WD 4TB My Book Essential USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive
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WD 4TB My Book Essential USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive, 5 Gbps USB 3.0 Serial Bus Transfer Rate

SKU: WDMBE34TB
(2)

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Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2013-06-17T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Well Worth Buying

Over the past several years I have been adding external hard drives to my computers to back up my computer's hard drive. Then I started getting the 3TB external drives to upload my photos. I shoot in RAW format and then edit. Recently I dropped my main photo storage HD and they could not recover any of the approximate 10,000 photos. They were not all priceless photos, but there were many that I wanted to have the RAW files to possibly re-edit in the future. So I have FINALLY learned my lesson and purchased the 4TB drive so that I can backup all of my RAW photo files. At a cost per unit of memory, the 3TB Western Digital My Book drives are a bit cheaper, but I needed the extra 1,000MB. I do not know how fast they are compared with other types of external drives, but I feel it is probably the best value for your money.

DOUGLAS S.

2013-03-13T21:00:00

Rated 1 out of 5

Extremely Disappointing Purchase

I have to unplug the external hard drive from the USB port when I turn my computer off and plug it in only after i have turned my computer on and is fully rebooted. If I don't do this and keep the My Book hard drive connected with my computer I experience a USB error and the computer does not recognize the external hard drive and then I cannot access the device. I have followed the instructions given on your website however the problem has not been resolved. I am very unhappy with my purchase!!

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WD 4TB My Book Essential USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive Specifications

  • Capacity

    4TB

  • Interface

    USB 3.0/2.0

  • Sustained Data Transfer Rate

    Serial Bus Transfer Rate (USB 3.0): 5 Gbps (Max)
    Serial Bus Transfer Rate (USB 2.0): 480 Mbps (Max)

  • System Requirements

    Formatted NTFS for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
    Requires re-formatting for Mac OS Lion or Mountain Lion

  • Mounting

    Desktop, external

  • Power Requirements

    AC input voltage: 100 - 240V
    AC input frequency: 47 - 63 Hz

  • Operating temperature

    5deg.C - 35deg.C / 41 - 95deg.F

  • Non-operating temperature

    -20deg.C - 65deg.C / -4 - 149deg.F

  • Dimensions (WxHxD)

    6.5x5.3x1.9" / 165x135x48 mm

  • Weight

    2.27 lbs / 1.03 kg

About WD 4TB My Book Essential USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive

The WD 4TB My Book Essential USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive features a large 4TB of total capacity, USB 3.0 connectivity and a host of security features for your data. It also features automatic and continuous backup and although it is formatted in NTFS for Windows PCs, it can be reformatted for Mac.

With the USB 3.0 protocol, the sustained serial bus transfer rate can be as high as 5.0 Gbps (depending on hardware and software configuration of your PC) - but the My Book Essential can also be used with USB 2.0 connections, for a sustained serial bus transfer rate of 480Mbps. If you're using USB 2.0 but thinking about upgrading to USB 3.0, then this drive is future-proof. There's also security measures installed to provide password protection and hardware encryption to your files.

The transfer rate of USB 3.0 is about ten times faster than USB 2.0. Of course, that maximum transfer rate is dependent on your hardware and software configuration and the architecture of the file. The 4TB of storage is also appealing. That averages to about 307 hours of video, 800,000 photos or 1,000,000 songs. If you're looking for room to grow, file storage, or data backup, the 4TB My Book Essential external hard drive makes room for your clutter.

WD 4TB My Book Essential USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive Features

  • Up to 3x Transfer Rates: When connected to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0, port this drive lets you access and save files up to ten times faster than USB 2.0. Performance may vary based on user's hardware and system configuration
  • WD SmartWare Software: 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: The automatic 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
  • WD Security: The WD Security utility allows you to set password protection and hardware encryption for your drive to help protect your files from unauthorized use or access

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What's in the box:

  • WD 4TB My Book Essential USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive
  • USB Cable
  • AC Adapter
  • WD SmartWare Software
  • Quick Install Guide
  • WD Warranty