Question Best way to test a manufacterer recertified or refurbished HDD before use ?

[hbenthow]

I've ordered two manufacturer recertified Seagate BarraCuda Pro 12TB hard drives.

I have a Windows 10 Pro computer. I want to use one of the drives inside the computer (connected with SATA) and the other in an external USB 3.0 enclosure as a backup for the SATA one.

I've seen a lot of different recommendations on how to test such drives. Some people say to use Badblocks, but that seems to be for Linux. Some recommend a long SMART scan with CrystalDiskInfo, others say to use HDDScan.

There's also the issue that, with drives as large as 12TB, some tests might take an exceptionally long time, and overtesting might put wear and tear or even excessive heat on the drive.

What's the best way to test the drives before using them without either overtesting or undertesting?

 

[Lutfij]

HDSentinel is another app you could use.

 

[Ralston18]

I will suggest that there is no way.

Drives can last a long time or simply die in moments. All testing aside.

What warranty is being offered?

What is written in the Warranty's fine print?

Who is the seller, what is their RMA process? What is said (or not said) in their FAQs and Forums. If either or both exist?

Look for seller and product reviews.... May or may not be unbiased. Testing process could be simplified and short to the point of being a meaningless test.

Reconsider:

Do you have good backup plans that are actually implemented and maintained?

That is more important than running some tests that, for the most part, may be of little real meaning and use.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[hbenthow]

HDSentinel is another app you could use.

It appears that there is no free version for Windows. Is it any superior to the free options (HDDScan, CrystalDiskInfo, etc)?

What warranty is being offered?

5-year limited warranty from the seller (GoHardDrive).

What is written in the Warranty's fine print?

"1) First, try contacting the manufacturer tech support before return the product back to us.
2) Please kindly go to our website at http://rma.goharddrive.com to obtain a Return Merchant Authorization number (we will not accept returns without an RMA number). Items must be returned in original packaging, including all accessories, in original condition with blank warranty card. Unit must be properly package and DOUBLE boxed. Do not put shipping labels on original manufacturer's box. Shipment to goHardDrive.com is at customer's expense. Returns are subject to 15% restocking fee."

(The 15% restocking fee applies only to returns, not replacements.)

I've read numerous anecdotes on Reddit of people having positive experiences with GoHardDrive's warranty/RMA process. Some even said that GoHardDrive went beyond the terms on their website (by paying shipping even though the site claims the customer must pay it). The company has been around 15+ years and has a good reputation, about on par with Server Part Deals.

EDIT: Since I bought it from GoHardDrive's eBay store instead of directly through their website, it comes with both GoHardDrive's 5-year warranty and this shorter Allstate one:

https://pages.ebay.com/refurbishedprogramwarranty/#refurbished

This is the page where I bought it:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166884954935

Reconsider:

Do you have good backup plans that are actually implemented and maintained?

I use FreeFileSync to mirror the files from one drive to another. That's why I bought two: to use one as a backup for the other.

 

[Ralston18]

The original question was about testing the drives.

Going a bit off track here.

The warranties etc. are very much standard format, text, wording etc..

Likely to prove problematic with any claim being made. However that is up to the lawyers to decide and I (full disclosure ) am not a lawyer.

Anecdotes aside remember "Caveat Emptor".

 

[hbenthow]

The original question was about testing the drives.

Overall, what (if anything) do you think would be wisest to do prior to putting files on the drives? Checking SMART data goes without saying, but would anything beyond that likely be useful or a waste of time?

 

[USAFRet]

Overall, what (if anything) do you think would be wisest to do prior to putting files on the drives? Checking SMART data goes without saying, but would anything beyond that likely be useful or a waste of time?

I wouldn't worry about it.

My 2 most recent HDD fails....1 at 5 weeks (WD), 1 at 7 months (Toshiba).
Both brand new, seemingly perfect before the very rapid decline.
This is what the warranty is for.
Do you trust the entity that is providing the warranty coverage?

 

[Zerk2012]

Just my 2 cents I would never buy a refurbished drive.

 

[USAFRet]

Just my 2 cents I would never buy a refurbished drive.

If it were down at the $10 price point, I might.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't trust any storage device beyond first power up.
New, used, refurb...
10 years old or 1 day old.

Nothing holds a single copy of anything.

 

[Zerk2012]

If it were down at the $10 price point, I might.

If I was putting important data on it and using anouther for my only backup I think I would still pass.

Edit. But you can never tell both might last a long time.

 

[hbenthow]

Do you trust the entity that is providing the warranty coverage?

Yes. I've seen enough consistently positive word of mouth to believe that they honor their warranty. Plus there's the extra Allstate warranty that comes from eBay.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes. I've seen enough consistently positive word of mouth to believe that they honor their warranty. Plus there's the extra Allstate warranty that comes from eBay.

You probably won't need it.
But good luck if you do.

 

[Ralston18]

Overall, what (if anything) do you think would be wisest to do prior to putting files on the drives? Checking SMART data goes without saying, but would anything beyond that likely be useful or a waste of time?

#1

Set up and follow @USAFRet 's backup plan.

 

[hbenthow]

#1

Set up and follow @USAFRet 's backup plan.

Do you mean "Nothing holds a single copy of anything." from post #10 in this thread, or something more precise from elsewhere on this forum?

 

[USAFRet]

Do you mean "Nothing holds a single copy of anything." from post #10 in this thread, or something more precise from elsewhere on this forum?

From several years ago...

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

My routine has changed since then, but thats the basics.


Basically, 3-2-1
3 copies, on at least 2 different devices, at least 1 offsite or otherwise inaccessible.


My house systems do nightly, every other day, or weekly (depending on the system) full drive backups to my NAS. Via Macrium Reflect.
This space is also backed up to another location ont he NAS.
My last level is a couple of drives in a desk drawer at work.


The exactitude of how you do it is less important than just doing it. Something...anything.


A large percentage of threads here would have been prevented with an actual backup.

 

[hbenthow]

Basically, 3-2-1
3 copies, on at least 2 different devices, at least 1 offsite or otherwise inaccessible.

How often (if ever) have you experienced an incident in which 2 of the copies simultaneously failed, leaving you with only 1?

 

[USAFRet]

How often (if ever) have you experienced an incident in which 2 of the copies simultaneously failed, leaving you with only 1?

Never.

The 3rd level offsite is for hurricane/fire/flood/theft.

 

[USAFRet]

I have had to use the nightly backup a couple of times.

Once was a suddenly dead SSD.
960GB Sandisk SATA III, 605GB on it. Secondary drive.
Died suddenly, with zero warning.

Slot in a temp replacement, click click in Macrium Reflect...all 605GB data recovered to the new drive, exactly as it was at 4AM that morning.

 

[USAFRet]

And my warranty question above relates specifically to my dead SSD.

It died at 3 years, 33 days old.
33 days past the 3 year warranty.

I knew it was past, Sandisk knew it was past.

They replaced it anyway.

The replacement is still going strong, several years later.