Western Digital Warns External Hard Drive Customers Over Mavericks Data Loss - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Western Digital Warns External Hard Drive Customers Over Mavericks Data Loss

NewImageWestern Digital has emailed customers warning them about possible data loss when connecting external hard drives to Macs with OS X Mavericks installed.

The MacRumors Forums, Western Digital's forums, and Apple's Support Communities all have threads about lost data after connecting Western Digital external hard drives to computers after updating to Mavericks.

In an email to customers, Western Digital warned about using its WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager, and WD SmartWare software products with Mavericks and suggests customers uninstall those applications before upgrading to Mavericks, or, if they already have upgraded, to uninstall those applications immediately.

Dear WD Registered Customer,

As a valued WD customer we want to make you aware of new reports of Western Digital and other external HDD products experiencing data loss when updating to Apple's OS X Mavericks (10.9). WD is urgently investigating these reports and the possible connection to the WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager and WD SmartWare software applications. Until the issue is understood and the cause identified, WD strongly urges our customers to uninstall these software applications before updating to OS X Mavericks (10.9), or delay upgrading. If you have already upgraded to Mavericks, WD recommends that you remove these applications and restart your computer.

The WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager, and WD SmartWare software applications are not new and have been available from WD for many years, however solely as a precaution WD has removed these applications from our website as we investigate this issue.

Sincerely,
Western Digital

Most of the complaints seem to center around Western Digital drives, but the company does say other drives could have issues as well.

Thanks Jackie!

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:12 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. Labor Day is September 7 this year. The last time the holiday fell on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the last time Labor Day was on September 7 in a normal year was in ...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

Top Rated Comments

S.B.G Avatar
166 months ago
I guess I'm glad that I've never, ever, used HDD manufacturer software before. I've always let the OS (OS X and Windows) manage the drives.
Score: 105 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iB24 Avatar
166 months ago
i'm glad i don't ever use the garbage software that comes with these hard drives anyway.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
166 months ago
Wait, people actually install and use the crapware that comes with their hard drives?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
166 months ago
Looks like WD didn't even bother to test their software before Mavericks shipped.

The WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager, and WD SmartWare software applications are not new and have been available from WD for many years..."
:rolleyes:
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
166 months ago
So this is only happens if you use their software on Mavericks to access the hard drives?

So not a Mavericks flaw but WD's? Or maybe both, but because WD writes software for the Mac, they should've been accessing developer builds of Mavericks and would've found this out long ago.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
166 months ago
Best solution is to get with the times and stop using spinning hard drives.

because a solid state is so cheap to buy :rolleyes:
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors