WD 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready - WDBUZG0010BBK-WESN

Good price for large storage. Good performance so far. Quality brand

Worked perfectly right out of the box! I've been using this exact brand for over a decade and have another 1TB drive that still works flawlessly to this day. Couldn't be easier to use, would definitely recommend it to anyone in need of extra storage space or a way to transfer files.

First order of business: I ordered this drive (WD Elements 5tb) and received it in about 18 hours. I checked the shipping label, and it is their proprietary delivery service. USPS, take note.The box it came in was pretty regular, no fancy presentation. Which is fine. I don't like paying for felt lining.It has one port on the back, and comes with a USB cable. I plugged it into my laptop and checked it out.Drive capacity actually reads 4.54 Tb. Which isn't unusual for larger volumes. It came formatted as NTFS. Which is great, because FAT32 has a file size limit of 4gb.Next test: I plugged it into a 3.0 Anker USB Data Hub. The drive revved up, then started clicking. I recognized those clicks as motor failures from a power drop, so the USB hub is not going to do it. This beast of a portable drive needs a main-line. It can be used in USB 3.0 or 2.0 But I highly encourage 3 for faster speeds. Especially with a volume this size (You are buying it for a reason, right?)Next test: A phone mount. Similar to a Samsung Dex setup, the device I used is a Baseus USB C mount. It connects my Note10+ phone to HDMI, and...for this test...a USB 3.0 port. I wasn't sure if it would work, because the hub charges the phone, and would have to "lend" some power to the 3.0 port to power the drive. It worked. I plugged it in, and my exFAT/NTFS app fired right up. It recognized the drive, mounted it, and was ready to go. For the technical folks out there, this was by powering the phone dock with a samsung travel adapter that came with my phone. It has a variable output, but can pack a whopping 11v-2.25a (24 watts) at its highest. This 24 watts was enough to fast charge my phone, AND have the drive running.Final test: Directly into the note10+. I used a USB C - USB A adapter that came with my phone and connected them together. It worked. My phone was powering the darn thing.So there we have it. This little pocket sized drive (seriously, my wallet is larger) can be plugged into 3.0, 2.0 or directly into my phone. It came formatted NTFS, just the way I prefer.Description: I purchased a black one. As I said, it is wallet-sized. It has one port for the cable, and a small status light. The light appears to stay a solid color for both standby and active. A power failure results in a blinking status light. When the drive is spinning, you can feel a humming purr, barely audible. The casing is plastic, but solid and sleek looking. It has four non-slip dots on the bottom.Pros: Huge storage for the price, powered through USB only, NTFS formatted, small.Cons: None discovered yet.Recommended Uses: This would be a perfect drive for home network storage, office/school/home work. It would also be ideal for gaming consoles even as modern as the XBox One X. Or a handy volume for torrents. Or a handy volume for backing up a system or family photos.Possible Uses: It runs on 3.0. While Pro Gamers might chuckle at the idea, it could be used as a Steam Library. Initial load times might be slower than a built in solid state drive, sure. But so what? This is 5Tb. Portable. For under 120. It could also be used for beginner-level production. Again, it is slower than a dedicated solid state drive, of course. But for a new youtuber, or designer, or developer...this can store a lot of content.

"Plug and play" means exactly that. When I first plugged this drive in to my Windows PC, it didn't recognize the drive. This is an easy fix. Just go to "disc management" and format the drive there for NTFS. It should show up in the list there "unallocated". Just format it and bam, no problemo. Follow the auto filled prompts along. It's easy. So that is my only complaint, if you want to call it one about this drive. It is built solid and great quality as usual.

A solid USB hard drive. Easy to use as plug and play without drivers, can handle what I throw at it with ease, and keeps my data safe when I need to carry it with me when I travel. Haven't dropped it or anything that would test the durability of it, but as long as you make sure to take good care of it, it should last a long while. One thing that does irk me about it is that it still uses USB Micro B 3.0. If they switched it to a Type C connector already, then I can finally put away the USB Micro B 3.0 cables into the storage bin until I inevitably need it again for a niche reason. Other than that and overall, solid drive for holding your data at a decent price point.

I got this drive as an upgrade to my WD 8TB drive. The drive gives me a lot more storage. It’s nice because it uses the same power connector as my drive so no need to run the power cable again. It’s also a bit smaller in height and depth which was nice.It operates pretty quietly even during file transfers. It does take a little bit of time to wake from inactivity and it is a little noisy during this time.I have it sitting on my desk pretty well ventilated so no issues with heat.I have not timed file transfers as my primary reason was for storage but it appears fine.All in all very satisfied in this drive in providing additional off PC storage.

Purchased this 4TB WD Elements drive as recommended for our Tablo Quad OTA DVR. Nice quality looking unit that installed easily and worked flawlessly for recording and viewing 8-10 hours per day for 28 months. When it crashed it could not be recognized by the Tablo or either computer I attempted to use for troubleshooting. Yes, we lost our recordings but at less than 14 cents per day, I felt we got our money's worth. Just installed our new 5TB WD Elements drive from Amazon for a clean new start. These drives are truly "Plug and Play".

This drive delivers exactly what it promises ... massive 8TB capacity with fast USB 3.0 transfer speeds, making it perfect for backups, media libraries, or long-term storage. Setup was truly plug-and-play on my Windows PC, and it’s been running smoothly ever since. While it’s not as fast as an SSD, the value and reliability make it a smart choice for anyone prioritizing space over speed. Highly recommended for desktop use!