New Harddrive broken

muletide

I am not sure if this is a tech or consumer issue but here goes

I treated myself to a 1TB multimedia harddrive over christmas as I already had:

1. A 250gb Multimedia drive - Full
2. An old Laptop - 200gb - full
3. A hardrive from another laptop - also full 200gb

Spent the christmas transferring photos/videos and music to my new drive - about 650gb in total, only for it to stop working last weekend. On the TV I cannot access any files, it makes a clunking noise but I can access them on my PC (so will be able to transfer them to another drive).

I still have the receipt for the Harddrive so I expect a replacement But when I go into the shop how do I explain that I want a new one but want to bring home the old one to transfer my stuff (before returning it after) without it sounding like a scam

I cant afford to loose all my stuff (although the really important stuff is backed up). And I dont have the anywhere else to transfer it until I get a new drive

Anyone ever dealt with this before

IsThatSo?

If its a PC shop they might transfer the files for you?? Least they could do..............................

Or else bring your laptop with you and transfer them at the shop :eek:

muletide

Thanks for the reply - But, transferring 650Gb thats at least an overnight job if not alot longer

IsThatSo?

Yep, thats why I put the :eek: in.

Still worth asking if the shop would do it though, if they refuse to let you bring the damaged item home to transfer the data. They will probably try and charge you for the service (cough splutter choke) but seeing as how you have been hugely inconvenienced by this problem they really should facilitate you.

Where did you buy?

muletide

Peats

IsThatSo?

Never bought anything there myself, do they offer any kind of tech/repair service for pcs etc?

muletide

Not sure - think they are just sales. This is turning into a serious pain in the hole though

IsThatSo?

Better go ask them.........................

If you offered a "deposit" on the damaged HD they might let you take it away...................thats just thinking out loud though......................

jor el

Is the stuff not on the original drives still? If not, can you transfer them back?

Also, transferring from one external drive to another, over USB, would be slow, but if you transfer from an external to an internal, then back to the other external, it will be far quicker.

With 200GB on the laptop, you could transfer maybe 100GB at a time, each taking only a matter of minutes (assuming it's a USB2 laptop) to transfer on and then back off to the new drive.

Other than that, I doubt the shop would allow you to take both original and replacement drive away, unless you leave some sort of deposit with them.

Kintarō Hattori

I'm sure if you ask nicely enough Peats will do it for you. :P

Cabaal

This is why I have two 500GB which I now use for backing up, all my photos, music is copied to one and then the other so if one fails I should be able to recover everything of the other without any issues

rubadub

IsThatSo? wrote: »

Never bought anything there myself, do they offer any kind of tech/repair service for pcs etc?

I reckon peats would be sound enough. If I had to pick one place in dublin to have bought a faulty HD I would pick them!

I think they do repairs, they used to have a reputation for knowing their stuff. I think it might be split between to brothers, one is more electronic components etc, think they are around the corner, this might be the repair stuff.

I would go in early and leave it there, then come back later after shopping and they should have it done.

Or do the deposit thing as mentioned. Doesn't matter if the new one you get gets a scratch since I guess it will be that one they will be replacing the broken one with.

lynchie

Most of the main HDD manufacturers will allow you to download a diagnostic util for the drive to determine its status. If it fails, you have two choices.

1 - Supply CC details and they will dispatch a new drive to you. You have 30 days to return old drive from the date you receive the replacement. If you don't send it back or you send it back and the diagnostic program doesn't find a fault they will charge you for the replacement drive.

2 - Send the drive to them, when they receive it and test it they will send you a replacement drive. (No need for Credit card this way).

cros13

That drive is probably dying.
Get anything you need off it as quick as possible.

If it gives up the ghost before you get the data off you
can use the old techie's trick for reviving a dead drive
temporarily.

Take a freezer bag and pop the drive in along with a
sachet of silica gel to prevent moisture issues.
Double bag it to be sure it's sealed.
Pop the drive in the freezer for 4-5 hours.

Connect the drive again and get the data off quick as you
can.