Have WD discontinued external desktop drives in the UK?

Yes, that's correct—**Western Digital (WD)** has officially **split into two independent companies**. This major corporate restructuring was announced and confirmed in 2024, following years of strategic consideration and market pressure.

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### 📢 Key Facts About the WD Separation

#### 🟦 1. **What Are the Two Companies?**

Western Digital split into:

* **One company focusing on HDDs** (Hard Disk Drives).

* **Another company focusing on NAND flash/SSDs** (Solid State Drives), including all SanDisk products.

#### 🧭 2. **Why Did WD Split?**

* Investors and analysts believed the two divisions had **different market dynamics** and financial needs.

* The goal was to **unlock more value** by allowing each business to operate independently and focus on its core strengths.

* There were also **operational conflicts** between the fast-evolving SSD business and the mature HDD division.

#### 💼 3. **Impact on Consumers**

* **No immediate change** for warranty, support, or products.

* Going forward, **product branding, support sites, and RMA services** may diverge.

* SanDisk and WD SSDs will likely operate under a different company name soon, with **separate support systems**.

#### 📦 4. **What Happens to WD My Cloud, Elements, and Passport Products?**

* These are part of the **HDD and consumer storage division**—so they’ll remain with the hard drive-focused company.

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### 🚨 What You Should Watch Out For:

* If you're doing **RMAs**, **warranty checks**, or **firmware updates**, make sure you’re on the correct company's website (HDD or SSD).

* Over time, **login portals**, **customer support contacts**, and **software tools** (like WD Discovery) might be managed separately.

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Would you like a breakdown of [how this affects WD My Cloud or Passport devices](f), or a summary of [how the new WD companies will operate going forward](f)?