Bad external hard disk

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sanford Aranoff
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Sanford Aranoff

Got a new XP. After a week, my external hard disk went. "The drive
requires service". It is under warranty. However, to speak to Dell, one
has to wait 85 minutes or so.

A few questions that maybe someone knows:

1. How does an external hard disk go bad after one week?
2. Is it possible a power surge did it? I made a mistake and put the
power cord in a surge protector rather than in my UPS system.
3. Is is possible that shutting off the external drive with the power
switch rather than pressing "Safely Remove Hardware" could damage the
physical drive?
4. If I return the drive to Dell and get another, can they get access to
my data on the drive? It may be worth it for me simply to buy another
drive, even if this is under warranty.

Thanks.
 
Replied in-line

Sanford said:
Got a new XP. After a week, my external hard disk went. "The drive
requires service". It is under warranty. However, to speak to Dell, one
has to wait 85 minutes or so.

A few questions that maybe someone knows:

1. How does an external hard disk go bad after one week?
Click to expand...

Statistically possible. Any electrical device can go bad, within
seconds, minutes, days, etc., or never.
2. Is it possible a power surge did it? I made a mistake and put the
power cord in a surge protector rather than in my UPS system.
Click to expand...

Should not have been a factor.
3. Is is possible that shutting off the external drive with the power
switch rather than pressing "Safely Remove Hardware" could damage the
physical drive?
Doubtful.

4. If I return the drive to Dell and get another, can they get access to
my data on the drive? It may be worth it for me simply to buy another
drive, even if this is under warranty.
Click to expand...

Sure it can be done but a reputable outfit will probably
not violate a customer's privacy. OTOH, if there is serious
concern about the contents in the external HD, then do not
make a warranty return.
 
Got a new XP. After a week, my external hard disk went. "The
drive
requires service". It is under warranty. However, to speak to
Dell, one
has to wait 85 minutes or so.

A few questions that maybe someone knows:

1. How does an external hard disk go bad after one week?
2. Is it possible a power surge did it? I made a mistake and
put the
power cord in a surge protector rather than in my UPS system.
3. Is is possible that shutting off the external drive with
the power
switch rather than pressing "Safely Remove Hardware" could
damage the
physical drive?
4. If I return the drive to Dell and get another, can they get
access to
my data on the drive? It may be worth it for me simply to buy
another
drive, even if this is under warranty.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Herer are the answers in conalogical order:

1. If you drop it.
2. Yes, but unlikly if you pluged it into a serg protector
3. No, that only stops all data transfer beween the computer and the
hard drive to avoid data coruption.
4. Depending on the sate of the drive, it is entierly posible that
then can access the data on the drive.
 
Two possible ways for failure. In a wafer of 200 ICs, one
may be manufactured marginally (a statistical probability).
It will test OK (which only demonstrates what W. E Deming says
about testing for quality). The defect appears later. Most
defects appear in the first hours or weeks of operation. They
are called 'infant mortality'. But this type failure is a
manufacturing weakness or defect.

Second is called overstress. One classic example would be
created by static electricity in an air conditioned room while
standing on a carpet. Once static electricity has passed from
human through the electronics, then the overstress appears
hours or weeks later as a hardware failure.

Both type of failures are more common. However the naive
will then hype some mythical surge and call for surge
protectors. In reality, a surge protector adjacent to
electronics can even contribute to damage of that
electronics. Protectors adjacent to electronics do nothing
effective. Protectors that are effective cost less, last
longer, and are located elsewhere in the building.

What is the protector inside a UPS? Same circuit also found
in power strip protectors. Notice the specs. Both devices
measure protection circuit using joules because both have the
same ineffective protection circuit.

Surge damage is rare. Destructive surges occur typically
once every eight years. However the naive tend to be quick to
blame surges rather than infant mortality or overstress.

You did not say how the external drive was connected - what
type of port. Therefore nobody can say how disconnecting may
or may not cause hardware damage. However, it is advisable
that computer peripherals share the same wall receptacle so
that one of the redundant hardware protection layers is not
compromised.
 
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