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PaulZA

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#140630 15-Feb-2014 19:25
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Hi guys, I'm actually posting this on behalf of my neighbour.

 

 

 

She gave me a Western Digital 500gb, that a technician had removed, and said it had important files, and she'd like me to try to recover it, the HDD failed, (It's in it's warranty period too), and instead of the guy who replaced it, repair/replace the HDD, under the Western Digital warranty, he went and he sold her a whole brand new HDD, and told her something along the lines of "Look, we can't recover the data, but here, take your old HDD back, and we'll charge the full price for a new HDD, and the data is unrecoverable"

 

 

 

I'm considering sending the faulty drive into WD, to get replaced, but what is Western Digital's policy of the warranty peroid. I don't really care about getting the drive replaced, (Something I know the warranty definitively covers), but I want to know does Western Digital, cover the process of professional data recovery in the warranty too?

 

For those wondering what the issue is, the HDD is still detected at bootup, but it comes up with smart failure, and it slows the computer down to a crawl, and when Windows does eventually boot, the drive doesn't show up in my computer, and I haven't tested anything much further.

 

 

 

Can someone help?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

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Stu

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  #987956 15-Feb-2014 19:32
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Data is not covered by the warranty. That's what backups are for. Unfortunately your neighbour either needs to cover the cost or forget it and just do a warranty claim for the drive replacement and mark it down as a lesson learned.



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  #987965 15-Feb-2014 19:48
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Hard drives always fail eventually - it's like death and taxes.
No HDD manufacturer in its right mind would cover the cost of data recovery.




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  #987976 15-Feb-2014 20:16
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If the tech wasn't the one who sold the drive then it would not be possible without the original invoice to RMA the faulty drive, the tech did the right thing replacing it.

All manufacturers exclude data recovery from their warranty however 'some' may give the original drive back if you ask them so you can take it to a data recovery specialist.



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  #988025 15-Feb-2014 22:12
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First rule of computers - Back up your data regularly.
All hard drives will fail, it is just a case of when, I have HDD's fail out of the box, after 6 weeks and I have some 12 year old ones that work in my workshop.

If the data is not that critical you could try booting your computer with Ubuntu and reading the drive.

If the data is critical, dont try anything yourself you could make it worse, send it to a data recovery specialist, I use datalab in Newmarket.

Do not take it to an IT shop for recovery you need to take it to a recovery specialist.

Regards
John





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mattwnz
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  #988027 15-Feb-2014 22:15
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Sideface: Hard drives always fail eventually - it's like death and taxes.
No HDD manufacturer in its right mind would cover the cost of data recovery.

 They don't all get the opportunity to fail, as often people will throw them away before they fail. eg upgrade computer or upgrade harddrive size. Or people will just buy a new one after a period of time so they mimise the risk of them ever failing, and keep the old one in a box as an image.

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  #988029 15-Feb-2014 22:18
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Everything is described here..

http://support.wdc.com/warranty/policy2.asp


ADKM
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  #988062 16-Feb-2014 01:22
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  it would not be possible without the original invoice to RMA the faulty drive


This isn't my finding. No invoice has been needed...  the serial number determines eligibilty and can be confirmed on the manufacturers website.

 

All replacement are refurbished though, not 'new' drives.

 
 
 

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richms
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  #989268 17-Feb-2014 22:14
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I have had the worst luck with the replacement drives so dont bother anymore with warranty unless its at the shop for a brand new drive.




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  #989271 17-Feb-2014 22:19
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I find it amazing that end users don't do backups of important data, So many free online options

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  #989277 17-Feb-2014 22:28
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Its worth a go to download WD drive software, their version of Seagate Tools, etc, I have had a lot of success in recovering non backed up files. Sometimes all or most of them, the last time a few months back was only a handful of folders but the one that was needed. Off course it depends if the issue is a physical one, or messed up the data making it hardware ok but data screwed. Data can be recovered to a degree in some cases, even if you end up with a raft of recovery created folder names with those files recovered in them then thats something. But caveat emptor

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  #989300 17-Feb-2014 22:40
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johnr: I find it amazing that end users don't do backups of important data, So many free online options


For sure. Even for the basic users, keep all the user created files , photos, etc in My Documents, and back that one folder up to a flash drive or external. No excuse really. 

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  #989302 17-Feb-2014 22:41
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Flash drives are terrible backups, as they are modifiable so people will usually back up over the top of the old ones.




Richard rich.ms

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  #989305 17-Feb-2014 22:43
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richms: Flash drives are terrible backups, as they are modifiable so people will usually back up over the top of the old ones.


I don't disagree, but for basic users who just don't understand anything much, thats an understandable solution. Two externals ideally, they are cheap

richms
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  #989310 17-Feb-2014 22:45
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Not as bad as the people at tech that would work on files on their flash drive so effectively having no backup, no versioning and then act all surprised when they get laughed out of the office when they claim they have lost (sorry, "got stolen") the flashdrive with all their work on it.




Richard rich.ms

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  #989315 17-Feb-2014 22:46
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richms: Flash drives are terrible backups, as they are modifiable so people will usually back up over the top of the old ones.


What do you mean my modifiable?  

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