Open a WD Elements Enclosure Without Damage
Open the enclosure, apply the 3.3V pin fix, and verify the drive, step by step
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To shuck a WD Elements or easystore: power it off and unplug it, pry the seam of the plastic shell open with a guitar pick or plastic spudger, release the internal clips, slide the drive out, and unscrew it from the caddy. If the bare drive will not spin up in your system, cover pin 3 (the third pin from the SATA power notch) with a small piece of Kapton tape, which defeats the 3.3V reset. Then SMART-check and surface-test before adding it to a NAS.
Shucking a WD Elements, step by step
Work on a soft surface and take your time on the clips; the case reuses.
- Power down and unplug the external. Stand it with the seam facing you.
- Insert a plastic pry tool or old credit card into the seam along the long edge and work it around to release the snap clips. Avoid metal tools that can nick the drive.
- Separate the shell and lift out the drive-and-caddy assembly. Unplug the small USB-to-SATA bridge board from the drive.
- Unscrew the drive from the caddy (usually four screws) and remove any rubber rails.
- Fit the bare 3.5-inch drive into your NAS or PC bay. If it does not power on, cover pin 3 on the SATA power connector with Kapton tape, or use a Molex-to-SATA adapter with no 3.3V line.
- Boot and open CrystalDiskInfo to confirm the model and that health is Good, then run a full surface test or extended SMART self-test before trusting it with data.
What you will find inside
WD Elements and easystore of 8TB and up almost always contain a CMR white-label drive in the WD Red Plus or Ultrastar class (model numbers like WD120EMFZ or WD180EDGZ). These are RAID-safe once verified. The shucking list page maps the typical internal by capacity.
WD Elements and easystore externals, by price per TB
Renewed, refurbished and used listings
Shown for reference. These are not counted in the best price per TB above, and warranty terms differ from new drives.
Frequently asked questions
Do all WD Elements need the 3.3V pin fix?
No. Many boards ignore pin 3, so try the drive first. If it will not spin up, the pin-3 tape fix or a Molex-to-SATA adapter without a 3.3V line resolves it. This affects WD drives more than Seagate.
Will shucking damage the drive?
Not if you are patient with the clips and avoid metal tools near the drive. The bare drive is a standard 3.5-inch SATA disk once removed. The only guaranteed loss is the external's warranty.
Is a shucked WD Elements CMR?
At 8TB and above, almost always yes: they hold CMR white-label drives in the Red Plus or Ultrastar class, which are safe for RAID. Confirm the exact model with CrystalDiskInfo after shucking, since batches vary.