Seagate external hdd - no longer working - steer clear of Seagate

leezuk1

I bought this drive just over a year ago - now my computer has stopped recognising it. Have done all the tests/not working on other computers either.

Long online chat with Seagate - first issue about data on hdd if I return it as I have confidential work data - they said to clear before I sent back - funny as if my computer won't recognise it how can I clear it!

Then after organising the return on the basis that they work on an extremely confidential basis and delete all the data (you don't get your own drive back but someone elses reconditioned - hence my worry!) - You have to return the item as follows:
Enclose each drive in an ESD (electrostatic discharge) bag, in an anti-static plastic shell (SeaShell) or anti-static bubble wrap.
* Secure each unit in 2 inch-thick foam rubber in a corrugated box.

Well who has that kind of packaging lying around and indeed where in earth do you get it - the local post office won't have it! By the time I've found and paid for all those items plus postage I might as well buy a new hdd! If you don't use that exact packaging they won't replace your drive!

So steer well clear of Seagate is my advise - bought western digital last time and that broke after a year so not sure what make to try now - they all seem pretty useless.

Rant over... sorry!

leezuk1

OK - just received phone call from U.S. - now they say that as it is an external drive it can just be well packaged!

All good but I've just wasted an hour of my time trying to sort this out.

robmar0se

Hi, you say you've tried most things, have you also gone into control panel/admin tools/computer management/disk management and looked to see if the drive is seen at all? If not then there is sod all you can do with it, except trash it.

You could go to your local PC shop as they are probably throwing anti-static bags - surprised if they don't give you one. Regarding a "shell" any box would do wrapped with bubble.

I would try Samsung next time, if you buy retail you do get 3 yrs warranty and the packaging to go with it

John_Gray

I'm sorry, but you are extrapolating from the particular to the general - just because you have had a single Seagate drive fail, it doesn't follow that everyone should avoid Seagate! Any hard disk from any manufacturer will fail - at some point.

(There are other good reasons for avoiding Seagate, of course!)

HoofeHearted

I had an external Seagate drive 'die' a couple of years ago.

I just removed the actual drive from the enclosure and found that the drive was ok. I used an IDE/SATA to USB adaptor to test it.

I then purchased an external drive enclosure and mounted the drive in that.

Seems it was just the interface electronics in the Seagate enclosure that had died.

Might be worth giving that a try.

birkee

John_Gray wrote: »

I'm sorry, but you are extrapolating from the particular to the general - just because you have had a single Seagate drive fail, it doesn't follow that everyone should avoid Seagate! Any hard disk from any manufacturer will fail - at some point.

(There are other good reasons for avoiding Seagate, of course!)

True of course!
But I can't help but wonder about ANYONE in the normal domestic situation, who gets more than one faulty drive in their life.
Only one I've experienced was so long ago it was Mb size.
The customers fault because of handling procedures?

Not to blame the OP necessarily, but I, for one am curious.

leezuk1

birkee wrote: »

True of course!
But I can't help but wonder about ANYONE in the normal domestic situation, who gets more than one faulty drive in their life.
Only one I've experienced was so long ago it was Mb size.
The customers fault because of handling procedures?

Not to blame the OP necessarily, but I, for one am curious.

Mmm not sure how to reply to that one - are you saying that it must be something I am doing to have 2 faulty drives? Beg to differ as they only ever sit on my desk - never dropped/sat on or anything done that would damage them... perhaps its that rather large magnet I rest on top of it or the fact that I used it as a leaky coffee cup mat...;)

leezuk1

John_Gray wrote: »

I'm sorry, but you are extrapolating from the particular to the general - just because you have had a single Seagate drive fail, it doesn't follow that everyone should avoid Seagate! Any hard disk from any manufacturer will fail - at some point.

(There are other good reasons for avoiding Seagate, of course!)

I meant avoid them because of the poor customer service if you do have a problem - probably didn't make myself clear earlier as was so cross. Redeemed themselves when I got a personal call to sort it out though which should be noted but that was after about an hour of online discussions.

GlynD

Check if it's a Seagate Barracuda. If it is they will guarantee a free "unbricking" and all data retained. This "bricking" is a known fault on Barracudas. Mine had it and they fixed it for free and my data was untouched.

RussJK

The Seagate instructions for returning internal drives aren't much relevant to the UK.

Realistically they just look for evidence that care has been taken in packing. ESD bags are cheap, then just pack with a decent amount of bubblewrap or scrunched up newspaper, in either a box or one of those bubblebags from the post office..

chewynut

I have a Seagate drive that died a few years ago. It about killed me at the time because I'm not sure what happened to it and I lost everything on it. I think my friend did it but I've never told him because he's a lovely guy and he'd take the guilt to his grave.

Basically he plugged it in (very badly because he doesn't take good care of things) and the files wouldn't do anything. The PCs could recognise it but I couldn't move anything from A to B. It got slower and my laptop stopped recognising it after a day or two.

My darling mother dropped it on a wooden floor before my dad could get one of his techie friends to look at it. It rattles now