IMPORTANT: WD PiDrive End of Support Notice!
WD PiDrive has reached its end of support life cycle.
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This article provides a list of frequently asked questions for the WD PiDrive 1TB.*END
The list below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the use of the WD PiDrive 1TB.
1. What’s in the WD PiDrive Kit?
The complete recipe for the WD PiDrive Kit can be found in detail on the wdlabs.wd.com/products page.
Kit Contents:
- 1x 1TB 2.5" USB Native Hard Disk Drive
- 1x Class4 4GB microSD card (preloaded with BerryBoot) + SD adapter
- 1x WD PiDrive Cable
- 1x USB Micro B to Type A Power Cord
- 1x 5V Power Adapter
2. Can I use a normal power cable and USB cable for the HDD?
The special WD PiDrive Power Cable is used to supply appropriate power to the WD PiDrive HDD and the Raspberry Pi board. The included power adapter has also been handpicked to best power these elements. It is highly recommended for best performance that the WD PiDrive be used with the included Power Cable and Power Adapter. Just make sure to plug in all the cables correctly and in the right order. Please see the Quick Install Guide for details.
3. What’s special about the WD PiDrive?
The WD PiDrive Power Cable is the real star of the kit. By eliminating the need for a powered USB hub, the cable footprint is reduced. The WD PiDrive cable is a versatile and agile solution to the previous mess of wires required to power a Raspberry Pi with other USB devices.
4. Can the WD PiDrive be used with a different microSD card and OS?
Every drive ships with a microSD™ card preloaded with BerryBoot and adapter. BerryBoot is a simple operating system installer (open-source software) and boot selection screen for ARM devices, like Raspberry Pi, to create a cleaner plug and play experience. It allows you to install multiple applications directly to the drive. You can use our WDLabs version of BerryBoot to build additional Raspberry Pi applications specific for HDD storage usage.
5. Can I use the WD PiDrive with my own microSD™ card and OS?
Absolutely! The WD PiDrive is a USB hard drive and can be used for external storage on the OS of your choice, but it must first be partitioned, formatted, and mounted. Detailed instructions can be found on wdlabs.wd.com/community.
6. How to restore the latest factory image of the WD PiDrive OS onto the HDD
Technically, the Raspberry Pi currently can only boot from microSD™. However, you can put the bootloader on the microSD™ card and the rest of the OS on the WD PiDrive. Detailed instructions on how to do this are available on the WD Labs Community.
7. Why would someone want to put an OS on the WD PiDrive instead of booting from the microSD™ card?
The simple answer is greater capacity. Clearly, the WD PiDrive provides much greater capacity than a microSD™ card. Furthermore, unlike a hard drive, a microSD™ card can suffer wear and tear and potential failure when using applications that are heavy in reading and writing.
8. WD PiDrive isn't booting up or it keeps resetting. What should be done?
Make sure to connect the WD PiDrive, WD PiDrive Power Cable, and Raspberry Pi together before connecting everything to power. If the hard drive or other peripherals are plugged in after powering up the Raspberry Pi, or if the Raspberry Pi is connected after powering the WD PiDrive up, it will not work. Follow the order of operations in the Quick Install Guide.
9. I have a question that isn’t covered here. Where can I find more information?
- A copy of the Quick Install Guide provided in the box, as well as other resources, is available online.
- For questions explicitly regarding the WD PiDrive, please check out the WDLabs Community.
- Western Digital Technical Support does not provide support for Raspberry Pi or its operating systems. For additional support on Raspberry Pi related products, please visit the Raspberry Pi website.
10. I have some cool ideas on where you could take this.
We’d love to get your help and ideas. Head on over to our WDLabs Community page and join the discussion.
