The Western Digital Dashboard helps users maintain peak performance of the Western Digital drives in Windows® operating systems with a user-friendly graphical interface for the user. The Western Digital Dashboard includes tools for analysis of the disk (including the disk model, capacity, firmware version, and SMART attributes) and firmware updates.
Software Download- Western Digital Dashboard (Online Installer) - 4 MB
- Western Digital Dashboard (Offline Installer) - 332 MB
IMPORTANT:
The Western Digital Dashboard is not compatible with macOS.
Please refer to Answer ID 14800: How to Check if a Drive has Errors or Failed on macOS
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Installation Steps | Click here for Instructions |
| About Western Digital Dashboard | Click here for Instructions |
| Gaming Mode 2.0 | Click here for Instructions |
| Update Firmware | Click here for Instructions |
| Drive Not Detected | Click here for Instructions |
| Temperature Monitoring | Click here for Instructions |
| Drive S.M.A.R.T. Test | Click here for Instructions |
| Dashboard Error Codes | Click here for Instructions |
| Generate Report File | Click here for Instructions |
| WD_BLACK 3rd Party RGB Software Expectations | Click here for Instructions |
| Warranty & Data Recovery | Click here for Instructions |
Download & Install Western Digital Dashboard
- Download Western Digital Dashboard for Windows software.
Western Digital Dashboard (Online Installer) - 4 MB
Western Digital Dashboard (Offline Installer) - 332 MB - Save the DashboardSetup.exe file to your computer.
Locate where the file was saved and install by double clicking DashboardSetup.exe file. - Follow the screen prompts to complete the installation.
- Existing Installation:
Click Install to upgrade an existing installation on the computer.
- New Installation:
Click Install to install on the computer.
- Existing Installation:
- Click Finish after the installation has completed.
The Western Digital Dashboard will automatically start and display the status section.

- Attach a supported external drive.
- Retail Internal Drives: SanDisk, WD_BLACK, WD HDD & SSD (Black, Blue, Green, Red, Purple, Gold)
- Retail External Drives: WD_BLACK P10, P40, D10, D50 Game Dock
- Other Drives: internal and external drives may appear in the Western Digital Dashboard but are not supported.
About Western Digital Dashboard
The Western Digital Dashboard helps users maintain peak performance of the Western Digital drives in Windows® operating systems with a user-friendly graphical interface for the user. The Western Digital Dashboard includes tools for analysis of the disk (including the disk model, capacity, firmware version, and SMART attributes) and firmware updates.- Retail Internal Drives: SanDisk, WD_BLACK, WD HDD & SSD (Black, Blue, Green, Red, Purple, Gold)
- Retail External Drives: WD_BLACK P10, P40, D10, D50 Game Dock
- Other Drives: internal and external drives may appear in the Western Digital Dashboard but are not supported.
Minimum System Requirements
The Western Digital Dashboard is a downloadable Windows App that helps you manage your Western Digital storage device. Please see below for the list of supported operating systems:
- Windows 11 64-bit
- Windows 10 32-bit or 64-bit
Windows 7 & 8 Support
Western Digital does not provide support for products used with vendor end of life operating systems. Please upgrade to a Microsoft supported operating system.- Windows 7 End of Support: Please refer to Microsoft Article Support for Windows 7 has ended
- Windows 8 End of Support: Please refer to Microsoft Article Support Windows 8 end of support and Office
Western Digital Support cannot help with third-party software.
Drive Not Detected
The Dashboard supports SanDisk and WD branded products. Please ensure the cables are connected properly or click the Rescan button to scan the system for connected drive.
Common causes of drive not being detected are:
- Unsupported drive
- Faulty cable or power connecter
- Internal drive not detected by BIOS
- Faulty or failed drive
- 3rd party backup or antivirus software blocking access to drive
- 3rd party enclosure blocking access to drive
- Drive may not be detected if it is connected to a RAID port, even if the drive is not configured as a RAID on various motherboards
Temperature Monitoring
Western Digital Dashboard supports temperature monitoring for SanDisk and WD branded products.
Temperature reported by the device is updated every 30 seconds.
Monitoring the temperature can be found in the following ways:
- Status tab bottom left card.
- Performance tab, Performance Chart and check the box for Temperature to track.
Expected temperatures for the drives can be found in the data sheets.
SSDs and HDDs demonstrate improved performance, faster speeds, and extended lifespan when operated within their specified parameters. However, if these drives are subjected to excessive heat, there is a likelihood of experiencing issues. For more information on Temperature Usage, please refer to Answer ID 50789: Consequences of Using Hard or Solid State Drives Outside of Temperature Specifications.
Drive S.M.A.R.T. Test
For more detailed information regarding S.M.A.R.T., please refer to Answer ID 12163: WD Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.).
- Attach a supported drive.
- Select a drive from the My Devices section on the lower left side to test.
Confirm the drive model selected, and verify the image of the drive. - Click Tools section.
- Select the S.M.A.R.T. option as seen in the screen below.
- The following S.M.A.R.T. options are available for drive testing.
- S.M.A.R.T. Diagnostic Short Test: A quick drive health test as defined by S.M.A.R.T specification.
- S.M.A.R.T. Diagnostic Extended Test: An extended drive health test, as defined in the S.M.A.R.T specification.
NOTICE! The Extended Test can take 10 minutes or longer to complete depending on the drive capacity. - S.M.A.R.T DATA: Displays detailed S.M.A.R.T data

- Select the level of S.M.A.R.T test to perform.
Click the appropriate Run Button and follow the prompts. - When the test completes, a Drive Test PASS or FAIL notification will be displayed.
- Drive Pass Test Results: The drive is free from errors.

- Drive Failed Test Results: The drive has failed the Short or Extended test and should not be used for data storage.
Please refer to the "Warranty Replacement and Data Recovery" section of this article for options.
- Drive Pass Test Results: The drive is free from errors.
Generate Report File


- Click on Help.
- Click on GENERATE REPORT FILE and save the Dashboard_Report.zip file.
- Submit a case through the Support Portal and attach the logs to the support case.
Update Firmware
![]() |
Critical: Ensure to create and verify a backup all critical data to another location or device before updating the firmware on any drive. |
- The Western Digital Dashboard will provide a notification when there is a Firmware Update Available for the drive.
Click on UPDATE AVAILABLE or Tools to see the firmware update option.

The UPDATE AVAILABLE message will not be displayed if there is not a new firmware updated available for the drive.

- Click UPDATE FIRMWARE.

- Click PROCEED.

- Click SHUTDOWN NOW to shutdown the computer.
Power on the computer for the firmware to take effect.

