Failed Hard Drives, your data and RMA's

neocon · 16 Feb 2008 at 18:53

If your HD fails and you want to take advantage of the warranty would you send it back considering it has your personal data on it?

Obviously you'd try to format it first right?

Anyone had any experiences of this?

basmic · 16 Feb 2008 at 20:15

As it happens, I have had an experience of this.

This happened a few years ago. I shutdown XP as normal, and turned machine off. Did what I had to do, and powered the beast on again - but it wouldn't recognise the backup harddrive (IBM Deskstar 120GXP (?)). :eek:

After giving up hope, I slammed it in the freezer for an hour - put it in the machine, no go. I was pretty annoyed by then, and given up all hope. Went out at about 5pm, left the drive on the table - came back at about 10:30pm the same evening, and in a last hope attempt I tried again. This time it worked! :cool:

So I just copied everything from that drive, and made sure I had a backup of the drive. The drive then spent it's final hours writing random garbage to itself, until it conked out sometime during the early hours of the morning.

After that, I just RMA'd it to IBM.

neocon · 16 Feb 2008 at 22:04

im concerned about the sensitivity of the data

mks2005 · 16 Feb 2008 at 22:14

Apparently the first thing the manufacturer will do is completely wipe the disk.

I'd think they'd have a fairly strict policy on this but who knows.

Vimes · 16 Feb 2008 at 22:16

neocon said:
im concerned about the sensitivity of the data

Use something similar to this utility...

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

If you can't use the above, due to the hard drive being totally none inaccessible by any means, then decide what is more appropriate to you. Sending it back and potentially compromising your data or destroying the hard drives platters and writing it off as a loss, but keeping your data confidential.

Energize · 17 Feb 2008 at 00:10

neocon said:
Obviously you'd try to format it first right?

I don't think formatting would do much.

basmic · 17 Feb 2008 at 10:46

You can always try a Bulk Eraser (BOFH).

MTWest · 17 Feb 2008 at 14:07

Data Protection Act? Surely the manufacturer would get done over that if they take a peep at it.

How sensitive is your data? Or are you just being paranoid?

C4EVA · 17 Feb 2008 at 14:16

The only personal data I would be worried about are my online banking details.
However I keep these in a heavily encrypted rar file so no chance anyone getting access too them.
Just do a low level format if possible and send it back.

neocon · 17 Feb 2008 at 15:31

im just thinking about how 3 yr warranty is tauted as a positive vs whether id use it in practice

sosrandom · 17 Feb 2008 at 17:05

Data protection act doesnt mean they cant look at it if they want to, wouldnt be supprised if some people do either, when they've got nothing better to do. However the amount of repairs they get im sure there not going to bother when theres unformatted drive being sent them.
Also if your sending it back then it probably not gonna be that important.