ANY SUGGESTIONS MADE HERE ARE NOT SEAGATE AUTHORIZED YOU SHOULD ALWAYS FOLLOW SEAGATE TROUBLSHOOTING SUGGESTION AND CONTACT SEAGATE SUPPORT FIRST. IF YOU CHOOSE TO FOLLOW ANY SUGGESTIONS I MAKE YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK
1. I don't want to criticize Seagate. I do believe that their newer external Hard Drive are more fragile and require gentle handling.
I own a Seagate legacy 160 external drive that has a very solid heavy enclosure with full size USB connectors that has ran well for years and even survived falling off a desk a couple of times.
2. If your hard drive makes beeping sounds every couple of seconds or clicks that is not a good sign and you may have to pay huge $$$ to recover data (see Seagate info for USB powered drives to be sure it's not a cable or lack of sufficient power issue)
3. If you have loose or broken exterior connectors on your external drive enclosure there is a good chance the Hard Drive may be still good.
4. If you open the enclosure the official policy is that the warrantee is voided. They do allow you to send the drive to a data recovery company either Seagate or another certified company. You can then return the unit with the documentation from the data recovery company. This can cost from $600 to $2500
Alternative solutions if you really need the data but are only willing to pay $100 or less.
This was for my FreeAgent Desk 1 TB (beeping problem)
1. Contact technical support and their response is all you can do is return the item or send it to a data recovery company.
I found out that Computer Geeks will open the enclosure and attempt to recover your data for $100 if successful or no charge. They don't do intensive recovery but are sometimes successful. I took it to them in the Best Buy in Amherst, NY
I called Seagate technical support and ask them if they would honor the warrantee if I took it to Computer Geeks and they opened it. I had to talk to a supervisor who finally gave me permission to do so if I included a copy of the recovery order from Computer Geeks
Unfortunately they couldn't recover the data so I shipped the drive to the RMA address with a the repair form. I got my $100 back.
2. I have a FreeAgent Pro 500 GB USB and eSata connections. The USB connection got very loose and my computer would not recognize any connection. Seagate said I would have to send it back.
I strongly felt that the chances of the hard drive being OK was about 99% because I had never heard or experienced any sounds or problems from the drive before.
Computer Geeks said they would remove the hard drive from the case and hook it up just to confirm it was working that would cost $30 if it was. I called support and they said I could do that and they would honor the warrantee.
What I actually did and do not suggest that you do it. I opened it myself and installed it internally to my computer and it worked. I saved $30 but have no warrantee and would have been screwed if it didn't work.
You might want to have a approved company open it and if either it works you can copy the data or if it doesn't then return the unit for another.
My personal opinion recommendation is.
If you will not be moving the external drive around, the connecting cables are not subject to movement and you are very gentle then get a Seagate external drive.
But if you are like me who frequently moves the drive and the wires etc I strongly recommend buying an internal drive and a good solid sturdy exterior hard drive enclosure You now have a hard drive that has a warrantee and external case that may have a warrantee. Now if you accidentally break the connectors you most likely are only out the price of the case which can be replaced cheaply and you still have your data.
This is only my experience I can offer no assurances that Seagate will provide you with similar OK's etc You are on your own if you decide to follow any of these suggestions so CYA (cover your Axx)
My suggestion to Seagate is to consider more solutions to be able to offer the consumer in the future to these problems
Like one for example. The warrantee for external hard drive only covers complete replacement of a defective unit as stated in the current policy. {NOTE THE FOLLING IS JUST AN EXAMPLE AND IS NOT A CURRENTLY VALID OPTION) Seagate now offers an additional option. If you agree to pay $40 or so the company receiving the returns will remove your hard drive from the enclosure and if it works will return it to you in a new or refurbished enclosure. The cost will apply whether the damage to the enclosure and parts was do to defect or customer mishandling.
Make improvemnts to the connectors in the external drives..
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Message Edited by JimmyJams on 04-06-2009 05:03 PM
Message Edited by JimmyJams on 04-06-2009 05:08 PM
Message Edited by JimmyJams on 04-06-2009 05:09 PM
