westren digitial HD power source

I have a external harddrive, westren digitial, and I have lost it's power source

I went tobestbuy, they had no idea what to get
I went to walmart,,, they pointed out universal power supplies
one is a 300 and one is a 1200
or it might been 600 and 1300

I dont know what units. I didnt have my phone and it was serval hours ago

how do i find out what I need? or
Md number
WD16001032-001
thanks

 

ok BESTBUY said it took a 12 volt power supply
now it looks turned on, but the drive is not popping up on my computer

what do I do?

 

Here's the official listing of WD replacement power supplies:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1378

It appears it is a 12-volt; the issue may be if the universal adapter you purchased puts out enough wattage to power the drive properly.

To be on the safe side, figure on the 36-watt model. You can either order the OEM part at the link above or use the following formula to calculate if the universal adapter you purchased is up to the task:

Universal adapters are usually rated in milliamps (mA) and rarely list output wattage. A safe formula is to assume 1000Ma (1 amp) equals 10 watts of output power.

Based on this formula, a universal 12 volt adapter would have to have an output of 3600Ma (3.6 amps) to put out a constant 36 watts of power. (a "1300" as noted in your post would only give an output of roughly 13 watts of 12 volt DC - not enough to properly power the drive).

If the adapter you purchased isn't up to the task, stop using and return it. At $20, I'd get the OEM model just to be on the safe side.

 

I got the 12 volt power source, plugged it in and the WD drive powered up, but my laptop wouldnt recongize the drive
so I took it back to best buy,they said the WD drive might have gone bad(it worked in december) so they took out the drive and put it into a new case and it works
I hate best buy with a passion now, I spent 3 hours there and spent 140 at leastII
I dont mind time there,but I had to make serveral trips because they didnt do things correctly
now it works though

 

If the drive itself is older, I would strongly consider getting a newer external hard drive - especially if you store original files (not strictly backups) on it. Based on the model # you listed, your current drive is only 160GB - you should be able to find a USB powered 2.5" drive in the 250-320GB range for around $50 (although I realize you've already blown $140, you need to balance the additional cost of a new drive against any data loss and hassles you'd have if the current drive bites it for good). If you buy a new drive, check the user reviews on Amazon or NewEgg for the best quality models.

On PC parts and service, "Best Buy" is anything but. Although I realize they're the only choice in brick-and-mortar PC parts stores in many areas, you can usually get better deals on parts online. Amazon is one of the best: If you buy directly from Amazon (not an affiliated merchant), they have free shipping on all orders over $25. If a product arrives that's DOA or you don't like it, they pay the return shipping with a prepaid label. NewEgg is also good; however they don't pay return shipping on items.

If you ever need PC service, "big box" stores like Best Buy, Staples, etc. are usually outrageous on their labor costs. The best deal is to hit up the IT guy at work or a geek friend who wants to make a few extra bucks on the side (I do this moonlighting; I still make decent money charging about half of what Geek Squad does). If this isn't an option call around for estimates at local "mom and pop" PC shops. Rates vary; however they're often less than Best Buy.