Quick Answer
Yes — but WD My Passport drives are especially fragile after drops.
These drives commonly suffer from head damage, firmware corruption, or encryption-related issues, which can prevent detection even if the drive still powers on.

Common Symptoms
Clicking sounds or no spin at all
Not recognized by the computer
Extremely slow or failed detection

What NOT to Do
Do not run data recovery software
Do not swap enclosures
Do not repeatedly power-cycle the drive
WD My Passport drives use integrated USB controllers and encryption chips — improper handling can permanently block data access.

Recovery Outlook
Possible with professional cleanroom service, especially if the drive is powered off immediately after the drop.

Professional Recovery Approach
Cleanroom read/write head replacement
WD-specific firmware repair
Decryption handling for WD encryption chips

Typical Success Rate
65–85%, depending on the severity of mechanical and firmware damage.

Next Step
Stop using the drive immediately and request a free professional evaluation.

Written by a data recovery engineer at 24 Hour Data.

We specialize in WD My Passport, external hard drive, RAID, SSD, and smartphone data recovery using controlled lab environments and advanced forensic tools.
Free evaluations available.