Quick RMA question

[AmAtoL]

I've been on the phone today to Returns chasing up an Online Query issue I have with a Western Digital Hard Drive. To me the disk is not functioning properly, ie very slow data transfer rates after a reformat due to the total loss of the operating system and files from C, just totally gone....

Anyway they said they would have to test it at a cost of £20, plus a recorded delivery charge on an item which weighs in at 0.7 kg. My question is do I pay that anyway or just if the disk is found to be ok and they fire it back to me. By the time I've finished I could've bought a new drive for that money.

I would like to think that if the disk is faulty then I wouldn't have to pay anything, bar possibly the initial returning of the item.

Thanks
Paul

[Madafwo]

If you return an item and it is found to be faulty then there is no charge to yourself.

Having had a quick look through the Terms and Conditions that is the case. You only pay if it is not faulty.

[rabbid]

Check the cabling.
Have you run the WD drive fitness tests? Software is available on their website. If this gives an error I don't see why an RMA would be rejected.
If it doesnt give an error, try a low level format which sometimes helps to reset the drive. Then try using it for a while and re run the tests.
Its a pain but it will minimise chances of a NFF & return fees.

BTW What model is it? and what temps are u getting? Is it used in a ventilated position?

[AmAtoL]

The disk has been fine from last Nov when the system was built, it is a 320AAKS in a well vented Akasa case, the CPU (Q6600) is running at about 35 degrees.
One day it just decided to lose the C drive. First off it wouldn't start BF2142 so I restarted the PC, for it then to go into a continuous loop of restarting while trying to load Windows. It wouldn't load safe mode or anything. I popped the Windows disc in and waited to see what would happen, it turned out that C was unallocated space and was completely empty.
I formatted and got into Windows, I was then loading Intel chipset drivers which took an age and wanted a reboot afterwards, after booting up there was no keyboard or mouse use. I redid it and this time it came good, although taking about 2 mins to load into the Windows welcome screen. I did the other drivers, each taking an age to load. By this time I could tell there was something not right. I installed BF 2142, and then applied the latest patch (500 odd meg), this took over 50 minutes, something clearly was not right. I did the basic Western Digital test which it passed, presumably just a surface check. Sandra was next up, this test revealed a data throughput of about 3MB/sec, some 25 times slower than it should be I reckon. Checked BIOS settings etc. Installed a different drive and did the exact same thing and the BF patch took about 4 minutes to apply. Therefore I suspect the drive to be faulty.
The drive is now out of the PC, but I may get my Son to try it in his and run the full WD test to see if that picks up anything, dunno if it checks data transfer rates or anything, if it only checks the condition of the platters then I could be left out of bed so to speak

At the end of the day is it going to cost me to send it back for the initial diagnosis without getting reimbursed ?

[rabbid]

Yes run a full diag and see what is reported.

The slowdown sounds like Windows detected errors and forced the drive to PIO mode, try observing in device managerin the IDE/ATAPI controller section, with the disk connected, and see if any of the 'channel' entries include a PIO or DMA access reference to your drive.

Try a memtest too as failing or overstressed memory can cause spurious errors, as can overclocks which are right on the edge.

If its within the RTB period from Scan I believe so long as its faulty they wont charge to pick it up, but if its NFF a charge can be made as well as return carriage.
Its sometimes quicker to deal direct with HDD, soemone mentioned in another post some manufacturers do advance replacement (probably have to give ur CC details) and give u some days to return the faulty one, but that probably relies on the drive failing their diagnostics in the first instance.