Seagate 400gb USB External hard drive - faulty?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dom Robinson
  • Start date Start date
Dom Robinson said:
I hadn't thought about doing that, or suspecting the USB 2.0 might not be
activated as the Lacie was fine on the same port (round the back) and when
I've connected my MP3 player (Creative 60Gb Zen) to the front USB port it's
transferred songs across to it at the expected a song/second approx.

Anyway, then came the weirdest thing. I transferred a 100Mb file (well 99.9Mb)
from the Seagate to the internal drive and it took a ridiculous 10 mins 16 secs.
Click to expand...

148 kB/sec
I transferred the same file back to the Seagate (to another directory so it
didn't overwrite) and it took only a few seconds. Just to be on the safe side,
I had a 200Mb file to test so transferred that to the Seagate and it took a
matter of seconds too.
Click to expand...

Obviously not USB1 as that would take a minimum 2 minutes.
Realizing I had the option of Firewire on the Seagate, I unplugged the USB and
connected it via the Firewire (which after unplugging for the next USB test, I
realized isn't as hot-swappable and I had to plug the firewire cable into the
PC, then the Seagate and then switch the Seagate on - or at least that's how
it worked out for me), even though I know Firewire is about 4/5 the max speed
of USB2.0.

Time to transfer? 4 seconds!
Click to expand...

25MB/s. Not unsimilar to your HD Tach results.
Playing back the files that were giving me
trouble before were now an absolute dream! That nagging feeling of having to
send back the Seagate because it was playing up disappeared and was replaced
with elation.
Click to expand...
You, sir, are a genius!
Click to expand...

No, he's not, especially since he got most of his conclusions completely wrong.
Going back to the second USB test and I tried the Seagate in the front USB
port (one of three) with the same cable and it only took a few seconds.

I then connected the Seagate to the rear USB port (one of two, but the other's
taken with a Creative device for a wireless keyboard) with the USB cable from
the Lacie, which is much shorter, and the same 100Mb file transferred to the C
drive took 2mins 12secs.
Click to expand...

760kB/s.
Close enough to what is USB1's 800kB/s ceiling and what looks like the bottom
of that square hole in your HD Tach graph.
I'll monitor how things go over the next couple of weeks before I set about
returning the Lacie drive (just want to make sure all is well first - call me
paranoid :) but clearly I don't need things to run anywhere near the max USB
2.0 speed to play back the MPEG2 files but I'll most likely stick with the
Firewire connection.
Click to expand...

Use HD Tach to compare which interface has the least overhead. USB may have
the higher clockrate over a FireWire connection but what counts is what user
data rate remains after serial interface and command overhead are accounted for.
About the USB ports, could it be that at least one of the rear USB ports are a
bit on the crap side?
Click to expand...

Looks like it.
Strange also that one cable provides much better results (and better than USB1.1),
Click to expand...

If you mean that 2 minute over 10 minute event, then no.
The 2 minute 12 event was USB1.1 , spot on.
The 10 minute event may have run with the lowest USB speed of 1.5Mb/s.
but still not a patch on Firewire.
Click to expand...

Serial bus protocol and command overhead decide what part of the bandwidth is
left for userdata.
 
Dom Robinson said:
Are you posting to the right group?
Click to expand...

Congratulations. You've now been comprehensively diddled by comp.sys.ib
m.pc.hardware.storage's two trolls, Rod Speed and Ron Reaugh.

A killfile is a wondrous thing.
 
Congratulations. You've now been comprehensively diddled by comp.sys.ib
m.pc.hardware.storage's two trolls, Rod Speed and Ron Reaugh.

A killfile is a wondrous thing.
Click to expand...
I wasn't diddled by anyone. Ron Reaugh was way too obvious, and Rod Speed
solved my problem perfectly so I wouldn't put him in a troll category at all.
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor)
/* 1056 DVDs, 307 games, 163 CDs, 97 cinema films, 27 concerts, videos & news
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Use HD Tach to compare which interface has the least overhead. USB may have
the higher clockrate over a FireWire connection but what counts is what user
data rate remains after serial interface and command overhead are accounted for.
Click to expand...
Can you explain that in layman's terms as I haven't noticed any ill effects
after using Firewire.
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor)
/* 1056 DVDs, 307 games, 163 CDs, 97 cinema films, 27 concerts, videos & news
/* gta san andreas xbox, dr who finale, u2 live,in my father's den, halflife 2
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4
 
Nope, its the preferred approach connection wise for external hard
drives. The main problem is that its not as common as USB2 on PCs.
Virtually all come with USB2 now, not all come with firewire.
Click to expand...
Had the Seagate not come with Firewire as standard, I'd have made the same
choice to go with USB2.0 only again, not realising the problems that would
occur later and lead to this thread.

Life has a strange way of working out sometimes.
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor)
/* 1056 DVDs, 307 games, 163 CDs, 97 cinema films, 27 concerts, videos & news
/* gta san andreas xbox, dr who finale, u2 live,in my father's den, halflife 2
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4
 
Rod Speed solved my problem perfectly so I wouldn't put him in a troll category at all.
Click to expand...

If you pay any attention to this notorious troll, you will suffer the
consequences.

You have been warned.

--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

"The possession of arms is the distinction
between a free man and a slave."
-- Andrew Fletcher, Discourse on Government (1695)
 
If you pay any attention to this notorious troll, you will suffer the
consequences.
Click to expand...

I paid attention. I suffered the consequence of sorting out a problem that had
followed on from another problem, both of which got on my tit-ends incredibly
and which gave me some blessed relief after the best part of two weeks so I
was very grateful for his intervention.
You have been warned.
Click to expand...

Ooh, scared(!)

If Rod's still reading this can you drop me an email to the dvdfever address
below. I tried emailing you on the address you use on here but don't know if
that got through (I know I use a spamtrap so a lot of people might). Ta.
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor)
/* 1056 DVDs, 307 games, 163 CDs, 97 cinema films, 27 concerts, videos & news
/* gta san andreas xbox, dr who finale, u2 live,in my father's den, halflife 2
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4
 
Dom Robinson said:
I paid attention. I suffered the consequence of sorting out a problem that had
followed on from another problem, both of which got on my tit-ends incredibly
and which gave me some blessed relief after the best part of two weeks so I
was very grateful for his intervention.
Click to expand...

Since he got it almost completely wrong, all he did was snap you out of whatever
fixation you must have had with your problem, just by being the first to reply.
Anyone else would have tried different USB ports already, as that is the easiest
thing to do, especially when there are plenty to spare and even a FireWire port
as an alternative. Not to have already done that borders on the unbelievable.
 
If Rod's still reading this can you drop me an email to the dvdfever address
below. I tried emailing you on the address you use on here but don't know
if that got through (I know I use a spamtrap so a lot of people might).
Click to expand...

Nar, its valid, I just dont check it all that often, every few days.

I've replied to your email now that I just checked it.
 
Bob said:
If you pay any attention to this notorious troll, you will suffer the
consequences.

You have been warned.
Click to expand...

Don't worry, Bob. No one is paying attention to any of your "advise".
 
Don't worry, Bob. No one is paying attention to any of your "advise".
Click to expand...

I don't worry one bit. It's you who needs to worry.

And the correct word is "advice".

BTW, who gave you permission to speak for everyone on this forum?


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

"The possession of arms is the distinction
between a free man and a slave."
-- Andrew Fletcher, Discourse on Government (1695)
 
Since he got it almost completely wrong, all he did was snap you out of whatever
fixation you must have had with your problem, just by being the first to reply.
Anyone else would have tried different USB ports already, as that is the easiest
thing to do, especially when there are plenty to spare and even a FireWire port
as an alternative. Not to have already done that borders on the unbelievable.
Click to expand...
Well, it's a shame we can't all be as perfect as you(!)
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor)
/* 1056 DVDs, 307 games, 163 CDs, 97 cinema films, 27 concerts, videos & news
/* gta san andreas xbox, dr who finale, u2 live,in my father's den, halflife 2
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4
 
I don't worry one bit. It's you who needs to worry.

And the correct word is "advice".

BTW, who gave you permission to speak for everyone on this forum?
Click to expand...
Was it you, since that's what you're assuming.
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor), http://LeilaniWeb.co.uk (editor)
/* 1056 DVDs, 307 games, 163 CDs, 97 cinema films, 27 concerts, videos & news
/* gta san andreas xbox, dr who finale, u2 live,in my father's den, halflife 2
Fight back against "PRESS RED": http://dvdfever.co.uk/pressrel/pressred.shtml
DVDfever.co.uk on BBC News 24's Click Online! - http://tinyurl.com/2mqj4
 
I have the first generation of Seagate external drive (160 gb)
and that works beautifully.

I also have bought the Seagate 400gb external drive,
and I am severely disappointed by it and is mulling
a RMA. There are lot of complaints on the web on
this drive, and if you can get a refund, do it!!!
Click to expand...

I bought one, then read the reviews (wrong order, I know), and
returned it without even opening it.

I bought the Seagate 160G USB/FW drive instead, due to glowing
reviews. First one made funny noises and died whenever you moved the
case. Second one works fine, except the FW doesn't work. I got tired
of diddling with returns and kept it as is. My only complaint is that
it does its head-recalibration-whatever every 10 minutes; it's not
that loud, but it's still annoying, particularly when music is
playing.
 
I also should have noted that calling yourself "notorious" shows that
you have delusions of grandeur.
I don't worry one bit. It's you who needs to worry.
Click to expand...

Why? I've heeded your warnings...
 
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