Experiences with Seagate FreeAgent HDDs

[CharlesA]

Does anyone else have experience with these?

I've had a 1.5TB one for a while and haven't had any problems with it.

Unfortunately, the 2TB one I bought a week ago went **** up on me today. All I did was shutdown my server and move everything to another room. the only thing that the 2TB drive did was constantly flash the "panel" LED on the front when it was plugged in. Unplug it and the lights stop flashing.

Googling a bit turned up a few threads about how the drive is toasted, but checking on the seagate site and all they support is MacOSX and Windows. :confused:

At least the drive doesn't work on Windows either... so I get to RMA the bugger and send it to to be repaired or replaced.

Sorry for the rant.

[starcannon]

Does anyone else have experience with these?

I've had a 1.5TB one for a while and haven't had any problems with it.

Unfortunately, the 2TB one I bought a week ago went **** up on me today. All I did was shutdown my server and move everything to another room. the only thing that the 2TB drive did was constantly flash the "panel" LED on the front when it was plugged in. Unplug it and the lights stop flashing.

Googling a bit turned up a few threads about how the drive is toasted, but checking on the seagate site and all they support is MacOSX and Windows. :confused:

At least the drive doesn't work on Windows either... so I get to RMA the bugger and send it to to be repaired or replaced.

Sorry for the rant.
The good news is, it sounds like it's still under warranty.
The bad news is,if you need to recover your data, it may require voiding the warranty.

[CharlesA]

The good news is, it sounds like it's still under warranty.
The bad news is,if you need to recover your data, it may require voiding the warranty.

Ironically it was actually my backup drive. The data is still safe and sound on my file server. I guess it's better to have had to get toasted since it's under warranty and my server isn't dead. :P

[~sHyLoCk~]

I have a 1Tb external HDD.
From what I have found, external USB HDDs are ok. However, there are many well-known cases of segate internal hdd crashing, even my bro had to replace his hdd thrice in last 2 months.

Regards

[Gizenshya]

I had an external freeagent SATA 3.5" hdd... it worked on and off for a while, then had your symptoms. For a while I thought it died, but I later found out it didn't.

After talking with their rude and unhelpful tech support, I said screw the warranty, I'll fix it myself. After a couple days of tinkering, I found the root cause (a design fault). Seagate's tech support (including their tech supervisor) were all A-holes about the whole situation when I tried to tell them about it. I was like, I found a design flaw, and they were all high and mighty like "our products go through extensive testing, and there are no faults." I was like, uh... did you not hear what I just said. they went on, calling me a liar. So... I never told them the problem, or the simple solution I found :p

It is now over a year later and I use the drive daily. I won't do business with them again, and since they were so rude I'll let them figure out the problem with the drive.

Your problem might be different, though. For all I know, they've found the design flaw by now and fixed it.

I did finally get tired of the case and put it in a Rosewill case I bought. I love rosewill btw :D

[HappinessNow]

just bought 2 1 TB's no problems at all but after readings the negs, I decided to take the second one back, I've had a Toshiba for years with no problems.

[Exodist]

Seagates were known to be rock solid years back, but I guess with the fall of the economy its becoming common for them to be complete trash. Internal or external, they are the same drive under the case for the most part. Lower performance model, but only to keep heat down.

I would stick with Western Digital drives.

[fromthehill]

my boss had a broken seagate drive (buggy firmware)
fixed it with a nokia DKU-5 cable :P

[sdowney717]

I dony buy seagates, amd, ati, gigabyte since i have had trouble with them.
I do buy hitachi, WDC, Maxtor and have had no problems.

I looked around ans saw lots of complaints, there was a lot of trouble with large terabyte seagates having to do with bad firmware where the affected drives simply stop working. once they brick themselves they cant be fixed.

[fromthehill]

I looked around ans saw lots of complaints, there was a lot of trouble with large terabyte seagates having to do with bad firmware where the affected drives simply stop working. once they brick themselves they cant be fixed.
actually they can be fixed
(http://www.msfn.org/board/solution-seagate-7200-11-hdds-t128807.html)

[mivo]

I would stick with Western Digital drives.

I have had a couple of internal WD drives go belly up on me. I eventually settled for Hitachi, and never had any problems with those. But I think it's largely a matter of "luck" or the lack of it.

[pwnst*r]

I have a seagate 500GB external. one of these:

http://www.techfuels.com/attachments/everything-else/2159d1213187717-seagate-freeagent-pro-500gb-3-5-ext-hdd-seagate-freeagent-pro-500gb-hdd.jpg

and I must say.. it's a giant piece of ****.

[ratcheer]

I have also had a FreeAgent Desk 1.5 TB since early this year and it has been problem free.

Tim

[HappinessNow]

I have also had a FreeAgent Desk 1.5 TB since early this year and it has been problem free.

TimThanks for the reassuring post, I am beginning to worry; but I am still returning my second 1 TB seagate.

[CharlesA]

I got it cuz it was on sale >.> and they seem to be cheaper then WD by like 10-15 bucks overall. Get what you pay for and all that.

That and I haven't had any problems with my other FreeAgent. :lolflag: