So, I had this Maxtor die on me, with 2 and a half years left on its warranty. The exact same model as Im>bE's failed drive IIRC. At first I just didn't understand why I couldn't install a Linux dual-boot on the damn thing, but I just figured it was down to BIOS settings or something. (Yep, I realise at this point I have mentioned PCs, but this problem is platform-agnostic, I promise.)
Anyway, it came time to reformat the thing and I couldn't install Win2K on an NTFS partition. And when I finally got it on a FAT partition, it lost data and screwed up again. Another drive in the same machine, and it works just fine. What's disturbing is that Maxtor's own PowerMax software detects no problems with the drive, therefore won't give me the diagnostic code I need to return it to them. And even if it did, AFAIK I'd only get another useless Maxtor drive back.
So I go to the supplier. EBuyer tell me that because I've had the drive longer than 30 days, they will only swap it for another, idential pile of excrement. Given the fact that even without actively researching on the net for instances of this drive failing, I know of several cases where Maxtor drives have failed in the same way, the chances of me trusting important data to an identical drive are nil.
Should I just throw the bloody thing out of the window? I could derive some pleasure from that, at least. I'd probably feel less agitated than I have these last couple of days too, it could be a good thing.
I don't know what the likelihood is that eBuyer will make an exception to their policy in this matter (I basically asked if I could have the Western Digital 80GB instead, but they said no) but I suppose there's no harm in badgering them... ;-)
