Please see my other post for details regarding the current state of my drive.
This is simply a warranty question.
The USB connector on the enclosure side broke completely off the board. I have a WD MyBook Elite 1T w/Smartware Now without that operational there is no way for me to extract the data without paying ONLY WD APPROVED Data Backup services (ie thanks for the commission, isn’t it great to reap the benefits of designing a clearly inadequate for daily use product that they KNOW will be used to store data and so should have reasonable alternatives to getting the data out without spending more than the drive itself) .
On their website there is no mention of an option to repair. Only to return the drive and get a new drive. Without all of the data. Hmmm. That’s an adequate remedy for sure!
My question: has anyone actually dealt with WD on getting support for this? It SHOULD be covered under warranty; and besides isn’t the repair of that SATA /USB connector cheaper and more efficient then sending you a new drive?
Why won’t they fix the USB/SATA bridge? Some guy offered to charge me $50 to mail it to him and he’d fix and various people have recommended I have someone at a computer repair shop solder it back to the board. That’s great and eventually what I will have to do. However, why is everyone letting WD off the hook here?
I am already talking to some lawyer friends to see whether we have a case but I’d like to understand where they are coming from. Also, to those of you don’t believe me–check out the new My Book Elites at your local store. They’re “new with USB 3.0 support” and GUESS WHAT?? THE USB CONNECTER ON THE ENCLOSURE IS COMPLETELY REDESIGNED.
They will replace the drive not repair it. The bridge boards are not interchangable and constantly change. If you want data recovery you have to pay for it. If you read the warranty it’s spelled out there. Sadly you learned a hard lesson. Never trust important data to just one drive internal or external no matter who makes it. I’ve seen the same about broken ports on the Seagate forum too.
Who cares that they’re intercheable. Mine was defective and my SPECIFIC unit should be fixed. That’s nonsense. What should I do, buy 800 hard drives in case they are all designed defectively?
You’re still not addressing my issue: they broke it. shouldn’t they fix it??? I don’t need data recovery. My data is in WONDERFUL condition. I just can’t access it. Because they made a horribly designed mini USB port. I can’t access my acual physical drive which for all other purposes is completely intact.
Why should I have to pay for fixing something that shouldn’t have broken kind sir?
They didn’t break it you did or you couldn’t have used it. I agree it’s not a good design. Read the warranty It says repair or replace at their option. The bridge board handles encryption software and hardware.
I will be reading the warranty with a fine toothbrush amigos. My question remains: why is it that WD has chosen not to fix the the PCB board. Is there some reason you’re not saying? I am the original purchaser of the HD and have my serial # and receipt.
If it handles encyrption who cares? The board is useless without the hard drive and vice versa. I want my board fixed because my data is what I need AND I’d wouldn’t need a new drive because once again the actual HD is fine! Ahhhhh!
I will be reading the warranty with a fine toothbrush amigos. My question remains: why is it that WD has chosen not to fix the the PCB board. Is there some reason you’re not saying? I am the original purchaser of the HD and have my serial # and receipt.
If it handles encyrption who cares? The board is useless without the hard drive and vice versa. I want my board fixed because my data is what I need AND I’d wouldn’t need a new drive because once again the actual HD is fine! Ahhhhh!
It just makes no sense. Someone please explain.
If it’s an encrypted drive, you can’t just change the PCB on it. You could completely ruin the data doing so. You will need to send the drive to one of our data recovery partners. And that’s if they’re able to get the data. In either case, they won’t charge you if they can’t recover the data.
And as Joe_S said, you never trust your data to one drive. Besides, it’s not even considered a backup until you have it in at least 2 separate locations, whether drives or DVD’s. This was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way, myself. And it was painful.
By the way, just pulling the drive from the enclosure won’t help. You won’t be able to even read the data without the enclosure it came in. Sorry for the bad news.
