Fourth hard drive failure in two years - digital imaging is NOT archival

[Superbaldguy]

One of my two Seagate FreeAgent Go 500 GB external drives is failing me, it still operates and I can access files, but it's error-prone and I cannot use the Stop feature for Safely Remove Hardware, I actually have to shut the PC down and disconnect.

I tried formatting the drive, that did not help.

I get a Write Delay Failure warning intermittently after the HDD is connected for awhile.

I have used SeaTools to diagnose the drive and contacted technical support, I am waiting to see if this is covered under Seagate's 5-year warranty. (it should be)

My newer FreeAgent Go is fine, at this point.

I have had no less than four drives fail on me in the last two years; two were external ones, one was a WD MyBook, and the original HDD in my Acer laptop died shortly after purchase.

I am totally appalled at the poor quality of these devices, they are not reliable in the least. I have not had a desktop HDD die on me, however, they seem to be more stable.

For long-term storage of my precious files, the hard drive is not a very good solution. The theme, of course, is back-up, back-up and back-up and be prepared to replace drives every two years or so.

I may start using optical media for storage, again, but that has its own issues as well and accessibility is difficult.

Discuss.

 

[suprchunk]

I run my computers 24x7 and have only had 2 failures - both Seagate. So I always get a little paranoid when I see these posts that my time may be coming up. And if you are relying on hard drive for saving valuable information you should always use raid. And use it in a separate enclosure that you are not running all the time.

Hopefully you didn't lose something irreplaceable.

 

[Anthony747]

Wow four drive failures in just two years! I've been using computers for over twenty years and only had one drive fail on me and that drive was seven years old. I hope your luck doesn't rub off on me by posting this.

 

[erewhon]

If you knew what was going on inside you would be astonished that they work at all.

Deal with it. That means: make backups.

 

[Douglas B]

In ALL my years of computing *I'm 38* I NEVER had a HD failure up until I bought a portable Seagate Free Agent last year. I've only ever heard bad things about that particular external HD. I know of another member here whom also had this happen to with that drive.

Comes with a 5 year warranty, but I think I just threw it away because I could not get customer service to acknowledge my existence. Never again for Seagate.

I'll stick with WD and I LOOOVE my new portable iOmega 500 gig Firewire (800 and 400) and USB drive.

Doug

 

[dt_sands]

I had 2 external western digital units (a 500 and 750 gig) just up and quit working.
I now have 3, 1 T drives. 1 on my system for weekly back ups, I off line spare that I back up monthly and have powerd off/in a box and one that I back up every couple months and keep at my In-Laws house as a "just in case" off site spare.
When I lost the first WD drive, I lost 173 GIG of music- I am still rebuilding my music collection!

I preach back up to all my family- my neighbors lost a HD on their computer, no back up and EVERY singlly item they had was gone! Back it UP....

 

[jorgensg]

Has anyone looked at or used something like DROBO (not advocating this product, just one that I know of and I am sure there are many more like it)? It is an external device that can hold several drives. It protects your data through RAID, I believe you can mix and match drive sizes (must be of same interface type), and I think you can even "archive" a drive, meaning put data on it, pull it out, put it on a shelf, in a safe, etc. and then install a new drive in it's place in the unit.

Was just curious if anyone uses this type of product and how they like it.

 

[D.RicPhoto]

You would be surprised how hot the the external drives can go. Heat is one of the big problems in hard drive failure. I only turn these kind on when backing up files. Also I tend to use an internal drive in a enclosure with a built in fan. These tend to stay cooler and I can connect them to the much faster eSata than USB. I keep my internal drives cool with a fan directly on the hard drive or with a fan blowing air directly on the hard drive with outside air. I have brought down drive temps from over 120 degrees to under 90.

 

[56 Chevy]

I have heard good things about the Drobo -- but do not have one myself
I also would like to hear from someone who actually has one

 

[TOLady]

My only HD failure was a few summers ago, a Maxtor unit. Lost a summer's worth of pics because they weren't worth the $2,700 I would have had to pay a lab to retrieve 'em. I'm using all WD internal and externals. My externals (except for the little Passports which I use for temporary storage) are enclosed in cases with fans. I only turn them on when needed. I also keep two separate backups on HDs, and keep one offsite.

 

[Max Power]

I am wondering what things will be like 100 years from now. When we went digital, we transitioned away from a format that once developed, required no further technology to exist. WWII Kodachromes are still floating around out there in shoeboxes.

What will become of the technology we are using today? I fear that we are using a temporary technology that may render us with a generation lost of images, even though there have never boon more images taken.

 

[Cheesecycle]

You would be surprised how hot the the external drives can go. Heat is one of the big problems in hard drive failure. I only turn these kind on when backing up files. Also I tend to use an internal drive in a enclosure with a built in fan. These tend to stay cooler and I can connect them to the much faster eSata than USB. I keep my internal drives cool with a fan directly on the hard drive or with a fan blowing air directly on the hard drive with outside air. I have brought down drive temps from over 120 degrees to under 90.

Excessive heat is definitely an issue, but frequent changes in temperature are also bad. As the materials inside the drive change temperature, they also expand/contract very slightly, and different materials do this to different degrees. As long as temperatures are kept within reason, it's generally better for a hard drive to be kept on 24/7. Obviously this isn't always possible, especially with external drives, but it's worth considering.

 

[Arthur Dent]

I've never (knock on wood) had a hard drive failure. In my current setup my oldest drive is 4 years old the other 3 are two years to three months old. I always use Western Digital, never did like Seagates.

 

[BobC]

Hard drives will fail. Optical drives are not a solution for most of us as they simply don't hold enough data for hundreds or thousands of photo files.

Along with local backup I'd suggest you try a service like Mozy or Carbonite that stores your data off site and backs up automatically or frequently.

 

[suprchunk]

I have heard good things about the Drobo -- but do not have one myself
I also would like to hear from someone who actually has one

Same here. I have heard nothing but good things about these. Actually I have heard one bad thing - PRICE! But the alternative, of losing critical data, seems much more expensive. I have been teetering on pushing the button on the purchase of one of these, or just building a dedicated backup server myself. Just seems way easier to get the Drobo. Dang this thread, now I'll probably end up getting it after all.

 

[Mr. Graceful]

I've been looking at Drobo too. They're relatively cheap now compared to what they were a few years ago. The great thing is that the drives are hot swappable, and you can mix and match drive sizes and manufacturers. $350 doesn't seem that expensive when you consider the peace of mind you're buying.

Of course, I haven't hit the check out button yet either . . .

 

[little big man]

Look at WD's line of enterprise hard drives and put them in a hard drive enclosure:

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=732

Always, always have multiple drives and don't store them all in the same place - if your house is burglarized or burns down, the best drives won't do you any good. Every drive is going to wear out eventually so the entire philosophy of backing up your data is a fluid, ongoing process.

I have over $1000 invested in drives - not much to pay for peace of mind when you're talking about all the irreplaceable images, videos, and documents that represent your life!

Sean

 

[suprchunk]

I've been looking at Drobo too. They're relatively cheap now compared to what they were a few years ago. The great thing is that the drives are hot swappable, and you can mix and match drive sizes and manufacturers. $350 doesn't seem that expensive when you consider the peace of mind you're buying.

Of course, I haven't hit the check out button yet either . . .

Well when I do hit the button, I'll be sure to report back.

 

[Free Range Otter]

My only computer is a three year old MacBook Pro without much hard drive space, which means all of my music and photography are on various external hard drives. They are all WD, consumer-grade, up to seven or eight years old, and I've had no failures (I GUARANTEE you that one or more just failed at home as soon as I typed that sentence). I find them reliable, but know that they will fail eventually, which is why everything is backed up onto a minimum of two drives, and sometimes three. No reason not to do it, and it really is cheap.

 

[Aleksey]

What about solid state HD? There is no moving parts, so it suppose to work forever?