Can a WD My Book be used as an internal HDD?

[MickeyBG]

Hey guys,

Lately some of the WD external drives are on really good prices, for an example this 4TB My Book is a really good deal: https://www.wdc.com/en-gb/products/wd-recertified/my-book.html#RWDBFJK0040HBK-EESN

My question is - can I get the drive that is inside and use it as an internal HDD for my PC? I know that those HDDs could easily be taken out, but I don't know much more about it... I would like to install my OS on it also.

My main (and only) HDD is dying and I got a lot of info I don't want to lose. But I am also looking for a relatively budget decision. So if the idea above isn't an option, I am open for other suggestions!

Thanks!

 

[mcnumpty23]

have taken drives out enclosures/sky boxes etc before and used them as internal drives no problem

though doesnt mean every single one you can do so as so many different ones can only comment on ones i have tried

if its using a sata connection in the enclosure then cant see why not

 

[MickeyBG]

Thanks!

Well, I hope someone who bought the same HDD can tell me if this is the case with this one.

 

[Solandri]

It's hit and miss with the WD drives. Some of them are regular SATA drives in an enclosure with a USB interface. Some of them have a special board on the drive which only has a USB interface, not SATA. The latter will not work as an internal drive as there's no way to plug it into a SATA port. You will have to search for the exact model external drive you're thinking of buying, and search Google to see if anyone else has opened it up.

The Seagate and Toshiba/Hitachi external drives are generally safe, as they all have a SATA interface. There's usually a translation layer on the larger drives to bypass complications due to MBR/GPT and 512/4k sectors. So you will not be able to access info stored on them via the enclosure if you mount the drive internally. Some of the My Book drives also have an encryption layer which cause the same problem. But none of this is a problem if you plan to reformat the drive after installing it internally.

 

[MickeyBG]

Okay,

So the model of the one I am aiming for is RWDBFJK0040HBK-EESN. But there isn't any info around the net if someone has used it as an internal drive before. Maybe someone in the forum who took advantage of the deal I have shared can say if it is possible to take it out as an internal HDD?

 

[The Paladin]

do you own the WD 4TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBFJK0040HBK-NESN Already ?
if not, then get yourself a Seagate BarraCuda ST4000DM005 4TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive Bare Drive for less.

I could not find any WDBFJK0040HBK-NESN breakdowns that confirm you can use this drive as an internal drive easily or not.
so your guess of using it could be a gamble, and most these WD cases are not "take apart friendly, likely to break the plastic to discover you cannot use it internally. just easier to get a internal drive.

 

[MickeyBG]

do you own the WD 4TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBFJK0040HBK-NESN Already ?
if not, then get yourself a Seagate BarraCuda ST4000DM005 4TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive Bare Drive for less.

I could not find any WDBFJK0040HBK-NESN breakdowns that confirm you can use this drive as an internal drive easily or not.
so your guess of using it could be a gamble, and most these WD cases are not "take apart friendly, likely to break the plastic to discover you cannot use it internally. just easier to get a internal drive.

No, I don't have one. But I am considering getting one - seems like a good deal, again - if it's possible to be used as an internal HDD...

 

[ArtPog]

Since you do not already "own" this WD external USB drive and are primarily seeking information only on whether you may be able to use the installed HDD in that device internally in a PC should the need arise sometime in the future...allow me to provide another option that I believe you should at least consider, OK?

In my opinion, you, as well as most PC users, would be much better served by purchasing a USB external enclosure + a HDD/SSD for their backup/storage strategies rather than a commercial "one-piece" unit such as the WD unit you're considering.

The advantages of doing so are significant. First of all, virtually any USBEHD enclosure you purchase will accommodate both 2 1/2" & 3 1/2" drives. That's a real advantage. Then you can purchase the HDD (or SSD) YOU want, not the HDD that's usually installed in the commercial product. Rest assured the drive YOU purchase will invariably prove superior to the commercial product. And you can select whatever disk capacity YOU want.

Another significant advantage is that your HDD (or SSD) that you install in a USB external enclosure can always be easily removed and installed in a PC should that need arise. Keep in mind that many of the commercial "one-piece" USB external drives are equipped with a non-standard SATA data connector on the enclosed SATA drive and as a consequence cannot be connected to a standard SATA data connector of a HDD or SSD should that need arise. (The WD external HDD unit may be one of those; I don't know).

Still another significant advantage is the fact that by using a separate USBEHD enclosure + HDD (or SSD) you will have UNLIMITED capability to utilize any number of different HDDs/SSDs for whatever purpose(s) you deem necessary or desirable. So you achieve an enormous degree of flexibility by purchasing the separate components referred to.

All in all there are really no significant (if any!) downsides to purchasing a USBEHD + HDD (or SSD) in comparison to purchasing a commercial one-piece product. And you will have an enormous choice as to the USB enclosure that appeals to you.

There are an enormous number of different USB external enclosures/"docking stations" available from the online vendors, e.g., Newegg & Amazon. You would do well to peruse their wares. These USB external enclosures of one type or another are frequently on sale and generally obtainable at modest prices.

And it's simplicity itself to install and/or reinstall a HDD or SSD in & out of a USB external enclosure - whatever the type.

You might also want to consider one of those SATA-to-USB adapter device for connecting a SATA HDD or SSD to a USB port. Here's a sample of that type of device...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=sata+to+usb+adapters&N=-1&isNodeId=1
(By & large they haven't been my favorite type of "USB external device" since over the years in general we've found them erratic in operation.) But for the past year (based on recommendations we rec'd) we've been using this Anker SATA-to-USB adapter device (see https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Portable-Adapter-Cable-Power/dp/B005B3VO24 and it's been performing flawlessly with a wide variety of 2.5" & 3.5" disks)

Then there's the so-called "docking stations". They're fine if one likes that style - (we have three of them hanging around that are rarely used). My chief problem with them is their bulk although I have noticed the newer models are getting more compact in size. It's really a matter of user preference. By & large they all do the job. And virtually all of them accommodate both 2.5" & 3.5" drives.
See for example http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=blacx&N=-1&isNodeId=1
and there are literally scores of other models you can peruse.

(My links may not be up-to-date but I think you get the picture, right?)