WD USB 2.0 Passport 120GB Portable HDD care

[Dugie]

Hi,

I have Win2K pro, SP4 rollup.

In February '07, I bought a Western Digital USB 2.0, 120 GB Passport
Portable HDD, 5,400 rmp, from Costco. Preformatted as FAT32. Works great so
far, auto installed properly

Questions, not covered in any literature which came with the drive:

- run in horizontal position, or does it matter?
- How reliable is this spinning drive, especially drawing its power from
the USB port?
- Suppose it's wise to handle very carefully when plugged in?

The box states the included USB cable is 22", but it's only about 9". Got
to get that fixed.

I plan to copy files which came with the drive, to one of my fixed HDDs,
reformat the portable to NTFS. Copy files back.

Any suggestions about the drive or procedures?

Thanks!
Dugie

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi,

I have Win2K pro, SP4 rollup.

In February '07, I bought a Western Digital USB 2.0, 120 GB Passport
Portable HDD, 5,400 rmp, from Costco. Preformatted as FAT32. Works great so
far, auto installed properly

Questions, not covered in any literature which came with the drive:

- run in horizontal position, or does it matter?

Not unless it is required for proper cooling. The HDD itself can be
operated in any position. Is this a 2.5" HDD device? If so, cooling is
likely not an issue.

- How reliable is this spinning drive, especially drawing its power from
the USB port?

The source of power is not an issue. The reliability is that of
the drive. As with all digital storage except some high-reliability
media (MOD, maybe DVD-RAM, archival Tape), anything you have only one
copy of can be lost without warning. HDDs are pretty reliable today.
Still, they can fail and failure without warning is a real possibility.

- Suppose it's wise to handle very carefully when plugged in?

Yes. Although if it is a notebook HDD (2.5"), it may even survive a
small drop. Best not handle it at all while running.

The box states the included USB cable is 22", but it's only about 9". Got
to get that fixed.

A rip-off. Not unheard of.

I plan to copy files which came with the drive, to one of my fixed HDDs,
reformat the portable to NTFS. Copy files back.

Any suggestions about the drive or procedures?

Make a copy of the software to someplace else and try whether the
copy works. If it does, then use ordinary copy operations.

Arno

 

[Dugie]

Thanks for the reply.

Not unless it is required for proper cooling. The HDD itself can be
operated in any position. Is this a 2.5" HDD device? If so, cooling is
likely not an issue.

Not sure how to tell if it's a 2.5". The drive case measures:
5" w x 3.1" deep x 9/16" high. So it seems smaller than 3".

The source of power is not an issue. The reliability is that of
the drive. As with all digital storage except some high-reliability
media (MOD, maybe DVD-RAM, archival Tape), anything you have only one
copy of can be lost without warning. HDDs are pretty reliable today.
Still, they can fail and failure without warning is a real possibility.

I've learned today. MOD= media. magneto-optical disks.
I'm still vague on details. -

So you'd class this portable HD as a "regular" HDD, subject only to the
perils of any HDD.
That is reassuring. One copy is bad.

Yes. Although if it is a notebook HDD (2.5"), it may even survive a
small drop. Best not handle it at all while running.

Kind of common sense, I think, for dropping and handling.
Exception: the hated (to me) Iomega ZIP drive and it's click of death. I've
had three of 'em go that way. And I was careful. I called Iomega support
for help, and the guy was not helpful; said "You must be careful with ZIP
drives, you can't bump them, etc." Had me do a "test" while he listened to
the drive as it clicked, then said it wasn't the drive.

A rip-off. Not unheard of.

With WD? I'm surprised. I'll ask for the 22." But my error, it's not stated
on the box, but it's stated in the supplied booklet and in the WD Portable
QicGuide.pdf.

Make a copy of the software to someplace else and try whether the
copy works. If it does, then use ordinary copy operations.

Now I wonder if NTFS format is a good idea, since W2K is very hard to
restore from an OS crash, has no restore points. At least my NTFS Reader
freeware software can read from NTFS only, and copy to FAT32 only.
Decisions.

Arno

Dugie

 

[Arno Wagner]

Thanks for the reply.

Not sure how to tell if it's a 2.5". The drive case measures:
5" w x 3.1" deep x 9/16" high. So it seems smaller than 3".

The next form-factor is 3.5", which is about 1" in height. So this
is a 2/5" drive.

I've learned today. MOD= media. magneto-optical disks.
I'm still vague on details. -

So you'd class this portable HD as a "regular" HDD, subject only to the
perils of any HDD.
That is reassuring. One copy is bad.

Kind of common sense, I think, for dropping and handling.
Exception: the hated (to me) Iomega ZIP drive and it's click of death. I've
had three of 'em go that way. And I was careful. I called Iomega support
for help, and the guy was not helpful; said "You must be careful with ZIP
drives, you can't bump them, etc." Had me do a "test" while he listened to
the drive as it clicked, then said it wasn't the drive.

Ah, yes. I had one too. That was one badly designed product!
It basically destroyed itself.

With WD? I'm surprised. I'll ask for the 22." But my error, it's not stated
on the box, but it's stated in the supplied booklet and in the WD Portable
QicGuide.pdf.

Ah, ok. Then it is probably just a mistake.

Now I wonder if NTFS format is a good idea, since W2K is very hard to
restore from an OS crash, has no restore points. At least my NTFS Reader
freeware software can read from NTFS only, and copy to FAT32 only.
Decisions.

Well. I have my XP completely on FAT32 for easy beackups (I use
Linux for that). No issues so far. Partition size is limited to,
I think, 128GB, so that would still fit your drive.

Arno

 

[Dugie]

The next form-factor is 3.5", which is about 1" in height. So this
is a 2/5" drive.

It is 2.5", the WD tech confirmed.

support

Ah, yes. I had one too. That was one badly designed product!
It basically destroyed itself.

Good phrasing! It did destroy itself; either the drive, disk, or both.
Iomega's president? made some radio? announcement, that it would replace
those drives. But didn't happen, at least here in Canada.

Ah, ok. Then it is probably just a mistake.

I donno if it's a mistake. But the good news is that when I called
WD's tech line, Tamara apologized, and with no hassle, said she'd have a
replacement 22" cable sent by ground UPS, 2-3 day arrival.
I'm happy with WD. They continue to retain their good rep by backing their
products and giving good, polite service.
<snip>

I asked the tech Tamara my questions:

- drive position doesn't matter
- Yes, can handle a working drive, move around carefully, just don't drop
it.
- Vague on NTFS formatting, just said it's ok. But no mention of backing
up, then restoring, the OEM files, and I didn't ask.

Well. I have my XP completely on FAT32 for easy backups (I use
Linux for that). No issues so far. Partition size is limited to,
I think, 128GB, so that would still fit your drive.

I'm still trying to decide. FAT32 MAY offer better recovery for my W2K
Pro. I thought NTFS was much more efficient, has smaller cluster sizes,
allows more data storage (like much more summary data in .jpgs, and other
items).
There's a FAT32 4GB file size limit, which may affect sizes of backup
files.

Think I'll disable write caching on all HDDs to lessen chances of data
loss, and watch performance. It can't be enable on the portable.

Arno

Thank you for your ideas and support. A lot of this may be OT, but it's
fun.

Dugie

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

The next form-factor is 3.5",

Which is the platter size, babblebot, not the actual drive width.

which is about 1" in height.

And some of them are ~2/3 of that, 3.5" knows different heights.
Single platter drives don't need 1" height.

So this is a 2/5" drive.

Like there are no 2" drives, eh babblebot.
2.5" inch drives are 70mm wide, which only barely fits
that enclosure, with only 2-3 mm to spare at each side.

Like hell it is when the source of power is below par.

Don't tempt the babblebot.

Ah, yes. I had one too.

No. Really?

That was one badly designed product!

It basically destroyed itself.

Yeah, obviously harddrives don't do that. They live forever.

Ah, ok.

Isn't he flexible, our babblebot.

Then it is probably just a mistake.

Like you are, babblebot?

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

It is 2.5", the WD tech confirmed.

Good to know the world is still round and and physics still apply.

Good phrasing! It did destroy itself;

Uhuh. So everything else in your house that ever failed, you killed it, right?
Obviously that didn't destroy itself when it failed.

either the drive, disk, or both.
Iomega's president? made some radio? announcement, that it would replace
those drives. But didn't happen, at least here in Canada.


I donno if it's a mistake.

Yeah, now let's see babblebot make something up in between.

But the good news is that when I called
WD's tech line, Tamara apologized, and with no hassle, said she'd have a
replacement 22" cable sent by ground UPS, 2-3 day arrival.
I'm happy with WD. They continue to retain their good rep by backing their
products and giving good, polite service.

<snip>

I asked the tech Tamara my questions:

- drive position doesn't matter
- Yes, can handle a working drive, move around carefully, just don't drop it.
- Vague on NTFS formatting, just said it's ok. But no mention of backing
up, then restoring, the OEM files, and I didn't ask.


I'm still trying to decide. FAT32 MAY offer better recovery for my W2K
Pro. I thought NTFS was much more efficient, has smaller cluster sizes,
allows more data storage (like much more summary data in .jpgs, and other items).
There's a FAT32 4GB file size limit, which may affect sizes of backup files.

Think I'll disable write caching on all HDDs to lessen chances of data
loss, and watch performance. It can't be enable on the portable.


Thank you for your ideas and support. A lot of this may be OT, but it's
fun.

Thank you for entertaining the babblebot. It loves you.
It stays up days and nights on end, to be able to babble to you.

 

[Arno Wagner]

- Yes, can handle a working drive, move around carefully, just don't drop
it.

With a notebook drive, I tend to agree.

- Vague on NTFS formatting, just said it's ok. But no mention of backing
up, then restoring, the OEM files, and I didn't ask. [...]
Thank you for your ideas and support. A lot of this may be OT, but it's
fun.

Definitely!

Arno

 

[John Turco]

The next form-factor is 3.5", which is about 1" in height. So this
is a 2/5" drive.

<edited, for brevity>

Hello, Arno:

It should be readily apparent that the USB hard disk, in question, is
2.5" -- simply because the original poster ("Dugie") had mentioned it's
bus-powered.

DUH!!


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>

 

[Aidan Karley]

A rip-off. Not unheard of.

9 * 2.54 ~= 22
9 inches (American) ~= 22cm (rest of the world)
Considering the number of translated documents we see where the source
language was (approximately) Taiwanese, the target was English, and the
translator could handle Latin to Navajho via Serbo-Croat ... only. Well,
screwing up a units conversion is only to be expected.
And considering the normal standard of trnaslation (deliberate ! <G>),
you'd not be surprised to think that some people think that "in" is the
American abbreviation for "cm". After all, the number of letters is the same.

 

[Arno Wagner]

<edited, for brevity>

Hello, Arno:

It should be readily apparent that the USB hard disk, in question, is
2.5" -- simply because the original poster ("Dugie") had mentioned it's
bus-powered.

DUH!!

So what? I am not doing posting forensics here. If it requires
an exchange more, were is the problem?

Arno

 

[Arno Wagner]

9 * 2.54 ~= 22
9 inches (American) ~= 22cm (rest of the world)

Ahhh, good guess! That is probably what happened!

Considering the number of translated documents we see where
the source language was (approximately) Taiwanese, the target was
English, and the translator could handle Latin to Navajho via
Serbo-Croat ... only. Well, screwing up a units conversion is only
to be expected. And considering the normal standard of trnaslation
(deliberate ! <G>), you'd not be surprised to think that some people
think that "in" is the American abbreviation for "cm". After all,
the number of letters is the same.

And then there is the small problem that most places on this planet
use moderm SI units. There are just a few backward places left and not
everybody may know about their obscure measurement system....

Arno

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

So what? I am not doing posting forensics here.

Right you are: you are babblebot. Happily babbling without a clue, as always.

If it requires an exchange more, were is the problem?

No problem at all.
The more you show yourself clueless, the better, babblebot.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Ahhh, good guess! That is probably what happened!

Yeah, a real rippoff, like you said.

And then there is the small problem that most places on this planet
use moderm SI units.

Yeah, he obviously failed to mention that.
Good of you, babblebot, glad to know you are still awake and alert.

 

[Dugie]

9 * 2.54 ~= 22
9 inches (American) ~= 22cm (rest of the world)
Considering the number of translated documents we see where the source
language was (approximately) Taiwanese, the target was English, and the
translator could handle Latin to Navajho via Serbo-Croat ... only. Well,
screwing up a units conversion is only to be expected.
And considering the normal standard of trnaslation (deliberate !

you'd not be surprised to think that some people think that "in" is the
American abbreviation for "cm". After all, the number of letters is the same.

Levity, Aidan? lol.

I'll reply to one message in this thread to date, being unfamiliar with
this ng. I appreciate all the help, so thanks.
Canada is a mix of metric and "American" (British?) measure, damn the
Canadian governments swithering.

According to the WD tech Tamara, the cable IS supposed to be 22", as
mentioned in my post of Wed, March 21, 2007 6:53 PM. Tamara did not mention
cm at all.

Ending is happy, I get my cable. I'm still concerned about power supply to
this USB device, but can live with it. Unless it fails.

Dugie

 

[Aidan Karley]

Levity, Aidan? lol.

Ha ha, but serious.

Canada is a mix of metric and "American" (British?) measure, damn the
Canadian governments swithering.

We've been trying to exterminate Imperial measures (which I think is
what the Americans mistakenly call British measures) since I was about 3, and
I expect that we'll still be working on it when the stick me in the corner of
a field and plant a tree on top of me.

According to the WD tech Tamara, the cable IS supposed to be 22", as
mentioned in my post of Wed, March 21, 2007 6:53 PM. Tamara did not mention
cm at all.

Needless to say, you asked for a pre-paid envelope for sending the
short cable back, but they told you to keep it.
(Personally I find the shorter cables to be more useful. But then my
work/ travel bag carries the best part of a kilo of power leads, plugs,
adaptors, USB hubs, external hard drives ... )

 

[John Turco]

So what? I am not doing posting forensics here. If it requires
an exchange more, were is the problem?

Arno

Hello, Arno:

I was just pointing out that it couldn't have been a 3.5" drive.


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>

 

[Arno Wagner]

<edited, for brevity>

Hello, Arno:

I was just pointing out that it couldn't have been a 3.5" drive.

Yes, and I was pointing out that I did not read the posting
carefully. So what?

Arno

 

[John Turco]

Yes, and I was pointing out that I did not read the posting
carefully. So what?

Arno

Hello, Arno:

So, nothing. <g>


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>

 

[Arno Wagner]

<edited, for brevity>

Hello, Arno:

So, nothing. <g>

Ok. <g>

Arno