Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive 3.5 Inch, 32 MB Cache, 7200 RPM SATA II WD1001FALS

I originally purchased this model Western Digital hard drive back in April 2009 but after about 7 weeks of use it started to die. It eventually did give up the ghost and took about 300GB of stuff I wasn't able to get backed up off of it with it.

Western Digital has a RMA procedure in place that involves them trying to up sell you to another model and makes you pay to ship the drive back to them (about $12). I shipped it two day and it took them a week to register the drive even after I was able to confirm it was delivered on time via the tracking number. Then it took them almost two weeks to send me a replacement drive.

After the previous experience with this model I was leery of putting any data on the drive but after about a month or so of light use doing temp backups I went ahead and used the drive for its original purchase intent, backup of my main HD (500GB) and storage of music and video files. Sure enough the drive started acting up in all new ways first by making a high pitched whining noise followed by odd clicking sounds. I started trying to get data off the drive and only lost about 200GB this time before it went out on me by not showing up in Windows anymore. Using the drive management utility in Windows 7 it showed up as a RAW partition. Using restoration software I was able to save another 100GB of data before it went out for good.

Doing some research reveals that a lot of folks are having the same sorts of problems in about the same time frame with this model drive.

I have to admit that this whole experience has made me a bit skittish about purchasing any more WD products which is sad as I've had nothing but very good experiences in the past with their hardware.

I did some checking and here in North Carolina if after getting yet another RMA replacement drive it happens again then I can pursue monetary restitution via the AG's office and I will if it happens yet again.

I ordered the product from Amazon.com on November 11th and it arrived at my house on November 13th.

Pros:
Best HD you can ever buy. Fast, reliable, and it makes you smile just by its smashing good looks.

Cons:
I am a bit concerned about how they shipped the HD. The product was safely packaged but, the HD is somewhat loose while in its box.

***Other than that there is no reason not to buy this HD. Amazon is the best!!! They give the best price, and are always willing to help its customers instantly.***

I have been with Amazon for a long time and have never had any problems.

I've been building systems for a few years and I remember when I first started, I was either going to go with Seagate or Western Digital hard drives. Someone once told me to go with Western Digital and you'll never look back! Well, that is certainly the case. I have 4 Western Digital Hard Drives and they are amazing. They are great quality, performance, and reliability that you need in a gaming system or as a simple home computer. I've never had any problems with any of the hard drives and I definitely make sure they are running cool. My hard drives range from 2 500GB SATA 2's, this one, and a 300GB Velociraptor. I never had any problems with them, and they work instantly. The drives are a piece of cake to install. Presently I have this product and the Velociraptor in my HAF 932 case. They are kept extremely cool. With the hard drive vents on the side, any warm air, exits through there. The casing the drives come in are great; no vibrations, no noise. I love the bubble wrap they come in :)

I've used Seagate, Western Digital, Hitatchi and a few others. In my honest opinion, I love Western Digital. I've never had any problems, issues, or crashes with WD. Highly recommened!

Good price, works well. Historically I didn't like Western Digital. I'll monitor this one for it's life.

This drive was fast and quiet. It was much cheaper compare to local price. About packaging, it was packaged within carton holder inside a box which was inside shipping box. It was a little loose. However, it was not as bad as some people complaint. You can not find any better deal than this. Plus, Amazon have easy return policy. If anything wrong with the drive, just send it back with the prepaid shipping label.