getting HDD replaced under warranty ?

[masterbat]

my HDD is showing some bad clusters lately and i want to get it replaced since its still under the warranty .

now can i get it replaced for bad clusters ? or do i need to have some other major malfunction to get it replaced ?

if so how can i fake one ?? :D


because i dont want to continue using an hdd with BAD clusters . i heard it keeps getting worse :mellow:

[mbucari1]

I'm sure that question can be answered by your waranty documentation.

As it is, you have given no useful information such as...

1. age of drive
2. Manufacturer
3. Retailer warranty of lack there of.

[masterbat]

I'm sure that question can be answered by your waranty documentation.

As it is, you have given no useful information such as...

1. age of drive
2. Manufacturer
3. Retailer warranty of lack there of.

1. 1 and half years
2. seagate barracuda

[mbucari1]

from http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/warranty_&_returns_assistance/warranty_statements/

What Do Our Warranties Usually Cover? Our warranties cover defects in material or workmanship in new Seagate products. Only consumers purchasing Seagate products from authorised Seagate retailers or distributors may obtain coverage under our limited warranties.

How Long Does The Coverage Last? Seagate warranty periods are 1 year, 2 years, 3 years or 5 years from the documented date of purchase, depending on the type of product and where it was purchased.

What Do You Have To Do? Seagate will not provide any warranty coverage unless claims are made in compliance with all terms of the controlling warranty statement included with your Seagate product. To request warranty service, contact an authorized Seagate service center or refer to www.seagate.com (http://www.seagate.com/) for more information regarding customer support within your jurisdiction. You also may obtain information regarding the location of authorized Seagate service centers and access Seagate automated customer service directory by calling +1-800-SEAGATE. Callers outside the US can reach this service by dialing +1-405-324-4770. Refer to www.seagate.com (http://www.seagate.com/) for more telephone numbers in your jurisdiction. Once an authorized service center or Seagate determines that a repair is required, you will be prompted for your name, address, phone number, email and product serial number and then issued a Return Material Authorization (RMA) to use when returning product to Seagate. Product returned to Seagate must be properly packaged in its original packaging (or packaging providing the product with protection equivalent to the original packaging) and sent, with the postage charges prepaid, to the address provided when you received your RMA. In addition to regular back-ups, if possible, data should be backed up before sending a drive to Seagate for repair, because product sent to Seagate or an authorized service provider will not be returned.



google query used: seagate warranty terms






Looks like the warranty provided by Seagate will cover it provided that your warranty is >1 year. I'd call to make sure you have the necessary documentation.

[The_Hunter]

you just need to go to the seagate site, where you can find out if your drive is covered and they will give you a number and a sheet to print out and you just post it with your drive to the address they give you. never had a problem and drive is usually replaced within a week.

[clocker]

Go to the Seagate website and download their diagnostic app.
It's likely they will ask you for it's results before authorizing a RMA anyway.

Second thing...
Be very wary of this...

Product returned to Seagate must be properly packaged in its original packaging (or packaging providing the product with protection equivalent to the original packaging)
They take this clause seriously and so should you.
Used to be that RMAs had to go to Amsterdam of all places (now I think it's Texas) and they required the item to be shipped in their own packaging (which you had to purchase with no hope of reimbursement).
All of which meant that just shipping a RMA cost more than replacing it outright.
At any rate, pack that mofo well or you could be denied replacement cause they'll claim the drive was damaged in transit.

[masterbat]

thanks foe the response guys .

ok this is weird . when i first scanned my HDD with HD tune it showed 4% damaged blocks , and everytime i ran chkdsk is repaired some clusters . i also had frequent crashes and system 32 errors .

thats why i wanted to replace the HDD .

anyway i decided to reinstall my O.s . i wiped my hdd clean with . reinstalled xp and again did the scan with HD tune .

now its all clean . 0 damaged blocks ? i dont understand this ? how does a hardware error go away with a reformat and reinstall ??

[clocker]

0 damaged blocks ? i dont understand this ? how does a hardware error go away with a reformat and reinstall ??
It doesn't.
Every HDD has bad sectors- right off the assembly line- Windows is just told where they are and thereafter ignores them.
Just like it's doing now.

I'd still keep a close eye on that drive.

[masterbat]

0 damaged blocks ? i dont understand this ? how does a hardware error go away with a reformat and reinstall ??
It doesn't.
Every HDD has bad sectors- right off the assembly line- Windows is just told where they are and thereafter ignores them.
Just like it's doing now.

I'd still keep a close eye on that drive.

so what do you think ? i should still get it replaced ?

and what am i gona say to them . dont i need a good reason to get it replaced ? :mellow:

[clocker]

What is this drive exactly?

You have to balance two issues...
-How critical is the data you store on the drive in question, and...
-How likely is Seagate to replace the drive (especially given that it no longer shows bad sectors).

In my experience, Seagate is very good about replacing drives.
In fact, I don't recall ever being denied a RMA request.
Then again, I was dealing with them under cover of the "Seagate Partner" program and not as a standalone consumer.

If this possibly "bad" drive is a critical part of your system, I'd just replace with a new one and then initiate the RMA process.
That way your data is seamlessly protected and- best case scenario- you end up with a new backup drive.

[masterbat]

i have all the important data's backed up .

i will wait for few days and see if that bad cluster shows up again . if it does i will buy a new one

thanks for all the help clocker

[lynx]

I RMA'd a seagate drive just two weeks ago, as clocker said for Europe it goes to Amsterdam (indirectly). There was no problem in getting the drive replaced, but they really are serious about packing.

You don't need to use their packing though, just make sure you've got at least 1.5" (6cm) of foam all the way round. Bubble wrap or polystyrene chips are NOT accepted.