Hi friends, my hard disc has started to make very strange noises today !! I am afraid that it might die !!

I just checked it at the western digital website and they are showing that it is under warranty till 2012.

http://websupport.wdc.com/warranty/w...p?rnd=01990124

Select Serial No Model No Status Exp Date
WCANKF168356 WD2500KS-00MJB0 In Limited Warranty 5/9/2012†

Quote:

western digital WD 2500 KS WD Cavior SE16 MDL : WD250KS-00MJB0 DATE: 02 APR 2007 DCM : HSBHNT2AHN S/N : WCANKF168356 P/N : WD250KS-00MJB0

Other then this 250 GB hd, I am left with just one 80 GB hd, now what should I do. I wont be able to backup all the data on that disc

Please tell me some practical steps, which I should follow till my HD is working, I do not know when it could become 100 % dead. My major concerns are just these 2 :

1. Backup
2. Data destruction - "so that if I have to give this HD for replacement, then those guys are not able to find out or retrieve any data from it."
-- is there some way by which I could follow this data destruction/erasing step, even if the hard disc stops responding ! Is that possible at all.

What should I do, experienced friends please give me the step wise process.

Thanks a lot in advance.

PS -
Hopefully I will be able to get the new hd in replacement. Any guys have experience regarding Western Digital Replacements ? How long does it takes for that ? I am not aware if they have the service center in Delhi or not.

burn all imp. data on dvds its about to die, frank

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Use Acronis True image, it should solve all your problems.
Always use an External Hard disk that will save you from lot of problems.

http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/

Core Features and Technologies:

* Disk Imaging
Backup and restore the entire system on-the-fly.

* File Backup
Backup individual files, folders or file categories.

* TryandDecide
Safe environment for risk free testing of new software or visiting websites with potentially dangerous content.

* Acronis Startup Recovery Manager
Boot and restore a system without using an additional boot medium.

* Privacy tools
Thorough system cleaning and reliable data destruction of files, partitions, or volumes.

* Image Encryption with AES
Protect your backup data by encrypting with industry standard security tools.

* Reserve Backup Copy
Store multiple copies of the backup in another pre-defined location in a pre- selected format.

* SetandForget Backups
Configure once and perform backups automatically.

* Exclude files and folders
Back up only the data you want in order to save disk space.

* Incremental and differential backups
Acronis True Image Home 2010 gives you alternatives to performing full backups. You can also choose incremental and differential backup types. Both capture the changes made since the last backup, and with Acronis data compression, both save disk space.

* Live Backups
Keep working right through your backup for maximum convenience.

* One-Click Protection
Create a backup strategy of the system and implement it with just one click.

* Smart Scheduling
Run backups automatically at preset or elapsed time, when the user is idle, on user long/logout, on system startup/shutdown,or in coordination with other events.

* Acronis Secure Zone
Protect your system by saving an image to a special partition on your hard disk where it can be accessed when the system needs to be restored.

* Windows -Style Interface
The new, sleek interface of this product works on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 operating systems.

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Hi FrankTrader
True the data of formatted disks also can be recovered.
You need to use a 3rd party software to completely wipe-off the hard drive so that it cannot be recovered again..

Here's a link which has info about how to do it and few software names

How to "Wipe" Your Hard Drive Clean - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

FT, this reminds me of PT thread "Ram Naam "

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Originally Posted by frankTrader

Hopefully I will be able to get the new hd in replacement. Any guys have experience regarding Western Digital Replacements ? How long does it takes for that ? I am not aware if they have the service center in Delhi or not.

They do give replacement HDD's (usually new refurbished ones with reduced warranty). They would be of the same capacity as the one's you gave for replacement unless it's not being manufactured anymore.

I had bought 2 WD 320Gb SATA2 Hard Disks in 2008, both of which got replaced withing 3-4 months of buying them. The HDD's were purchased from different dealers and were different models.

They took 16 days for replacement of both HDD's (individual - one failed and the other failed after a few days - reason bad sectors.)

I then subsequently bought a Seagate 320Gb Sata2 HDD and a portable USB Power External 320Gb Seagate after both these HDD's got replaced.

It's more of a mix and match situation with Western Digital. Some models fail early and some work for years together.

I have stopped buying Western Digital altogether and would rather rely on Seagate now.

WD should have a service center in Delhi (probably Nehru Place). Call them on the following nos. phone nos : 1-800-11-93-93 or 011-26384700.

Also check out their support website for India
WD Support > Warranty Services > End User > Product Replacement for End Users

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Thank you so much dear friend for your help.

My Hd seems to be taking its last breaths now... thank god that it is still working. I have burned many dvd's today, keeping czar recommendation in my mind.

Raja, no doubt Acronis is the best. I am big fan of acronis since years. But in this particular case the problem was that the acronis secure zone was created on the same disc which is about to die now.

santoshkj, thank you for the link. I will definitely wipe my hd before submitting it for the replacement.

xyte, thank you for the detailed reply. I have searched about the WD address in Delhi and got the following information -

Quote:

Champion Computers Pvt Ltd. (WD Volume Distributor) 103 Madhuban Building 55 Nehru Place New Delhi - 110019 India Phone: +91.11.2621.4751 Fax: +91.11.4160.7099 http://www.champio nindia.com Western Digital, INDIA Toll Free: 1800 11 9393, 1800 200 5789 Alternate Number: 011 2638 4700 Mailto: wdexpress.india@wdc.com ; wdexpress@rteservices.com

Will inquire them to know how many days will it take for the replacement.

Since it is not possible to burn all the data on dvd's and my other HD is small in size, so I am thinking about purchasing a new HD now. So please suggest which one should I go for.

I think 500 GB would be sufficient for me currently, as 1 TB looks expensive.

Which company and hd model, offers good performance comparatively. Any important point that I need to keep in mind while making this purchase ?

Thanks and regards

Originally Posted by frankTrader

Since it is not possible to burn all the data on dvd's and my other HD is small in size, so I am thinking about purchasing a new HD now. So please suggest which one should I go for. I think 500 GB would be sufficient for me currently, as 1 TB looks expensive. Which company and hd model, offers good performance comparatively. Any important point that I need to keep in mind while making this purchase ? Thanks and regards

FT : No holy grail here. If i were you, i would be more worried about setting up all the software again!!!! .... Your choice .. you want to backup only Data or re-image the complete system.

I have had good experience with WesternDigital (WD). Buy the 2.5" one (it will be costly .. around 9K INR .. the 3.5" will cost around Rs.5000 but needs external power)

Someone already suggested using imaging software ;like Acronis. You have similar freeware available as well. I suggest using Acronis or BackupExec System Recovery (BESR) from Symantec. BESR supports dis-similar hardware and restore to virtual environment (like VMware).

If its external HDD, I got a 1tb Seagate 3.5" FreeAgent Desktop for a friend last week for 4600/- (all inclusive) from Lamington Road in Mumbai.

If it's an internal HDD, Seagate/Western Digital SATA2 HDD's - 500 Gb should cost around 2500/- wih 4% VAT extra.
Look out for the ones with 32mb buffer if possible. They should give you better performance.

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