Review on 💾 WD My Book Essential 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive - Reliable Storage Solution by Rick Rownd

The latest update to the My Book Essential range is an example of how a previously good product can be ruined. Previous versions were WD drives in a book that looked like an external USB drive enclosure, with additional software preinstalled on the drive that can be uninstalled if you don't need it. I ordered the 1.5TB version expecting a larger version of this simple and useful product. The current My Book Essential line now blocks all access to the partition table on the hard drive, you cannot change it. This appears to be so they can ensure that you do not delete the 700MB CD partition loaded with their malware. Also, the fancy "capacity meter" on the front panel can only be used when you install bloatware on Win XP or newer Windows systems, other operating systems cannot use it. A product that was previously a general-purpose external drive is now Windows Centric, and you won't be warned about it until you buy it.