Shoutbox

I bought this brand new 320GB EIDE Western Digital hard drive to be used as 2nd internal in my XP Pro SP2 PC. So I installed it as a second internal drive. I went thru the WinXP Computer Management procedure to initialize the disk, create primary partition and quick NTFS format.No problem till there. After using it for one day, the drive made a funny noise and the system froze forcing me to reboot. I managed to boot back into WinXP so I run the WD Diagnostics Extended test (a specific Western Digital diagnostic test software). The test reported bad sectors and gave me the option to repair it,so I went ahead to repair the drive as prompted and ran the Extended Test again and it passed OK without any bad sectors reported. I called Western Digital to ask them if I should return it, they said that if the Extended test gave me the option to repair it and then the test passed OK, that the drive is 100%reliable as if there were no bad sectors in the first place, so that although there's no need to return it, I'm free to return it if I want.So should I return the drive to Western Digital for replacement, or is the drive fine? I fear that even if a bad sector is repaired, it's an open invitation for future trouble.

If you are not in a hurry, return the drive.

It's likely a hardware failure that the drive made a funny noise, and that's something a software can't repair. The hardware failure might just come again...

If you did hear some noise, return it, as Mnjul says... it probably WILL 'die' again...

This might help http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/Disk-Checker.shtml

quote:

---

Originally posted by alegator
So should I return the drive to Western Digital for replacement, or is the drive fine? I fear that even if a bad sector is repaired, it's an open invitation for future trouble.

---

Do NOT return it to WD.  Take it back and exchange for another new drive at the store if you can instead, stick with it and see how it goes if you can't.  What you will get from WD may be a lot worse.

Here's why (and it applies equally to all hard drive manufacturers, not just WD):  hard drive warranty replacements are normally not new drives, but "refurbished" -- which generally means a drive somebody else returned which they think is ok, or a drive they have repaired (usually not very well).  You will only get a new drive if they don't have any refurbs on hand.

Because of this, my own and many others' experience has been that warranty replacement drives don't last long.  Sure, they will replace it again.  And again, until the original warranty period + 90 days from the last replacement run out -- but do you really want to suffer through that?

After having done it once or twice, my personal policy when a drive fails is to simply buy a new drive.  The warranty replacement, when it comes, goes on eBay for some other poor fool to deal with (correctly described, of course).

How much was it? The size sounds great, but if you found it for what you believe was good value it may be too good to be true. It may have some great storage, but it can have some serious issues that need to be addressed.

I suggest taking it back, after visiting the company's online support. I suggest getting a smaller hard drive for around the same price, you will probably find it is much better quality

It's a fine balance between quality and quantity.

I bought it for $95 at a reputable online retailer (Zipzoomfly). It was shipped brand new, factory fresh.

$95 for 320 GB sounds a little fishing. I'm sure you got that storage, but performance wise, it may have some major problems. Your best off returning it, it clearly has some form of fault. However I recommend not getting the same harddrive, instead look for a good quality one that has a decent capacity.

Ask yourself the question: How much space are you going to need, then look for a harddrive with that storage. I would also Google for any reviews/ problems on it before you buy .

The WD 320Gb hard drive is excellent, low noise, very reliable, best price per gb.

A cheap price usually means that it's not as good quality, $95 is very cheap for a 320gb hard drive, which tells me that it's not great.

quote:

---

Originally posted by alegator
low noise

---

Hard drives usually are.

quote:

---

Originally posted by alegator
very reliable

---

Doesn't seem that way.