Sarah Blake LaRose

Since I do a lot of work with audio, I use external hard drives as storage solutions. I have a 500GB My Passport drive from Western Digital that has served me well for about 18 months. I don’t use the back-up and sync software on it–I’m not certain that it is accessible, and if I’m going to use such software, I would like to choose my own solution.

I am not alone in my preference. When Western Digital released its new 500GB and larger drives, they began including automatic back-up software which could not be removed. Users complained; so they next release a removal tool. This still did not satisfy users (and the tool was not accessible to users with disabilities).

WD has finally released drives without any software included. If you use large external hard drives, the release of the Western Digital Elements SE 1TB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive will be a piece of great news to you. It contains no bloatware, which means you pick your own back-up solution or use it as a storage solution without back-up software. There is a 500GB option drive, also without bloatware.

Elements drives appear to be similar in size to the Passport drives; and they are getting great reviews. Passport reviews, sadly, have dropped tremendously since the addition of the automatic back-up software which requires removal using WD’s proprietary tool. I shall post soon, when I have the new drive in my hands–I have been in desperate need, and this news has been what I have been waiting for.

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

About Sarah Blake LaRose

Sarah Blake LaRose teaches Biblical Hebrew and Greek at Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry in Anderson, Indiana. She is one of three blind academic scholars who received the Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind in 2016 in recognition of innovative work in the field of access to biblical language texts and tools for people who are blind. In addition to her work as a professor, she provides braille transcription services specializing in ancient languages. Her research interests concern the intersection of disability, poverty, and biblical studies.

• Learning From My Younger Self - February 10, 2024
• more reflections on ITD - June 30, 2023
• On travel while at ITD: reflections after day 1 - June 27, 2023
• ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
• ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
• Job Descriptions, Inclusivity, and Equity for People with Disabilities - October 15, 2022
• Traveling without a Guide Dog: Experience with Cane and Walker - October 14, 2022
• Disability and Church, Intersection - June 11, 2022
• Review: When Chronic Pain and Illness Take Everything Away - June 11, 2022
• Grammar and Style Resources for Writers - June 9, 2022