Returning a Defective Hard Drive to the Manufacturer
By Damon Pipenberg Copyright ?Directron.com 2005The following article is based on years of experience. It is provided as a free service to our customers and visitors. However, Directron.com is not responsible for any damage as a result of following any of this advice.
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Hard drives are one of the most failure prone components in a computer, but luckily, most carry a good warranty. Directron provides a one-year warranty from the purchase date on all hard drives they sell; other retailers have similar policies. The drive manufacturer's warranty often extends for quite a bit longer than the retailer's warranty. Some manufacturers offer warranties of up to five years after the date of purchase.
If your drive fails, you should first check to see if you can return it to the retailer you purchased it from. You can do this by visiting the retailer's website and finding their warranty policy. Directron's warranty policy can be found here. The warranty policy should tell you how long the warranty on your drive lasts, and how you can go about returning your drive. If your drive is no longer under warranty by the retailer, you can attempt to return it to the manufacturer. This guide will help you do so.
Returning hard drives to the manufacturer is actually a fairly easy task. Most manufacturers have helpful websites that allow you to easily request a return merchandise authorization (RMA). Before you RMA your drive, you should back up your data if the drive is still accessible. Some methods for temporarily reviving a failed hard drive to recover data can be found here. If still inaccessible, the only way to recover your data is to let a data-recovery service do so for you. The manufacturer will not attempt recover your data.
Below are instructions for returning drives to the common manufacturers. Click on a name to jump to the instructions for that manufacturer:
Seagate
Western Digital
IBM
Hitachi
Maxtor
Samsung
| Go to Top |Warranty Policy: Can be viewed on this webpage.
Contact Information: Phone: 1-831-438-6550 Email: Click here
RMA Instructions:
1) Find the model number and serial number of your hard drive. They can be found on the label on the top of the drive, as shown in the picture below. The model number should begin with "ST." The serial number should be labeled "serial: " or "s/n."
2) Visit this site. Enter your model number, serial number, and country on this page. This will allow you to check if your warranty is still valid, and if so, will allow you to begin the RMA process.
| Go to Top |Warranty Policy: Can be viewed on this webpage.
Contact Information: Phone: 1-831-438-6550 Email: Click here
RMA Instructions:
1) Find the serial number, which is located on the label on the top of the hard drive. The label should look similar to the label pictured below.
2) Visit this site and enter the serial number and country. If the serial number has spaces in it, do not enter them. This site will allow you to check if your warranty is still valid.
3) If your warranty is valid, visit this site to begin the RMA process. You can choose either an "Advance Replacement" or a "Regular Replacement." The "Advance Replacement" will allow you to receive a new drive before you return your old one. The only caveat is that it requires a credit card.
| Go to Top |Contact Information: Phone: 1-800-IBM-SERV
RMA Instructions:
1) Determine if your drive has an IBM FRU number. It can be found on the drive label, as shown in the picture below.
2) If your drive has a FRU number, then it is supported by IBM. Continue with these instructions. If your drive does not have an FRU number, it is not supported by IBM, but may be supported by Hitachi. Continue to the instructions for Hitachi.
3) Call IBM at 1-800-IBM-SERV to receive support for a drive supported by IBM.
| Go to Top |Warranty Policy: Can be viewed on this webpage.
Contact Information: Phone: 1-888-426-5214
RMA Instructions:
1) Find the serial number on your drive. It should be labeled "S/N:" and be between 8 and 14 characters long. On some drives, the serial may be preceded and followed by an asterisk.
2) Visit this site, and enter your country and the serial number. This will first check whether the warranty is valid, and if so, will allow you to begin the RMA process.
| Go to Top |Warranty Policy: Can be viewed on this webpage.
Contact Information: Phone: 1-800-262-9867 Email: Click here.
RMA Instructions:
1) Find the serial number on your drive. Visit this site to view instructions on how to do so for your specific model of drive.
2) Visit this site. Enter your serial number to check the status of the warranty on your drive. If it is valid, it will allow you to begin the RMA process. Maxtor offers both normal and advance RMAs. An advance RMA means that you will receive a replacement before you return your drive. The caveat is that the advance method requires a credit card.
| Go to Top |Warranty Policy: Can be viewed on this webpage.
Contact Information: Phone: 1-800-262-9867 Email: Click here.
RMA Instructions:
1) Find the serial number and model number of your hard drive. They should be located on the label on the drive.
2) Visit this site and click the "Request RMA" link. Then click the "New User" button.
3) Enter your personal information in the form and create your account.
4) Click the "Request RMA" link again. Choose the model number of your drive and enter the serial number. This will check the status of your warranty, and begin the RMA process, if the warranty is valid.
Last updated: 03/24/05
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