Hard Drive Failures, Warrenties and Linux

[Robizzle01]

I have a dell laptop and a diy desktop that I use as a fileserver and apache test server. Over the last year I have become more and more interested in linux and I started using it exclusivly last september. First only on my laptop which I setup to duel boot windows xp. A few months ago my laptop started falling apart, dvd drive clicking, hard drive had bad sectors, graphics card died, and keyboard failure. I shipped it in to dell twice during the school year for repairs on those items. Before shipping I always ran shread on my hard drive from my gentoo boot disk to hide the fact that I used linux and that this _may_ void my warrenty. I'm not sure if it really does or not but the cutomer support from dell that I talked to (who didn't seem to know much of anything) told me that using linux would void my warrenty and replacement plan. I never did end up getting the bad sectors on that hard drive fixed, i just have them marked as bad sectors and linux stays away from them ... i guess.

However, I would like to replace the drive since it is under warrenty and it is defective. I know that it wasn't linux's fault but that doesn't do me any good in arguing with them. I tried installing windows on the entire drive and overwritting linux compleatly -- it installed and worked fine. I then ran check disk or whatever its called and it didn't report anything (maybe it just fixed it without telling me?) Since windows isn't reporting errors, I wasn't able to send in the hard drive. I reinstalled linux and of course all the check disk programs spotted bad sectors using the read/write nondestructive test (fsck.ext3 /dev/hda -cc). What should I do to get this defective drive replaced if windows wont report the errors even though they are there?

My next problem is with my desktop. I ordered two 300gb Maxtor Maxline III drives from newegg 6 months or so ago. I liked the fact that they had 5 year warrenties and were supposed to be some of the least failing from what I gathered. It took me a few months but eventually I filled up both drives halfway, at that point I noticed bad sectors on the second one They were in an XFS raid so I lost everything -- couldn't find any detailed guides about data recovery for that kind of a situation online. I attempted to just mark the bad sectors in linux like I had for my laptop since I didn't want to bother with customer support and all the headaches if I could help it. That ended up not working and I reinstalled and started over from scratch again. Just yesterday my drive got full enough again that I lost the drive again -- this time i did two seperate ext3 partitions so as to maximize my chances of recovery. I got all my files off of it but now I want to get the drive replaced under warrenty.

Maxtor's website makes this difficult... To make a return they require the user to enter a code generated by thier diagnostics program. This program seems to be only downloadable for windows ... great. After screwing around trying to get it working, I ended up finding a bootdisk iso of this utility. Burned it, booted and the program froze at the "detecting hardware (this should take 1 minute)" part. I tried unplugging unneeded hardware and such but no luck. Now I have no way to get a diagnostics code so that I can send the drive in for replacement. What should I do? If I fill out forms on maxtor's site should I mark linux or windows as the operating system?

I write this thread mainly to ask you guys what I should do and also about linux and warrenties. Does linux void nearly all hardware warrenties? dell? maxtor? Do any of you have similar experiences/stories?

 

[CarterEVIL]

I have never heard of a warrenty being voided because of the OS that is installed on it. As far as Dell goes, I have seen a lot of systems that have a hidden partition on the disk, there maybe some type of clause that says if that partition is removed the warrenty is popped. But I think that as long as you go through the drives manufacturer, you will not have any issues.

 

[drizzt81]

I have never heard of a warrenty being voided because of the OS that is installed on it. As far as Dell goes, I have seen a lot of systems that have a hidden partition on the disk, there maybe some type of clause that says if that partition is removed the warrenty is popped. But I think that as long as you go through the drives manufacturer, you will not have any issues.

quick note: if your HDD came in a Dell PC, the chances are really high that any and all warranty goes through Dell.

to the OP: have you tried running the HDD manufacturer's program on your Dell Laptop's HDD? That should easily be able to spot bad sectors for you.

W.r.t. Maxtor: the software that you need to find that trouble code comes on the UBCD (ultimate boot cd). You can download an iso (google) and run it from there. That may help you get the code.

 

[Robizzle01]

W.r.t. Maxtor: the software that you need to find that trouble code comes on the UBCD (ultimate boot cd). You can download an iso (google) and run it from there. That may help you get the code.

I downloaded a copy of the ultimate boot cd and burned it but I didn't see the Maxtor test program on it. There was on maxtor program that worked but it was only for making new partitions and checking the validity of current partitions. I just want to get the maxtor code so I can enter it into the website and ship the drive in.

I was reading up on the ultimate boot CD but I can't figure out how to add my own modules, it looks pretty complicated. To add to the complications, I don't have a floppy drive so I have no way to create the floppy image like they say to, and the bootable floppy that I can download from maxtor isn't an image, its an exe that creates the floppy. When I try to open it, I get an error saying that I don't have a floppy drive (this is on my laptop since the desktop with the bad drive is running gentoo.) Maybe I should just break down and buy a floppy drive. Just feel so stupid buying a floppy drive for the only purpose of replacing a hard drive that I already know is defective. And, even if I do get the floppy drive, whats to say it doesn't freeze up like the bootable cd does (next paragraph.)

Maxtor also offers the program in a bootable cd rom but it freezes at the detecting hardware step. I have spent a good half hour on the website looking for a place to contact an actual person without having to enter the code but not having any luck. I did email them once a week ago, got an auto reply back saying that they would respond in 24 hours and they still haven't. Getting pretty fed up with this and probably never going to buy maxtor again after this, i'd ship the damn thing at my own expense if i could just get it replaced.

 

[drizzt81]

I downloaded a copy of the ultimate boot cd and burned it but I didn't see the Maxtor test program on it. There was on maxtor program that worked but it was only for making new partitions and checking the validity of current partitions. I just want to get the maxtor code so I can enter it into the website and ship the drive in.

it's under F2 - Harddisk Tools and then called PowerMax (Maxtor/Quantum).
Hope that helps. I distinctly remember when e-mailing them and telling them that my HDD wasn't recognized by the bios and NOT FOUND in PowerMax that they gave me an RMA anyway. I believe that there is a link on the RMA site to send them a message. I did get a reply withing a reasonable period, less than 2 days I'd say. Who know what happened with the merger though.

 

[davidlem]

I could see how installing Linux could void your tech support services, as in they would be unable to help you with technical problems. But as far as the HD, there's no difference, data is data. It's not like Linux writes 2's and 3's instead of 0's and 1's. And you can't go through the drive manufacturer for an RMA because the serial number will come up as OEM in their system. Just call Dell again and get a more competent tech, then request your RMA.

 

[cieje]

I used to work for dell tech support in an outsource center.

Having linux will not void a warranty, it will just limit what a tech can help you with over the phone. Most likely they'll try to blow the partition away and reinstall the original o/s or something instead of help you with anything linux-wise. Most new dell laptops have a built in HD diagnostic program - you hold a certain F key at bootup... I'm sorry I can't remember maybe f10 or f11 but who knows with your specific series. - also, if you scour your dell cds, or on the support site, the same diags are available. If you use those, and get an error code or it simply will not work that's all the tech needs to issue an rma etc for warranty.

The HD itself probably is under warranty through Maxtor as well. if you're able to, get the serial number from it and check through their website; they may have the ability to check like seagate, samsung, and wd do, but I'm not sure.

 

[Robizzle01]

Sorry, I may have made this thread in a confusing manner. To clarify: I have two seperate computers each of which is having an issue with bad sectors. One is a dell laptop, the other is a gentoo linux desktop which has two maxtor hard drives -- one of which is bad. Neither computer has a floppy drive.

As for the dell laptop, I killed the special partition a year ago, does anyone have a disk image that I can dd onto the partition or is there any kind of boot disc that dell offers to restore this? Maybe the discs that came with my computer can restore it to factory state (including this partition?) This is an XPS generation 1 with 60gb drive. I'm not sure what brand the drive is although I could check when I get home. I'd guess all warrenties go through dell so it shouldn't make any difference unless I want to use manufacturer's tools to prove to myself that it is bad.