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cphoenix · Officially active! Joined: 20 Nov 2009 Posts: 3

I have an eight month old WD 1TB Green and circuit board pads have signs of rust with E9 (the large circular pad) showing obvious rust. The drive was used for external storage, kept in an external tray, stored in a dresser drawer, in a dry bedroom.

BIOS will not recognize the drive. When I tried a hotplug, LInux timed out with IDENT error. I do hear the motor running.

Now for things to ponder...

I have second WD 1TB Green, five months old, showing signs of corrosion. Again around E9. Under magnification, rust is developing on pads..

I have WD Black and a Seagate, and you need to look very hard to find any rust under magnification. They have been in the same storage conditions for longer periods of time.

Now for the really interesting part...

I have a third WD 1TB Green, four months old (owned three months) that is stored in its original anti-static bag with the silica-gel pack, wrapped in its bubble wrap shipping envelope; it is kept in the same dresser. It has been used about five times.

It is already showing signs of corrosion. Under magnification it is rust.

So am I just the most unlucky person. Or have I stumbled across a manufacturing defect? The rust only seems to be the exposed pads. The screws, the cable connectors, the joints to the connetectors have NO rust at all. Under magnification, the screw heads have no rust at all.

Most people would experience failure as sudden death, no BIOS identification. Unless you are looking for it many would not notice the corrosion.

So what are your experiences?

Am I missing something?

cphoenix · Officially active! Joined: 20 Nov 2009 Posts: 3

And for those reading something to keep in mind.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/misc/picture/?src=/images/storage/15-2tb-hdd-roundup/p21.jpg&1=1

http://www.xbitlabs.com/misc/picture/?src=/images/storage/640gb-hdd-roundup/p9.jpg&1=1

These drives are at most two months old. They were sent for review. The only likely cause for this kind of rust is condensation. I seriously doubt that xbitlabs would have such an environment.

So how could it happen?

Most of my drives are shipped by air. The older drives, in better condition, were shipped during cold weather. The new drives shipped during summer, warm weather.

Add those facts together, and I presume the cause is a broken seal on the anti-static bag. Thus it is possible for moisture to enter into the bag. When the plane is at attitude the air inside the bag cools. Once the plane descends the moisture condenses onto the pads. A short time later extensive rust.

So my advice? If rapid temperture change is possible check for rust BEFORE you open the anti-static bag. It seems WD drives will rust quicker but I have seen review pictures of other drives with rust.

So now you know. javascript:emoticon(' Very Happy

')

sunnydreamspace · Deadharddrive regular +5 Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 540

hi,
it sound like firmware has problem. rust can be remove by rubber. please contact me by email if have important data in it.
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provide Hard drive PCB,entire drive/ Data Recovery service.... big HDD resource. talk to me immediately! sunnydreamspace@hotmail.com
skype: sunnydreamspace

RussWinters · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:24 am Post subject:

Pencil erasure will remove this no problem.

I do not think that this is the problem with your drive, as Sunny has stated.

I am not sure if it is firmware from what you have said, but I have a lot of doubt that this is the cause of your issue.

Regards,

sunnydreamspace · Deadharddrive regular +5 Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 540

cphoenix · Officially active! Joined: 20 Nov 2009 Posts: 3

I was reading a warning about removing hard drives from external enclosures to soon and how it can create "sudden death" -- not enough time to come to a clean stop.

Lost a WD 640 Black same way.

What is interesting is how many times I have removed the Seagates from the same enclosures -- all are still working.

While most people seem to think rusting to that extent is "normal" is odd. For the conditions required have to create the rust have to effect internal components as well. My other examples show that it is normal thus reflects badly on workmanship. In addtion to that, WD, even thou promptly exchanged the drive did not response to any of my compliants.

The whole experience has left a negative impression of the company and the quality of their products. That is my two cents.