Another dead Seagate?
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From: Mike S. on 24 Dec 2009 11:20 Last night I turned on my infrequently-used Optiplex 755 with the intention of burning another DVD of last year's Christmas party. A few minutes later I cam back to see why it wans't at the Windows desktop. The system had hung just after POST. Rebooting and watching things during startup, I noticed huge pauses around the time of POST and then ... nothing. I checked the BIOS settings - the hard drive was detected at the expected size. It's a Seagate ST3250310AS - 250 GB. Fearing the HDD or controller might be bad, I tried to boot a few live WinPE-based CD's. All failed. Many just hung after loading files; one XP-based live CD consistently delivers a BSOD with the dreaded STOP 0x0000007B. Had a look inside - drive is powered, and all cables look OK. The ability to at least partially boot a CD leads me to believe it's the HDD and not the controller. Googled around and found lots of problem reports with this drive (well, actually, Seagate in general) including failures in as little as a few days after installation. One guy on Newegg said it was nearly impossible to get Seagate to RMA it, and takes forever to get action. Based on that, I'm kinda leaning towards just cutting to the chase and pourchasing a new drive. Have heard good things about some Samsung drives; also WD if not the best, at least has good warranty support.
From: Ben Myers on 24 Dec 2009 12:15 Mike S. wrote: > Last night I turned on my infrequently-used Optiplex 755 with the > intention of burning another DVD of last year's Christmas party. A few > minutes later I cam back to see why it wans't at the Windows desktop. The > system had hung just after POST. Rebooting and watching things during > startup, I noticed huge pauses around the time of POST and then ... > nothing. I checked the BIOS settings - the hard drive was detected at the > expected size. It's a Seagate ST3250310AS - 250 GB. > > Fearing the HDD or controller might be bad, I tried to boot a few live > WinPE-based CD's. All failed. Many just hung after loading files; one > XP-based live CD consistently delivers a BSOD with the dreaded STOP > 0x0000007B. Had a look inside - drive is powered, and all cables look OK. > The ability to at least partially boot a CD leads me to believe it's the > HDD and not the controller. > > Googled around and found lots of problem reports with this drive (well, > actually, Seagate in general) including failures in as little as a few > days after installation. One guy on Newegg said it was nearly impossible > to get Seagate to RMA it, and takes forever to get action. > > Based on that, I'm kinda leaning towards just cutting to the chase and > pourchasing a new drive. Have heard good things about some Samsung drives; > also WD if not the best, at least has good warranty support. > I, too, have had Seagate ST3250310AS drives fail, and Seagate got itself off my preferred list for SATA drives as a result. I have been sticking with WD lately with no problems to report. Seagate is still at the top of my list for SCSI drives... Ben Myers
From: Daddy on 24 Dec 2009 12:34 Ben Myers wrote: > Mike S. wrote: >> Last night I turned on my infrequently-used Optiplex 755 with the >> intention of burning another DVD of last year's Christmas party. A few >> minutes later I cam back to see why it wans't at the Windows desktop. The >> system had hung just after POST. Rebooting and watching things during >> startup, I noticed huge pauses around the time of POST and then ... >> nothing. I checked the BIOS settings - the hard drive was detected at the >> expected size. It's a Seagate ST3250310AS - 250 GB. >> >> Fearing the HDD or controller might be bad, I tried to boot a few live >> WinPE-based CD's. All failed. Many just hung after loading files; one >> XP-based live CD consistently delivers a BSOD with the dreaded STOP >> 0x0000007B. Had a look inside - drive is powered, and all cables look OK. >> The ability to at least partially boot a CD leads me to believe it's the >> HDD and not the controller. >> >> Googled around and found lots of problem reports with this drive (well, >> actually, Seagate in general) including failures in as little as a few >> days after installation. One guy on Newegg said it was nearly impossible >> to get Seagate to RMA it, and takes forever to get action. >> >> Based on that, I'm kinda leaning towards just cutting to the chase and >> pourchasing a new drive. Have heard good things about some Samsung >> drives; >> also WD if not the best, at least has good warranty support. >> > > I, too, have had Seagate ST3250310AS drives fail, and Seagate got itself > off my preferred list for SATA drives as a result. I have been sticking > with WD lately with no problems to report. Seagate is still at the top > of my list for SCSI drives... Ben Myers Funny...I just had my Seagate boot drive (different model) fail on me, barely two months after its warranty expired. (How do manufacturers manage that?) In my case, the platters still spun, but the drive was not recognized by the BIOS. (Something on the PCB overheated, is my hypothesis.) I was all backed up, so no big deal. I replaced it with a Western Digital drive. The point of all this being that when I first bought the drive, Seagate was everyone's favorite and WD was the whipping boy. Now it's the opposite. The hard drive business must be like Project Runway: One day you're 'in' and the next day you're 'out'. Daddy
From: lgreenwood on 24 Dec 2009 14:12 On Dec 24, 10:15 am, Ben Myers <ben_my...(a)charter.net> wrote: > Mike S. wrote: > > Last night I turned on my infrequently-used Optiplex 755 with the > > intention of burning another DVD of last year's Christmas party. A few > > minutes later I cam back to see why it wans't at the Windows desktop. The > > system had hung just after POST. Rebooting and watching things during > > startup, I noticed huge pauses around the time of POST and then ... > > nothing. I checked the BIOS settings - the hard drive was detected at the > > expected size. It's a Seagate ST3250310AS - 250 GB. > > > Fearing the HDD or controller might be bad, I tried to boot a few live > > WinPE-based CD's. All failed. Many just hung after loading files; one > > XP-based live CD consistently delivers a BSOD with the dreaded STOP > > 0x0000007B. Had a look inside - drive is powered, and all cables look OK. > > The ability to at least partially boot a CD leads me to believe it's the > > HDD and not the controller. > > > Googled around and found lots of problem reports with this drive (well, > > actually, Seagate in general) including failures in as little as a few > > days after installation. One guy on Newegg said it was nearly impossible > > to get Seagate to RMA it, and takes forever to get action. > > > Based on that, I'm kinda leaning towards just cutting to the chase and > > pourchasing a new drive. Have heard good things about some Samsung drives; > > also WD if not the best, at least has good warranty support. > > I, too, have had Seagate ST3250310AS drives fail, and Seagate got itself > off my preferred list for SATA drives as a result. I have been sticking > with WD lately with no problems to report. Seagate is still at the top > of my list for SCSI drives... Ben Myers I can remember the time when seagate ruled...It was a happy day for me when I was able to upgrade my Kaypro 10 meg to a seagate 20 meg harddrive for a mere $600. I remember some friends cautioning me about storing so much data on a drive. Of course backup in the early 80s was hardly on anyone's mind, except for businesses running mainframes. Larry
From: lgreenwood on 24 Dec 2009 14:55
On Dec 24, 10:34 am, Daddy <da...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > Ben Myers wrote: > > Mike S. wrote: > >> Last night I turned on my infrequently-used Optiplex 755 with the > >> intention of burning another DVD of last year's Christmas party. A few > >> minutes later I cam back to see why it wans't at the Windows desktop. The > >> system had hung just after POST. Rebooting and watching things during > >> startup, I noticed huge pauses around the time of POST and then ... > >> nothing. I checked the BIOS settings - the hard drive was detected at the > >> expected size. It's a Seagate ST3250310AS - 250 GB. > > >> Fearing the HDD or controller might be bad, I tried to boot a few live > >> WinPE-based CD's. All failed. Many just hung after loading files; one > >> XP-based live CD consistently delivers a BSOD with the dreaded STOP > >> 0x0000007B. Had a look inside - drive is powered, and all cables look OK. > >> The ability to at least partially boot a CD leads me to believe it's the > >> HDD and not the controller. > > >> Googled around and found lots of problem reports with this drive (well, > >> actually, Seagate in general) including failures in as little as a few > >> days after installation. One guy on Newegg said it was nearly impossible > >> to get Seagate to RMA it, and takes forever to get action. > > >> Based on that, I'm kinda leaning towards just cutting to the chase and > >> pourchasing a new drive. Have heard good things about some Samsung > >> drives; > >> also WD if not the best, at least has good warranty support. > > > I, too, have had Seagate ST3250310AS drives fail, and Seagate got itself > > off my preferred list for SATA drives as a result. I have been sticking > > with WD lately with no problems to report. Seagate is still at the top > > of my list for SCSI drives... Ben Myers > > Funny...I just had my Seagate boot drive (different model) fail on me, > barely two months after its warranty expired. (How do manufacturers > manage that?) > > In my case, the platters still spun, but the drive was not recognized by > the BIOS. (Something on the PCB overheated, is my hypothesis.) I was all > backed up, so no big deal. I replaced it with a Western Digital drive. > > The point of all this being that when I first bought the drive, Seagate > was everyone's favorite and WD was the whipping boy. Now it's the > opposite. The hard drive business must be like Project Runway: One day > you're 'in' and the next day you're 'out'. > > Daddy You are right, there is an ebb and flow on hard drives issues. And yes, I have read some not so favorable reviews about some models of WD drives a while back. When I recently bought a Optiplex 360 last summer, there was a notice from somewhere, I think the Dell website, about seagate drives in the 250 gig size being a problem. But the seagate 320 gig drives were ok according to the source. So I had my new Optiplex configured with two seagate 320s and so far so good. Larry |