WD Universal Firmware Updater

Firmware provides complex software with low-level instructions for controlling a piece of hardware, and it can even serve as the main OS for simple devices. Updating it can be more difficult than updating drivers or a normal application, which is why a specialized utility can prove very helpful.

WD Universal Firmware Updater is an application designed by Western Digital to help users keep their portable hard drives up-to-date. Since these devices are often not connected to a PC for extended periods, it is important to ensure that their firmware is not outdated.

The utility supports numerous devices from the My Book and My passport ranges of devices. To see if your drive is is among them, check the official download page, as it provides an up-to-date listing of supported devices.

Before starting the update, make sure your HDD is connected via USB. Of course, you should avoid disconnecting the devices while an update is underway. If the app has problems identifying your hard drive, you should try unplugging all USB devices except for the WD drive.

WD Universal Firmware Updater is a portable utility, which means it doesn’t need to be installed and will not leave any traces behind after it is done updating your device’s firmware.