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General discussion

What to do with damaged hardrive

Jan 4, 2011 5:45AM PST

I have a damaged Western Digital hardrive it will no longer work in the computer, it is under warrenty and they have agreed to replace it, my problem is they require I send them the damaged one before they will replace it, at first this seems fair until you consider the hard drive is full of data including all my bank details, paypal account details, credit card details etc also sensitive data related to software I was writing for a financial investment company.
Obviously just because this hardrive doesnt work in my computer does not mean data could not be retrieved from it, the warrenty on the hardrive is voided if I open the hardrive so there is no way to destroy the platters to make them unreadable. Obviously I want this hardrive replaced under its warrenty, but at the same time I don't want 500 GB of my personal data floating around where others may gain access to it. What should I do ?

Discussion is locked

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GIven the cost of a 500GB HDD....I'd skip the
Jan 4, 2011 6:30AM PST

warranty, replace the drive and work out a way to disassemble the drive and destroy the platter/disks.

Sad drive mfgs don't/won't offer to return defective HDDs along with the replacement drive after determining the returned drive was defective under warranty replacement. Looks like a way to win customer loyalty to me after the product failure.

VAPCMD

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Magnets ?
Jan 4, 2011 9:03AM PST

yes your probably right replacing it myself might be the only safe option. I was hoping there might be some way to destroy the data on it without opening in and without having access to it from a computer, maybe with magents or some other means I have no idea what would work though, or if anything would at all even.

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Magnets would work if powerful enough. Just not sure
Jan 4, 2011 9:28AM PST

what it would take....so for now I'd just disassemble. How many things do you get to pull apart, see the innards and then destroy it ? Who knows maybe there's some theraputic benefit from doing that.

VAPCMD

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WD writes.
Jan 4, 2011 9:34AM PST
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=997&p_created=1053637589&p_sid=vNCkbgjk&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_srch=1&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MSwxJnBfcHJvZHM9MjI3LDMwNSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9Mi4zMDUmcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1wcml2YWN5&p_li=&p_topview=1

"Question
What happens to the data on the drive I sent in for replacement and can I retrieve it?
Answer


Customer confidentiality is a priority to Western Digital. When a drive is received at our facility, it is put through a rigorous testing process for analysis. During this process, all data on the drive is completely erased, and therefore irrecoverable.

Consequently, if you need to recover the data on the drive, you must do so before returning the drive to us. As was stated in the above paragraph, once we receive the drive, all data is completely erased and irrecoverable. If you need data recovery, please click on the link below for a list of WD data recovery partners. Once they recover your data, you can then send the drive in for replacement."
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(NT) Good info....Thanks Bib !
Jan 4, 2011 6:54PM PST
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What's works for you?
Jan 5, 2011 12:38AM PST

The warranty works if you send it in for replacement, DATA ISN'T covered. That's all part of the misery of such situations. Now, you know the value of back-ups. If you had a recent back-up you simply destroy the HD and be done with it as the data appears very important to you and the cost of the HD replacement is minor in that light.

If the HD is physically damaged, there isn'ty anything you could do to recover said data. Even, if somehow workable it becomes a PITA using whatever s/w and that usually means, "commercial s/w" to access such data. The cost is getting bigger already. Then if safe enough" return for warranty replacement. Google for recovery s/w.

As in the fable, don't be like the "monkey and orange", let it go, buy another HD. Maybe, you can recover data still within the warranty time frame and then return the HD.

FYI- I brought an int. 1Tb HD for $79 on sale.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Thanks for the replies
Jan 9, 2011 5:16AM PST

Thanks everyone who replied. Thankfully the important data on the drive was backed up so retrieving the data is not an issue for me. It is reassuring to know WD erases replaced drives as a part of their standard procedures so hopefully any sensetive data on them should not end up in the hands of the unscrupulous.

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Pretty Good
Jan 14, 2011 10:03PM PST

Hi,
I have used the wd rma process before.
I am located in Quebec. They were pretty good.

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What I do with damaged hardrives
Jan 14, 2011 10:41PM PST

Search for software called spinright. www.grc.com This has fix many dead drives for me. Then if you still want to send it back. Run a Live CD that will wipe the data on boot. Note remove other drive before this. Or risk losing all your info.

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hd freeze method
Jan 14, 2011 10:52PM PST

since the drive is defective it is possible to freeze the drive for several hours in a freezer. then install into your compuuter and format the drive this should destroy the data..

also you might be able to access some data on it before it heats up...for some reason the freeze method has worked..

with sensitive data I would just buy another non WD HD>>>>>>>

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Deleting data
Jan 15, 2011 5:18AM PST

I just noticed this is an old thread - dont know what
you did to get rid of your data b4 returning it - but
the best and fastest - very complete is with a good
size magnet. this will also render the drive unusable.
Back in the early days when drives went out more often - especially WD's - if it was an intermittent thing, the teck dept there would say there was nothing wrong with it and return it - so I started using the magnet - never had a problem after that getting drives swapped.
Place the magnet on the outside of the case for about an hour - positioned to hit the disk surface that you have to imagine where it is. then flop the drive over and put it on the chips on the circuit board for a minute or so. One very dead drive !

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Deleting data methods
Jan 15, 2011 9:25AM PST

using a soldering gun place the coil side up against the drive both sides gun on .. the AC magnetic fields will scramble the data.