Fucking Hard Drives

[filkertom]

Last night, my external HD, the "work" drive, fell over.

There was a bit of thunder coming, see, and I had shut down the system and I unplugged the HD, thinking it was resting comfortably on top of my computer case. Nope. Freed from its moorings, it went right the hell over and behind the desk. So I took everything apart and got back behind the desk and got the stupid thing and it seems to be fine but I just don't trust anything these days. I'd been thinking of getting another backup drive anyway; this just made it imperative.

So I went to Best Buy this morning. They have a Western Digital 500 GB MyBook, Home Edition, on sale for $129.99. (The one they're hawking in the ads, the Essential Edition, is $159.99 but has a green box rather than blue. No, really. That's it.) Got it home, ascertained I'd have to format it because it's in FAT32 and XP is much happier with NTFS. I looked at the included software, decided I likely didn't want it, but the drive utility had a "Copy Application" function which would "backup the valuable software on this drive". I thought, sure. I'm a sucker for backing up software.

I'm a sucker, all right. Fucking thing installed all of it. No option to cancel.

So I spent fifteen minutes cleaning my system of its new rude friends, and now I'm nuking the shit out of the drive (their online help says to select Quick Format, which is insane, I'm going from FAT32 to NTFS) and then I'm going to send Western Digital a nasty letter and maybe a dictionary so they learn the difference between "backup" and "install".

And how's your computer doing?

Comments

[mdlbear]

Pretty well, thanks.

None of the external backup drives support Linux anyway, so I buy bare drives, which are about 30% cheaper, nuke 'em, and put 'em in reusable external boxes. The ones I favor these days, from CoolerMaster, are fanless and toolless.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I've got a few of those. But the price points for external drives aren't as good these days unless you get mail order, and I wanted this thing NOW.

[mdlbear]

Having a local Fry's is handy, no doubt about it. They always have a few drives on the shelves as loss leaders.

[isolde-deely.livejournal.com]

*hugs*
one of my sweeties was fighting with his hard drive - he's managed to save the files, but is still hunting for them to recover, if that makes sense.

[jss]

That's a question I almost never answer, since "just fine" means a disaster's coming and "badly because" only makes it worse.

Things are okay for now. Ask me again after I move. :/

[min0taur.livejournal.com]

">so they learn the difference between "backup" and "install"

"Aw shit, Montresor, we wuz hopin' ya wouldn't notice. 'Sa li'l trick we learned from reverse-engineering a present left on our server by the last guy that hacked us..."

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

So far, so good. I was having random crashes a few months ago, but nothing lately.

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

Windows ME. Roxio CD/DVD software. When I put a DVD+R DL into the drive that says they are compatable, the Roxio software no longer thinks those drives are recorders anymore. So it's back to the orginal 1x DVD recorder that came with the computer.

The power supply on my older extrernal drive gave up about a year ago and I was looking at how to replace it. To my surprise, I found what I needed when I came across the same power supply from a older CD only recorder that went bad itself.

[pooh27bear.livejournal.com]

Writers only have so many cycles before they start going bad.

[jss]

For some reason, my brain refused to parse the subject of your sentence as an electronic component and instead insisted you meant humans. The resulting congnitive dissonance was too good not to share.

[pooh27bear.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, I should have stated DVD (and CD) Writers start to die after so many cycles. It depends on the brand etc., but there are finite numbers.

[maikujaku.livejournal.com]

Loaded down with popup spybot ads thanks to spybot S&D. *grumbles*

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Um, you've got ads BECAUSE of Spybot?

[hms42]

That is odd... Usually that program (the german based one) works great at REMOVING the popups.

There are a number of spybot imitators that are problem software that DO generate the problems.

[denali1.livejournal.com]

Huh? o.O

[nimitzbrood.livejournal.com]

Umm...I'm going to assume you loaded TeaTimer and it's bugging you about registry changes? That can be turned off y'know...

As for SpyBot S&D I use it regularly and provided you didn't get a corrupted copy from somewhere it works like gangbusters. I usually use it in combination with AdAware as they sometimes find different things.

Here's the proper website: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html The direct download from there should be good.

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

My Computer? Is quirky and driving me crazy. Nothing a new one won't fix.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Couple of months back I picked up one of these (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8475722&st=mybook&type=product&id=1185271084209).

The DRIVE is good, but their software is utter and complete crap.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that seems to be a consistent thing. Maxtor's software is godawful. All I want is the storage space, dammit.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

I've been noticing that trend on and off for years.

HP makes great printers, but I want to shoot whoever is doing their software in the face.

I think it was Adobe Photoshop - it can do some amazing stuff. Of course you need a HOTMAIL account to register it.

Don't get me started on CAMERA software.



Okay, time to enhance my calm (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s51/miss-snezhok/0000data/1a33b6e2.jpg)...

[isolde-deely.livejournal.com]

awww....kitty with head too big for body...cute :)

[denali1.livejournal.com]

No kidding. Just bought one of their printers. I swear to the gods if it comes up one more time and says the printer is ready, my head will asplode.

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

_Now_ the drive is good, but the first version of that was built to self-destruct, and I unfortunately got one. The power supply was too weak, the controllers over-compensated, the fans ran at full speed all the time, and the firmware update they insisted would solve the problems actually destroyed it. Total disaster. Fortunately, after several back-and-forths and repeated crashes (I didn't lose any files because it wa a backup drive) they gave me a full refund and let me keep the third generation loaner they originally sent while mine was in the shop.

Now after all of that, I must say that the current model of the Western Digital 1t drive is working quite well. A little noisy but placing it behind books or out of sight will take care of that. If anyone gets one of these be sure to delete the crapware on it as soon as possible.

[druidsfire.livejournal.com]

Recently installed 1T of drives into my big blue monster and one of the two 500G drives will be the Who-exclusive one. The other one will be the work drive. It's past time that I redid my website.

(The drives were two Maxtor 500G SATA drives... They were on sale for $110 each.)

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

And what did we learn from all of this . . . ?

:)

[msgeek.livejournal.com]

The more I know about Windows PCs, the more I love my Macs.

Case in point: the 500MHz iMac G3 was starting to lose its internal HD. No problem: I installed Mac OS X Panther to the external FireWire drive that was already attached, switched "Startup Disk" to use the external as the boot drive, and almost instantly I was back in the game. The stuff on the internal is accessible as long as the drive stays alive, but I've already backed up to the external.

I never futz with the "backup software" you get with the drive. I just reformat as HFS+ with Journaling, and voila! Sorry to be a stereotypic smug Mac user but it's that easy.

online backup...

[axegrrl.livejournal.com]

I've started using Mozy online backup. For all the cash we've spent on graphics, and all the time spent creating content from those backups (not to mention not wanting to lose the created content!), the $60/year for "all you can back up, if it's for personal use" seems cheap. Mozy supports Macs and external drives, which is good. But for anyone considered commercial use, they charge by the GB, which is bad. (They encrypt your stuff before it gets uploaded, which is also very good.)

For commercial use, you want Carbonite. Flat monthly fee even for commercial use, which is good. But no support for Macs or any external hard drives, which is bad.

So, not needing to worry about being a commercial user, I use Mozy.

[hms42]

My computers are doing fine. The g4 Mac gets booted later to get Dr. Who. The Desktop (5 1/2 years old now) is scheduled for an upgrade in the fall (I should have some money saved up by then), and my MacBook Pro laptop runs great. I just have to upgrade to 10.5 between now and Contata (Its a good time for me to learn the new OS.)

As for external drives, I did try a seagate usb external, but the idiots had TWO usb ports required for it to work and the MBP which it was going to get connected to has only 2 ports. (It was returned.) I am now planning on getting an external drive, but not a portable one anymore. Its likely waiting for me to finally just say OK... and spend the money. (Likely sometime around Contata, so I can have instant backups.)

[filkferengi]

Be sure to tell filkertom & the gang all about the great love you had for the Western Digital external harddrive at my house.

;(

It's doing okay now, but the preamble would've made Rube Goldberg pull his hair.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Aside from having NO internet access from home for nearly two weeks now? (Snatching an hour here and there at the library to answer e-mails, paying .25/hour at Kinko's.) Freakin' awesome, dude.

Best part is the Idiom tech who keeps talking over and around me on the phone while I'm trying to describe the problem (after all, I'm a middle-aged woman, why should a 20something male even acknowledge that I exist while he's not listening to me, right? THIS is the sort of everyday shit that explains why women blew up at the Open Source Boob Project -- yet another straw of geek misogyny on top of the camel-load.)

[baphnedia.livejournal.com]

I got one of those drives (but found ways of terminating the auto-install programs before they had a chance to bloat my systems (as mine is a consolidated backup for two (sometimes three) computers.

Ctrl+Alt+Del works wonders when there's no cancel butan on an install program.

[johnpatrickmcp.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough I found myself doing much the same thing yestereday. My mom accidentally downloaded a rather nasty virus and I had to purchase an external HD to save the important stuff whilie I nuked the hard drive from orbit (its the only way to be sure). Got a sweet deal on a 500gb western digital from office max for 99.99.

[pooh27bear.livejournal.com]

Well, I am retiring an old P4 Xeon, for a new Core 2 Quad I ordered today off the scratch and dent sale. Q6600 (2.40G), XP Pro, 3G RAM, 2x 500G HD, 2x DVD writers, etc. for $429, no monitor but I didn't need one.

As for other things, my router keeps giving up the ghost. This is brand new (my second one, which was replaced by the company once about a month ago). Now I am trying to make them give me a different type.

[hms42]

Scratch and Dent sale - from where?

[pooh27bear.livejournal.com]

Dell. You have to be scouring their outlet store regularly. The surprise ones come up every so often and you need to be fast to snatch. Since I am sitting home sick today, I kept myself logged into the page and kept refreshing and low and behold it popped in. I was like I cannot pass that up and grabbed it.

[hms42]

Good luck with the computer. When I have purchased used machines, I tend towards Dell (for PCs). (I do purchase used Macs on occasion, when I can find a good deal.)

My next windows machine (fall) will likely be either a good deal from Dell (via my job's corporate rep), a custom built machine or an Intel based Mac (unlikely on the mac due to prices, unless the mini becomes attractive.). Current plans have me building it between Philcon and GaFilk.

[pooh27bear.livejournal.com]

Scratch & Dent <> used. It means there is a flaw in the case when they built it. I did not get a referb. It has a 1 year complete care warranty on it. which within the first 90 days I can upgrade to the 3 year complete care if I wish. 24x7 support, the come to the house, nights and weekends included. I stay away from their referbs but order the scratch and dents or "previously ordered new" and never had an issue. This is like my 4th one that way. I now have friends buying theirs that way and they are delighted.

[hms42]

ahh.. Thanks for the info. I definitely will have to check that out. A friend of mine just got rid of his dell laptop because it was dying on him (and he has NO patience.) He did salvage the usable parts for me to recycle. (hard drive, CD-Rom drive (need it for a friend), and ram.)

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

Darn! When I saw the title of this LJ entry I thought Tom wrote a cybersex song :(

[malada.livejournal.com]

I'm a Seagate hard drive snob. They're the best I've found. And the more people talk about malware and viruses the more I love my Debian Linux.

-m

[the-sheryl.livejournal.com]

My computer is doing well. It better be, considering I only bought it last month.(It's an iMac) I need to remember to download the driver for my printer so I can use the old printer with the new computer. I should also buy an external hard drive for backups...

[elisabeth.livejournal.com]

My poor beast decided to go belly up on me this morning. The root drive let out a screech and now won't spin up at all; headcrash of the worst order, I'm suspecting. My laptop is a nice one, but it kinda defeats the purpose being tethered to the DSL modem. :( Glad to hear you were able to get a backup drive despite the rogue software.

Somewhere here I have a barely used 60 Seagate. Finding it presents a challenge...

Well, the GOOD news for Mr. Smith is...

[tomreedtoon.livejournal.com]

...I finally got all that stuff on disk and will mail it to you! (Part 2 of your OASIS 2007 concert, that is.) I still have to find the Part 1 tape, dub it in, et cetera, but will do it quickly. You get two "standard" DVD's, plus two DVD data disks with the video in DVD-compliant MPEG2, plus the separately recorded audio that I failed to sync with the video, which I hope you can do. Good luck. Will be in the mail Sunday.

As for external drives, I got a 320 GB drive and an external Firewire/USB2 case. Yeah, with NO backup software included. Case is unattractive; its front panel needs to be glued in or something. But it works fine. I have taken all YOUR stuff off my Shuttle Video PC, and put it on the backup drive. Now I can actually have space on the PC to get some work done.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

[bosswriter.livejournal.com]

We bought a Buffalo 1TB server and it plugs in nicely to the home metwork so we can both store files on it and we set it up for raid so yeah we only have .5 TB of actual storage but piece of mind.

As for the software, I trust nothing that comes with these drives.

Around chez bosswriter our favorite term is "It's hardware"

[laurel-potter.livejournal.com]

Last night, my external HD, the "work" drive, fell over.

...Western Digital 500 GB MyBook, Home Edition...

...I'd have to format it because it's in FAT32 and XP is much happier with NTFS.

...the drive utility had a "Copy Application" function which would "backup the valuable software on this drive".

(their online help says to select Quick Format, which is insane, I'm going from FAT32 to NTFS)...

It's like reading Greek... LOL

teh intrawebz? wat net?

[sciffy-circo.livejournal.com]

I was stealing internet from the neighbors, but I was lucky to have any connection at all, and lucky to be at 2 mbps when it was finally up... for 15 minutes straight, if I was REALLY lucky! So I'm at the library now.

My new "job" is next to a Fry's Electronics. So once I finally get paid, I know where I'll be spending it!