WD My passport HDD not recognised by PC when used as Pan. recorder storage

JH4

I use 2 WD My Passport HDDs as storage - one connected to a Panasonic BD recorder, and the second to a Technomate Sat. receiver. Both work fine in these situations. However, when they are connected via USB to my Win10 PC, neither HDDs can be accessed. I am guessing maybe the file structure is different in these recorders, that a PC will not recognise ? Other WDs and the PC USB ports are fine, btw, so my question - is there any way I can get the PC to read these drives ?  The WD LEDs light up and seem to communicate, but they are not shown on the "This PC" screen. But they DO show, correctly described, in the "Devices list". I just can't access them. Any help much appreciated.  Thanks.

EndlessWaves

Have a look in disk management. If it's showing up there then it's being read fine but the file system isn't one understood by windows so it can't parse the data into recognisable files.

Some recorders use a custom file system and you'd need a utility specific to them to read it. Others I believe are Linux-based and might be readable with a Linux Mint or Ubunutu LiveDisk.

MarkE19

If the file system on the HDD's is Linux EXT2/3/4 then this free program will allow you to read it on a Windows PC - Ext2Fsd Project

Mark.

JH4

Big thanks both. I will try, and let you know the outcome.

JH4

Big thanks Mark, that Linux program works on the WD HDD that I had connected to my Technomate 4K Sat. receiver. Have'nt tried the Panasonic yet, but I'm not so worried about that, as files can be burned to disc. Great forum, this !