It's an internal 320 GB Western Digital Caviar SE. 7200 rpm, 8 mb cache. in an ADS enclosure.

Anyways, it stopped working. Windows says it is corrupted, but why I dunno.

I downloaded a trial for a Drive Recovery program, and it found all my folders and files so I know I can at least get my stuff back, I just don't want to pay $70 for the full version and a shitload for a new HD.

Any advice, or am I royally screwed?

At last resort I guess I can bitch at WD, since it still falls under warranty.

1/10/2007 8:44:48 PM

i'll recover all of your data for $35...if i don't recover it, you don't pay for anything

1/10/2007 9:10:55 PM

I'll do it for $34

1/10/2007 11:30:52 PM

$30

1/10/2007 11:34:44 PM

$29 and I'll give you free beer.*

[Edited on January 10, 2007 at 11:35 PM. Reason : * ID required for beer]

1/10/2007 11:35:05 PM

$20

1/11/2007 12:21:15 AM

Thanks for the offers, I might take you up on that after I figure out a new HD. (Unless you think you can fix mine.)

I guess I'll just hassle WD until they give me a replacement. I wonder if they will let me keep the broken one for data recovery.

1/11/2007 12:30:51 AM

bump for opinions on http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136047&ATT=22-136-047&CMP=OTC-PCMag

my only needs are:
cost<$250
size>200GB
usb2.0 support
this seems like a pretty good bang for the buck choice?

3/21/2007 11:29:21 AM

boot to a linux cd
mount the hard drive
see what you can get off of it

3/21/2007 11:33:06 AM

is there any way Western Digital could tell that I'd used a 3rd party data recovery program?

from the email they sent me:
"In order to retain the warranty on the hard drive, you must use a Western Digital’s authorized data recovery service company."

I can get them to send me a working drive now, then mail the old drive back and they won't charge me. I'd use a recovery program to transfer my data, , but I'm worried that they'll void the warranty if I do that.

Any advice?

Also, anyone here still willing to help me recover the data? (for a price, of course)

3/21/2007 3:38:52 PM

What will void the warranty is some unauthorized data recovery center (or say... you) breaking the physical warranty seals on the drive. A program isn't going to do that.

[Edited on March 21, 2007 at 9:18 PM. Reason : ]

3/21/2007 9:17:49 PM

ok, that makes way too much sense.

for some reason i was under the delusion that a consumer-grade data recovery program would leave some kind of warranty-voiding footprint on the drive.

i'm gonna get WD to mail me a new one ASAP.

3/21/2007 11:39:11 PM

Well they do try to sound scary and ominous with their "will void warranty" crap. There's a good chance they'll check the seals (80% maybe at best.) After that they may check to see it it mounts if they have a refurb program. Otherwise they'll destroy it and declare it a loss for tax purposes.

It would be a massive violation of privacy and HUGE PR snafu (if not outright illegal) for them to actually examine any data on your defective/damaged drive. If data recovery software did somehow leave some warranty voiding stamp, all you'd have to do is say "I'll create a blog about how you actively attempt to read data from returned hard drives and get it linked to slashdot or dugg" and they'd shit themselves. How many companies and individuals would purchase drives from a company that, even in an automated sense, examined the data on returned drive? Of course, I might be completely wrong because I've never seen privacy policies from hard drive manufacturers that say they can't look at your drive.

[Edited on March 22, 2007 at 12:01 AM. Reason : ]

3/21/2007 11:43:56 PM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817716019
has been an AWESOME enclosure. after I bought the first one to put my sister's external drive in (her drive had no ventilation and eventually failed) I fell in love and have bought 6 or 7 more for various needs at work and home. just throw whatever 300+gb drive is on sale at the time in it.

3/22/2007 10:35:00 AM