• From: Arizona
  • Registered: 2012-05-17
  • Posts: 294

Topic: Blowing off steam

It all started when my Seagate backup drive started to fail. (How many of you backup your backup?). Well I go to the Seagate website to download the Hard drive diagnostic tools to find out what is going on with my drive. I am told as I try to install the software that I need to download MS .Net 4 for the software to run. So I download the .Net software and it pops up a nasty message telling me I have updates that need to be installed during a reboot and it will not install the software. Ok, I reboot the computer and install .Net 4, install Seatools, and proceed to run the disk diagnostics. Just as I thought, I get a message of pending doom and I need to check and see if the warranty is still in effect. I find all the info I need, insert it into the web browser form and find out that I still have a warranty available. I fill out all the forms and read the fine print which if you have not done, lets you know that if you return your drive it must be ORIGINAL packaging, with all the extras included before they will honor the warranty. Now if you include $9.95 plus tax and a credit card number, they will ship a replacement with a return box and shipping label. (Note, I have done this before and have been very satisfied with the exchange policy.). So I get to the end of the multiple web forms of information and get a message that my credit card is invalid. Try again. Same message. Wait! What is that yellow bar on the top of Chrome telling me? Silverlight plugin not available. Of course not, this is not IE. Ok, so I fire up IE and get a message that it has been upgraded to Version 10. (Running Win7) Run Seatools again to get to the Seagate warranty page and paste the URL into IE. Fill in the CAPTCHA information, and nothing! Try again with another CAPTCHA. Again nothing! Click on compatibility mode icon and try again. Success! Now to fill out all the web forms again with all the billing, mailing, credit card information. Here comes the Pièce de résistance, I click on the done icon, cross my fingers, toes and eyes, to be greeted with a receipt of payment.

And we wonder why most people get upset at using a computer and the internet.

  • From: Oceanside, CA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 650

Re: Blowing off steam

That sounds terrible.  I had to use a warranty for a USB stick from SuperTalent flash drive.  They had a similar thing where they wanted me to run some windows diagnostic program.  I simply replied that I run linux and gave them the errors from the "sd" stack that were all over my system logs (copy/paste of dmesg).  They replied with an RMA number and I got my replacement within about a week.  I was expecting the scenario you mentioned, but was pleasantly surprised.  SuperTalen +1; Seagate -1

Linux Guy - Occasional Chumby Hacker

Materdaddy's Website

3 Reply by BoloMKXXVIII (edited by BoloMKXXVIII 2013-06-05 03:41:01)

  • From: Somewhere on or near Earth
  • Registered: 2009-12-16
  • Posts: 774

Re: Blowing off steam

"it must be ORIGINAL packaging, with all the extras included before they will honor the warranty."

Wow, you keep all that stuff? I would need a mini storage facility.


Oh yeah, I have two backups. One in my safe, one off site.

Tar, feathers, congress. Some assembly required.

BoloMKXXVIII's Website

  • sweh
  • sweh
  • Blue Buddy
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2011-03-19
  • Posts: 194

Re: Blowing off steam

infocastme wrote:

It all started when my Seagate backup drive started to fail. (How many of you backup your backup?).

*raised hand*

  • From: Arizona
  • Registered: 2012-05-17
  • Posts: 294

Re: Blowing off steam

BoloMKXXVIII wrote:

"it must be ORIGINAL packaging, with all the extras included before they will honor the warranty."

Wow, you keep all that stuff? I would need a mini storage facility.

No, I do not keep all that stuff. That is why I opted for the $9.95 and credit card solution. They supply the approved shipping box to return the drive in. Cheaper than a mini storage!

6 Reply by bobsz (edited by bobsz 2013-06-05 18:26:45)

  • bobsz
  • Blue Buddy
  • Offline
  • From: Long Beach NY
  • Registered: 2011-01-01
  • Posts: 546

Re: Blowing off steam

@infocastme Things like that IE update drive me crazy. It seems that autoupdates always come at a crucial point in a transaction or when you're writing a long text. I turn off autoupdates in almost everything, even "friends" like Firefox.

My *best* return ever: my BlackBerry Playbook returned for repairs. (Of a jack I know I broke myself.) They sent all the return materials pre-paid, fixed it fast, even added more months to my free phone support. I guess the device was such a poor-seller they had lots of tech folks with nothing to do. (Though I love the thing.)

I admit I was also a multiple backup person, but a very stupid one. I had various backups on external hard drives, USB sticks, and DVDS.  Unfortunately, they were all in my apartment when it got flooded by Hurricane Sandy. FYI, the DVDs retained the most data after a week of being submerged in ocean muck. Many worked after just a rinse with water. USB sticks turn into solid rust amazingly fast. BoloMKXXVIII mentions a critical point about a backup someplace else, though no place in my town would have done any better. I've finally accepted the Cloud.

  • Registered: 2012-02-07
  • Posts: 535

Re: Blowing off steam

infocastme wrote:

How many of you backup your backup?

Does a 3TB mirrored USB3 array count as backing up my backup? big_smile

More on topic though, yes I hate a) companies that require you to use their crappy proprietary diagnostic tool before they'll help you, and b) when said crappy proprietary diagnostic tools require you to install crappy plugins and the like.

  • From: Arizona
  • Registered: 2012-05-17
  • Posts: 294

Re: Blowing off steam

Doktor Jones wrote:

Does a 3TB mirrored USB3 array count as backing up my backup? big_smile

I went to Sam's Club today and saw a Seagate 4TB backup drive for $179.00

I am getting ready to start ripping my old CD's and have them available on a Squeezbox server. I am not sure if I should buy a multi-drive NAS box or a couple of the Seagates. The cost will be about the same but I will also have hardware redundancy with two backup drives (power supplies and USB connections). I can also use the server to back up my systems.

Wow, nothing like a catastrophe to start rethinking your strategies! I know this is nothing compared to what bobsz went through.

  • From: Somewhere on or near Earth
  • Registered: 2009-12-16
  • Posts: 774

Re: Blowing off steam

What file format do you intend to use for your CDs? What bit rate? I originally ripped all my CDs to MP3 files but found them lacking on my main (large/expensive) stereo system. I re-ripped to FLAC and am much happier but the files are not as portable as not all hardware plays FLAC and the files take up more room.


Does a 3TB mirrored USB3 array count as backing up my backup?

Not if all your backups are at the same location.

Tar, feathers, congress. Some assembly required.

BoloMKXXVIII's Website

  • From: Oceanside, CA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 650

Re: Blowing off steam

I use custom written scripts around "duplicity" for my backups.  They're off-site on Amazon S3 and are encrypted.  I moved things around on my network and have made it a priority to get my backup system working again.

Linux Guy - Occasional Chumby Hacker

Materdaddy's Website

  • From: Arizona
  • Registered: 2012-05-17
  • Posts: 294

Re: Blowing off steam

And the fun begins again! The replacement drive has failed! I emailed Seagate and told them I should not have to pay for premium shipping again. They agreed and have a replacement on the way and free of shipping costs.

I am able to recover the files using a drive recovery program BUT it does not recover the file names only the type ie extension type it THINKS it is.

I am going to invest in another internal drive for a backup. This model is on my S**T list!

The fun of computing! NOT! ;-)

  • From: Oceanside, CA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 650

Re: Blowing off steam

Wow, that didn't take long for the new one to fail.  Thanks to your post, I made sure all of my S3 backups were functioning as expected.  Good luck with whatever new drive you choose.

Linux Guy - Occasional Chumby Hacker

Materdaddy's Website

  • From: Dallas, Tx
  • Registered: 2011-01-08
  • Posts: 1,261

Re: Blowing off steam

one of the reasons I avoid seagate drives like the plague.

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.