of mind. | | | USB 3.1 / USB 3.0 compatibility ensures fast transfer rates up to 5 Gbps, much faster than traditional USB 2.0 drives. | | ## Last Seen Prices *Each price is the last one ShopSavvy observed, between 2024-09-26 and 2026-06-11; it may have changed since.* | Retailer | Price | Availability | Last seen | |----------|-------|-------------|-----------| | [Office Depot](https://shopsavvy.com/api/redirect/products/hSHZqVYCPy9OAuKPmKA9/offers/nss2VJxRziPbuQNKJ4o4?source=shopsavvy&medium=article-review-tldr) | $109.99 | In Stock | 2024-09-26 (may have changed) | | [Walmart](https://shopsavvy.com/api/redirect/products/hSHZqVYCPy9OAuKPmKA9/offers/TfAcaM5zLOT0meIPoQKl?source=shopsavvy&medium=article-review-tldr) | $113.99 | In Stock | 2024-09-26 (may have changed) | | [Lenovo](https://shopsavvy.com/api/redirect/products/hSHZqVYCPy9OAuKPmKA9/offers/362456a3-71ce-3df3-edf6-059be1a5a712?source=shopsavvy&medium=article-review-tldr) | $129.99 | In Stock | 2024-09-26 (may have changed) | | [Amazon](https://shopsavvy.com/api/redirect/products/hSHZqVYCPy9OAuKPmKA9/offers/fjWytHelPf01Qb42QJrN?source=shopsavvy&medium=article-review-tldr) | $196.15 | In Stock | 2026-06-11 (may have changed) | [See every retailer and the full price history on ShopSavvy](https://shopsavvy.com/products/wd-my-passport-4tb-external-hard-drive) --- *About this review: it summarizes the professional reviews and customer ratings ShopSavvy collected for this product, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data (each price shows when it was last seen).* *Machine-readable access: append `.md` to any ShopSavvy URL, or send `Accept: text/markdown`, to get this page as Markdown. 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