2nd Hardrive!!

up2nogooduk · 17 Feb 2009 at 22:40

This is going to be my 2nd Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (ST3500320AS) hardrive that has messed up. for so unknow reason, i just rebooted (liked last time) and it just wouldn't find the hardrive.
Just had to to a RMA it. what i do notice, my hardrive (just like the last one) just seems like it's doing something all the time, even when i don't have anything running. this is even after so many formats and reinstalls. then it will stop for a while. then later start again. odd... and now it's buggerd again.
Good job i have a back pc

up2nogooduk · 17 Feb 2009 at 22:43

P.s. should i get a cheap one to use as a back up ? if so, coz someone be kind to show me a link on how to set that up, as now i've lost all my work.. bad me

Thanks

Monkeynut · 17 Feb 2009 at 22:50

I got a 7200.12 as a replacement

they don't have the issues AFAIK.

PCDave · 17 Feb 2009 at 22:56

dont get a cheap drive for back up man! get a F1 there good drives and should be more than adequate

up2nogooduk · 18 Feb 2009 at 00:29

Monkeynut said:
I got a 7200.12 as a replacement they don't have the issues AFAIK.

I just looked, and they don't have the sameone as mine.
Wonder what the're give me.
I like the look of this,
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-168-SE

go on O/C, send one of those as a replacement plz

lol

These better then the Seagate Barracuda
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-053-SA&groupid=701&catid=14&subcat=

This be ok for a back up then ?
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-064-SA&groupid=701&catid=14&subcat=
and how are you meant to set it up. also, if that happend again, how would i put all that stuff that's on the backed up drive, onto a new one.
i have a lot of info on my broken drive, would it be in safe hands when O/C take it ? what i mean is, could someone still get my info off there ?

Cheers

ChrisLX200 · 18 Feb 2009 at 02:52

I think your backup drive need be a bit bigger, it has to be big enough to take 2 copies of everything you want to backup (done properly).

1TB F1's are OK, not something I would buy but others seem to like them.

Yes, someone else can recover your data quite simply if they put their mind to it - the failure sounds like the current bricking problem certain Seagates currently suffer from. It's easy for someone that knows what they're doing to un-brick it. I have no idea what OcUK do with RMA'd drives which are faulty - return them to Seagate for a refund I guess.

up2nogooduk · 27 Feb 2009 at 15:48

Monkeynut said:
I got a 7200.12 as a replacement they don't have the issues AFAIK.

Got email saying there sending me a **B Grade** Seagate Barracuda 7200.11500GB SATA-II 32MB for a replacement.
B GRADE ?,
I thought a B GRADE was something that has a little problem with ?

I just spent a lot of money with them again, and they send me that lol and you got 7200.12 as a replacement, lucky u lol :eek:

lol

Cheers.

ChrisLX200 · 27 Feb 2009 at 15:53

'B' grade stuff isn't faulty in any way, it might be missing packaging, or leads, or some other superfluous bits but there's no problem with the hardware. I don't know why they bothered to even tell you it was 'B' grade...

up2nogooduk · 27 Feb 2009 at 15:56

Oh right, so that's what a B GRADE is.
Didn't think they did that drive on here anymore.
Should i get another one a do raid0?. never tried raid before. will i notice a lot more speed ? or is it a wast of time. ?

Cheers

ChrisLX200 · 27 Feb 2009 at 16:09

RAID0 is faster and you would notice the difference, but it's less reliable than a single drive. There's a real danger of losing everything on both drives if it screws up. If you do decide to use it you must have a good backup strategy in place, and that means buying another storage drive to hold the backups. If you're not prepared to backup regularly I would advise against it.

up2nogooduk · 27 Feb 2009 at 16:16

ChrisLX200 said:
'B' grade stuff isn't faulty in any way, it might be missing packaging, or leads, or some other superfluous bits but there's no problem with the hardware. I don't know why they bothered to even tell you it was 'B' grade...

ChrisLX200 said:
RAID0 is faster and you would notice the difference, but it's less reliable than a single drive. There's a real danger of losing everything on both drives if it screws up. If you do decide to use it you must have a good backup strategy in place, and that means buying another storage drive to hold the backups. If you're not prepared to backup regularly I would advise against it.

I like to do it.
So when you set up RAID0. can windows be installed before you set up rai0?
Or do you have to set raid up first ?
and with the 3rd drive, do you just copy C:/ drive in windows, and past it onto the 3rd drive ? every week or so, or whatever days you choose etc?

Thanks a lot

ChrisLX200 · 27 Feb 2009 at 18:03

You have to create the RAID0 array in BIOS first then load the RAID drivers during the Windows install process. Vista comes with some RAID drivers, WinXP you have to press F6 at the beginning to load the drivers off a floppy. There are other slightly more complex methods (like slipstreaming the RAID drivers into a copy of the Windows install disk). If you're going to boot from the RAID array you have to do this otherwise the Windows install will not see your RAID drive.

The backup drive is a normal single drive, but you need to create a disk 'image' rather than copy files onto it - the image contains system files that you cannot normally copy, and also the boot sector. If you have to restore the RAID because it failed you just restore the entire disk image and it's quickly back how it was. You create images using software like Acronis or Ghost.