Reallocated Sector Count? Should I be worried?

[WindowsLaptopGuy]

Hi Guys,

This message just popped up on my computer.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/694/windowsharddriveerror.png/

So I went into Defraggler and the disk health shows this.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/600/piriform.png/

What should I do about this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
WindowsLaptopGuy

 

[avs262]

Take a backup immediately and get a spare drive ready. Usually the disk is about to die when multiple remaps take place in a short period. If your drive is still under warranty, submit a RMA with the manufacturer and they'll send you a new drive.

 

[WindowsLaptopGuy]

Thanks, this is the drive I bought.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-MK5061GSYN-500GB-7200rpm-Internal/dp/B004UGWH8S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353779218&sr=8-1

Could you please tell me what a RMA is and how long my warranty would last for?

 

[avs262]

RMA stands for Return Merchandise Authorization. Usually HDD warranties are good for 3 years. Depending on the manufacturer you can input the serial number of your old drive on their support website and they'll let you know if it's still under warranty. Some even have a tool you can install to test the disk, view the serial number, and submit a RMA request.

What kind of drive is it? Go to Disk Manager within Windows and view the properties of the drive. The "Friendly Name" should list the part number.

 

[WindowsLaptopGuy]

Thanks, I can find my serial number, however it shows this message on the Toshiba Warranty website:

If you have a defective Toshiba Hard Disk Drive and you wish to claim for warranty, you have to distinguish between the two following possibilities:

1. If the Toshiba Hard Disk Drive was installed in another device (e.g. PC, laptop, Non-Toshiba branded external housing , MP3 player, etc.) when purchased, then it can only be repaired by the device manufacturer. Please contact the device manufacturer for information on the repair procedure.

2. If you bought the Toshiba Hard Disk Drive from a shop, then guarantee claims can only be made with the shop which sold you the drive. The contents of the guarantee comply with the legal regulations in the country, in which the product was purchased.

So this means that I will have to contact Amazon for this, and I am wondering if it is worth the bother, especially as I will lose all my current files?