Should I trust this drive?

[pat]

Ok...some time ago, while playing inside my running computer, I accidently touche the power wire of my IBM 60 gxp HDD. I've heard a sound from the drive, like a reset..anyway. my HDD continue to work until I shut the computer off. The next day, problem!!! The HDD refuse to start. I did some test, but as I havent any important data on it, I send it to the dealer.Still under warranty, I receive a new one some time after. By the time, I bought 2 Maxtor dx740 in order to setup a RAID array to continue to use my computer too.

My friend needed an other HDD for some work, so he's been using my new IBM drive...for about 2 month. The drive started to do the same thing, but by themself, he touched nothing..

Yesterday, I ran IBM drive fitness test. it report that the drive as: defective device component failure. I've performed an erase disk to fix the drive and it is now working. But for how long. I think that my warranty is still good. should I exchange it for an other that may have the same problems or continue to use this one 'til it die?


-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[HammerBot]

If DFT reported an error I would not trust the drive. Get it exchanged again.

 

[pat]

That was I was thinking, but the dealer told me that IBM wont exchange it if it is working now...Is there something I can run that will stress the HDD to have it fail before my warranty expire?

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[HammerBot]

I would ignore the dealer and tell IBM that the DFT reported an error (specify which). I think IBM is exchanging so many drives that one more or less doesnt matter. I certainly would not wait for the drive to fail again.
Futher, one thing is certain, they will not exchange the drive, if they somehow figures out that you did anything to make it fail again. However, you could try running a HD benchmark continously and make certain you turn off your HD and case coolers

 

[Fraggy]

Because of high numbers of failures IBM's DeskStar Harddisks have now a very bad reputation. "DeathStar" is their popular nickname on the net, and quite appropriate. You shouldn't trust your HDD. One (and perhaps the main) problem of IBM HDDs is their great performance: they generate a lot of heat and should be cooled (a "detail" that IBM fails to tell to the customers).
So one way to force a breakdown is to stress the HDD without cooling in a warm environment. You can stress the HDD and monitor the temperature with one of IBM's own "fitness tools". (You can download them from IBM). Hope this may help.
If you can't get your HDD replaced before warrantee runs out, the only option you got left is to pray it'll keep working... Make sure you cool the HDD in that case.

Good Luck, JM.

UNIX is not dead, it just smells funny!

 

[lhgpoobaa]

If DFT give you a error message then you can RMA it, and send the DFT output file too as they specify.

Personally i had a 60gxp go bad on me too. I RMA'ed the drive, then while i waited over a month for a replacment i got a W.D. 800JB instead.
Now the replacment 60gxp sits on a shelf gathering dust. I might sell it one day, but not use it myself!

<b>Plaid will NEVER go out of style! </b>

 

[pat]

Problem is, now the drive is running fine. And I did not save the DFT report, so I've nothing to send with the drive.

I guess that I will have to wait for another failure to get a new DFT report.

Thanks

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[lhgpoobaa]

You can allways "accidentally" smack the drive a few times while its running to give it a few more bad sectors

<b>Microsoft is good for you. MS has your best intrests at heart. MS products are easy to use, Reliable, Bug free and Secure. MS says so. What possible reason would they have to lie to you?</b>

 

[vetplus40]

With the power connector,and power wires being insulated,touching them should not have caused any problem.The connector might not have been fully inserted, in which touching it might have interrupted the power,and then it might have "made" back up after you moved your hand off of the wire.At any rate,this shouldn't have caused any damage to the drive.

If ya don't ask..How ya gonna know.