Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive
The 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive from Western Digital brings the speed of USB 3.0 to your fingertips. With bus transfer speeds up to 5Gbps*, it only takes a sliver of time to access and save media files or back up your computer. This sleek, high capacity drive includes password protection for added privacy and security.
Preformatted with the NTFS file system for use with Windows systems, Mac users can reformat the drive via Disk Utility. As Mac OS X doesn't offer native support for USB 3.0, it will work as a USB 2.0 device when used with a Mac. The drive comes with the WD SmartWare software suite for data backup management.
Note! * 5Gbps is the maximum theoretical data transfer speed of USB 3.0. The actual data transfer speed can vary and is typically lower.
- Dual USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Interface
- A single drive with universal compatibility today and next-generation speed for tomorrow. Use it with USB 2.0 now and step up to USB 3.0 speed when you're ready.
- Up to 3x Faster Transfer Rates
- When connected to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port this drive lets you access and save files up to 3 times faster than USB 2.0. Transfer a 2-hour HD movie in as little as 3 minutes instead of 13 minutes!
- WD Quality Inside and Out
- For over 20 years, millions of people worldwide have trusted their data to WD hard drives. WD is successful because they understand the importance of your data: their first concern is keeping that data safe.
- WD SmartWare Software
- You're in control of your backup. Install all the features, select just the components you need, or if you prefer, choose not to use the software at all.
- Automatic, Continuous Backup
- Works quietly in the background to protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file it's instantly backed up.
- Password Protection for Privacy
- Gain peace of mind knowing that your data is protected from unauthorized access with password protection and encryption.
- Planet Friendly
- WD designed a small box that uses recycled material and minimizes waste. You are encouraged to recycle it.
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 3TB |
| Interface | 1x USB 3.0 (B) |
| Drive Speed |
Not Specified by Manufacturer
1
Please Note:Varies depending on internal drive installed in the enclosure close |
| Buffer | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Average Seek Time | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Sustained Data Transfer Rate | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| System Requirements |
Operating System: Windows XP, Vista, 7; Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6 (Must be reformatted for use with OS X; Works as a USB 2.0 disk when used with OS X) Hardware: USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Mounting | Desktop |
| Power Requirements | AC: 100-240VAC, 47-63Hz |
| Environmental Requirements |
Operating Temperature: 41-95°F (5-35°C) Storage Temperature: -4-149°F (-4-65°C) |
| Dimensions | 1.9 x 6.5 x 5.3" (4.8 x 16.5 x 13.5cm) |
| Weight | 2.6 lb (1.2kg) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 45 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
91%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to install (20)
- Fast (20)
- Quiet (19)
- Highly compatible (17)
- Reliable (17)
Cons
Best Uses
- High-end multimedia (11)
- Multimedia (8)
- Educational purposes (4)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Heavy duty user (13), Frequent user (10)
- Primary use:
- Personal (29), Business (14)
- Computer Platform:
- PC (16), Mac (5)
Most Liked Positive Review
GREAT!
I was extremely grateful that this external hard drive with its most affordable on the net pricing. I ordered it prior to leaving town for my Christmas/New Years sojourn, and it was waiting ...Read complete review
I was extremely grateful that this external hard drive with its most affordable on the net pricing. I ordered it prior to leaving town for my Christmas/New Years sojourn, and it was waiting for me when I returned ready to work. I am storing over 600 digitized analogue cassette and VHS tape computer WAV and MPEG files on this device which has the capacity to hold them all. I didn't skip a beat as this product true to its manufacturer's reputation, works perfect and helps me complete my work in its best. [...] Thank you.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Good price but unreliable drive
Bought it for backup of two other hard drives.
Pros: fast search and save, auto-off feature, good for backup
Cons: died in two months (stopped working and lo...Read complete review
Bought it for backup of two other hard drives.
Pros: fast search and save, auto-off feature, good for backup
Cons: died in two months (stopped working and lost all my info-good I had a backup)
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 45 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Adequate cooling
- USB 3
Cons
- No eSATA interface
- Requires AC power brick
- Somewhat erratic behavior
Best Uses
- Large data backup
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
This requires external power, which is disappointing. I'd prefer for it to get its power solely from its USB 3 connection.
Also, it has trouble with erratic behavior. I prefer my setup where I just drop a SATA drive into an eSATA dock.
But the speed of the USB 3 interface of the My Book is far superior (roughly the same as SATA) to USB2.
So this is good enough but not great.
I have not yet used the included software.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy to Customize
- Easy to Navigate
- Plenty space for back up
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Back up Storage
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
Fast transfer, automatic download, simple set up.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
- Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
The WD 3TB works great. I am a Photographer and often need more hard drive space. This drive allows me to backup all my images. I bough it only as a backup drive and plan on getting another soom. The USB 3.0 I am not to sure about. I do not see the tremendous speeds it claims to have.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy to Customize
Cons
Best Uses
- Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
I requires reformatting for Mac... Somehow I could not reformat it to MS-DOS(FAT), so I reformatted it to Mac OS extended, which is not compatible with PC.
Don't know if there is format that could be Mac and PC compatible.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy to Customize
Cons
Best Uses
- Educational Purposes
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
It back-ups my time machine
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Worked great for 2 days
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
I lost all of my backup data after about 3 days. I couldn't recover the data nor could I reformat the drive. The things that tech support was telling me to check made it sound like this drive is just too sensative to everything. That includes AC power source has to be connected directly to a wall outlet. Might not work on one USB connector on your computer but may work on another.The USB cable may need replacing, etc, etc.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy to Customize
- Easy to Navigate
- Easy to use
- Lots of space
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Photography
- System Back up
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
I purchased this drive to back up files from my computer and to store additional data. The drive works great and have had no problems.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy to Navigate
- Easy to use great tool
Cons
- Nothing Yet
Best Uses
- Multimedia
- Video backup
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
All I had to do was hook it up to my laptop and tell my file where I wanted to sent it and it worked fine no problems. No software to install it couldn't be any easier to use. I would buy another one when I have the need for it.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Versatile
Cons
- Could use better instruct
Best Uses
- Educational Purposes
- Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
Use for backups
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy to use
- Great price
- Quiet
Cons
- Haven't found any yet
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
I'm using two of these drives for raw data storage on a Mac. I simply reformatted for Mac, did not install the WD Smartware, plugged the drives in and was ready to go. I do not yet have usb 3, but for this purpose the usb 2 is just fine. Both drives are virtually silent, and I appreciate the single, very small, led indicator on the front.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Educational Purposes
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
Excellent product, very fast, I recommend.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
Once formatted to work with my Mac, this hard drive works like a charm! Quick read/write times and very reliable file storage.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy to Navigate
- Large Capacity
- Versatile
Cons
- Freezes or Crashes
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
After just a couple of days of use, I needed to turn the unit off and on to get my pc to recognize it. So far, it has only happened once in the two weeks I have used it, but it makes my nervous about its long term viability.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
- Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
Used for external storage on my computer - mostly for iTunes and other media. Does just what I ask of it, can't expect more than that.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy to Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
- Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
With 3TB of memory, I should have enough for some time. My main reason for purchasing the Ext.HD.,was for regular back-ups.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy to Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
I really like the automatic backup software that came with the drive and really wish I had USB 3.0
on my PC
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy to Customize
- Easy to Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Educational Purposes
- Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
Pros: This is a great item for the price. Has a lot of space and WD is a reliable brand. I'm replacing with my 250GB.
Con: Use need usb3.0 to work fast otherwise it's same as the others.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Fast and Large
Cons
- BAD software
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
Using three of the drives to backup my home system. They're quick and expansive but I made the mistake of using WD's enclosed software on the second drive. It took over. Took four days and a lot of local help to get it back.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy to Customize
- Easy to Navigate
Cons
Best Uses
- Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
I just got this product and it seems to work well on my computer. however, i have a 2.0 USB...so i have yet to experience the speed of the 3.0 usb it offers. I'm just glad that i have the opportunity to upgrade my computer and the drive will still be able to function. Until the prices of SSD go down, i'm sticking to this.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Easy To Collaborate Across Programs
- Easy to Customize
- Easy to Navigate
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 3TB My Book Essential External Desktop Hard Drive:
I have 3 Western Digital external's running as I write this. I have yet to have one crash on me.
Fast, quiet, efficient, easy to set up and use and definitely affordable!
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
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What's in the Box
- USB Cable
- AC Adapter
- WD SmartWare Software
- Quick Install Guide
- 2-Year Limited Warranty
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