harddisk keeps breaking

[dannyict]

got laptop from client with broken harddisk...replaced it already 3 times and after a month or so harddisk is unreadible again (bad sectors) and needs to be replaced. Other then a defect sata-controller on the motherboard what could it be?

 

[iptech]

As it's a laptop, I would be looking at shock damage I can;t see a controller causing physical damage.

 

[fixitdaz]

What hdd make is it i had this problem once with cheep replacement hdd .

 

[dannyict]

hitachi en western Digitals were used

 

[fixitdaz]

Replace it with a Seagate and you shouldn't have any problem. (Manufacturers don't choose WD because they're good, they choose them because they get them cheap.)

 

[MrUnknown]

Replace it with a Seagate and you shouldn't have any problem. (Manufacturers don't choose WD because they're good, they choose them because they get them cheap.)

Which is why I see more Seagate OEM drives than WD...

Anyways, as stated, look at the user. A lot of people think they can throw around a notebook and they can't. The HDDs are more reliable than a regular HDD, but they work the exact same way.

edit: Just thought of this too, if you are buying the replacement HDDs from Newegg or anyone selling OEM drives that are shipped using only bubble wrap in a cardboard box, then stop. Get a retail version or order from a supplier that ships them properly (D&H ships OEM drives in a small box that WD ships it in with a lot more protection).

 

[edgepcs]

Are you testing the drives before installing them? I test drives before they get fitted, seen quite a few DOA drives in the past.
Ask the customer how they handle the machine, is it kept on a desk 24/7 or do they take it to work/school?
I'm voting shock damage on this if it is happening a month or so down the line though.

 

[ekrizon]

+1 for checking how the customer uses the laptop.

We had a guy with the same issue, after the 2nd replacement we found out he had it mounted in his 4x4 truck and was always on while he drove around his farm..

 

[MobileTechie]

Are you testing the drives before installing them? I test drives before they get fitted, seen quite a few DOA drives in the past.
Ask the customer how they handle the machine, is it kept on a desk 24/7 or do they take it to work/school?
I'm voting shock damage on this if it is happening a month or so down the line though.

Really? What a full long test for every fitting?

 

[Skyhooker]

People really have no idea of the microscopic scale of the gap between the surface of the platters and the read/write head of a hard drive, separated only aerodynamically in the boundary layer flow. Their eyes might glaze over with a technical description, but the following analogy from Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 15th edition shows that, even magnified over 300,000x, it's still tiny. I explain this to clients with laptops, so they get some idea of how small a shock it takes for the head to bridge that gap and damage the surface of the platters.

Ultimate Hard Drive Analogy

 

[Elemdee]

+1 for checking how the customer uses the laptop.

We had a guy with the same issue, after the 2nd replacement we found out he had it mounted in his 4x4 truck and was always on while he drove around his farm..

Lol that one made me laugh. You just never know!

 

[glricht]

People really have no idea of the microscopic scale of the gap between the surface of the platters and the read/write head of a hard drive, separated only aerodynamically in the boundary layer flow. Their eyes might glaze over with a technical description, but the following analogy from Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 15th edition shows that, even magnified over 300,000x, it's still tiny. I explain this to clients with laptops, so they get some idea of how small a shock it takes for the head to bridge that gap and damage the surface of the platters.

Ultimate Hard Drive Analogy

Many years ago when I used to teach mainframe classes at IBM, I used to relate the analogy of a 747-flying-around-a-lake-at-an-altitude-of-one-inch. I still use it today for many of my customers, but have revised the altitude to 1/10 of an inch.

Based on the article in the link, I'd be more realistic using an even smaller number. But for the average, non-technical customer, the 1/10 inch value is easier for them to comprehend.

 

[Vicenarian]

Install a SSD. Problem solved.

 

[JAG Computers]

Really? What a full long test for every fitting?

Well, yes. If you want to ensure they have a working drive you will need to do this every time.