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Low Level Format this WD?

C

CoolNeptune

Bad Trader
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
147
So...
My Western Digital 250 GB 7200 RPM Special Edition FireWire/USB 2.0 Combo Drive is not working so well. Here is the problem:

~Plug into computer USB2 and turn on lights on and seems ok
~Makes griding noises *this happens alot...and souds like HD is not happy or dieing*
~Shuts down drive
~ok

~Plugs into computer USB2 and turn on lights on and seems ok
~windows dectects it
~ after a while windows does auto play and trys to add it
~ shows up in my computer as F but is not formatted
~ goes to computer managment and checks to try to format at 2% it errors and stops
~paration magic 8 trys to open but errors about parition table
~what to do?


Questions:
Can you low level format an external hard drive?
What program to use?
Is there drivers for it for DOS?
WTF do I do!
 
1. open the external enclosure
2. take drive out
3. hook it up internally, it should be PATA
4. download the diagnostic software for WD, there should be an option to write zeros to the drive in there somewhere, i know in the maxtor software it does, i use maxtor exclusivly
5. wait a long ass time for it to write zeros (leave it on overnight)
6. if it still doesnt work, RMA
 
IMO
dont bother with zeroing the drive
run the diagnostic,
get the error code
RMA

then take your external and sell it to someone


grinding is a very bad sign, its very likely toast
why its likely toast is, because its a 3.5" form factor HDD
designed for a stable immobile use
being moved at some point when you had it, (even worse while it was in operation), lead to a head crash\slap, alternately during shipping it was abused
the fly hieght of the head is 2 microns during operation
a hair from your head about 76 microns in diameter

http://www.seagate.com/training/properhandling/munitintro.html

again IMO the utility value of external HDDs, when employed as mobile drives has been stressed far too much in marketing, without the requiste cautions that should accompany those sales messages

I literally treat my HDDs like they are full of Nitro, and that is when they arent in operation
I dont move computers that are working, and I tell my clients\friends to get their computers away from where they might get bumped\kicked, with a HDD in operation, upgrade the Nitro to Nitro with a mercury switch :p

so far Ive yet to loose a single HDD ;)
 
*update*
Downloaded WD WinDig program
Errors all to hell
Sent e-mail to WD
Respose is that any grinding noise = hard drive is the dead
And its been over 1 year *had for almost 2*
so RMA looks like a no


New questions
How much do you think WD charges for RMA not under warr.?
Should I pop in a 250 i get from a store?
Or should I sell it?
 
Return Merchandise Authorizations
generally dont mean repair, just replacement

as far as selling the external enclosure, youd have to shop it and then consider the venue youd sell it on
from the For Sale For trade forum here or elsewhere to ebay or even regifting it to someone you dislike :p

you can use externals safely with care
the main thing is that they are out of the way
I swap HDDs and run internals in cages outside of the box all the time
with great and extreme care

however, USB firewire ect are generally a performance hit, the protocol transfer speeds having nothing to do with actual transfer speeds
first limited by the PCI Bus to 133MB/s
then the HDDs internal performance at 50 > 30MB/s
(typical Sustained Transfer with 100 > 133 burst)
then the actual implementation of USB or Firewire
an STR at 35 > 25MB/s not being uncommon

If I wanted a truely mobile HDD, the smaller the platter the more rigid it is, which is why those little 1GB microdrives are able to survive so well (they are ungodly expensive though) however a laptop 2.5" form factor drive is considerably more robust having both the size advantage and considerably more focus on rigidity development, that would be what Id build into a USB enclosure, would require an additional interface from the often proprtary laptop sized IDE port to a normal one to a USB bridge, but people do it
wouldnt have the huge capacity or the faster spindle speed, but it ould likely last far longer with care
 
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