Recommend PC Repair shop

[manutd1972]

Got an error message from my desktop saying my HDD is failing, backup and replace.

So now I need some recommendations for a trustworthy repair shop that can help me with the replacement and "cloning" my original HDD. Not an IT expert nor newbie, but I think cloning is what I do need as I don't want to have to re-install my OS and drivers and settings. Basically, old HDD out, new HDD in, boot up and can start using PC as though nothing has changed. Except new HDD and no more HDD failing message.

And, what's a good, reliable, long-life 1TB HDD? The current HDD is a Toshiba DT01ACA100. Don't want to spend too much money. Saw a lot of SLS' shops WD Blue but all 5400rpm vs Toshiba's 7200rpm. Also don't want to use back Toshiba cos this HDD is failing after only about 2 years while all my other HDDs in previous years are still running fine. Is Seagate any good these days? Again, my only experience with Seagate Internal HDD was a sudden failure due to bad sector. How you get bad sector on a desktop internal HDD with no bad shocks sustained, I don't know.

So, would appreciate recommendations for 1TB desktop internal HDD, and a repair shop to help with the "cloning".

Thanks.

 

[wlalala]

cloning not too hard to do yourself

i used the free version of macrium reflect to do it

but otherwise, can just ask the shop that you bought from to do it for you.

and while you are at it why not consider upgrading to an ssd?

 

[BananaMilkShake]

Am using Toshiba p300 2tb for 2 years still no problem. HDD are more like lottery, there maybe a bad HDD from WD and Seagate likewise. I went for Toshiba coz it's the most value for money

 

[behling]

Backup ur before u lost it

 

[manutd1972]

cloning not too hard to do yourself

i used the free version of macrium reflect to do it

but otherwise, can just ask the shop that you bought from to do it for you.

and while you are at it why not consider upgrading to an ssd?

Is there a limit to the size of hdd cloned with that free software Macrium?

SSD 1Tb too expensive for me. I was considering WD Red or Blue 1Tb. Red only cos sometimes my pc is on 24/7 for a few days.

 

[manutd1972]

Backup ur before u lost it

That's why I haven't switched on my pc since the warning. Getting withdrawal symptoms.... Lol

 

[Koenig168]

get this, real 7200rpm 1 TB WD Blues are getting hard to find. The 5400rpm WD Blues are actually WD Greens.

https://www.lazada.sg/products/wd-blue-1tb-sata-6g-64mb-cache-35inch-7200rpm-internal-hard-disk-wd10ezex-local-3-year-warranty-i214161292-s324689455.html?spm=a2o42.searchlist.list.11.4f133237IYFzVs&search=1

 

[msaz]

get reliable backup cloning software like acronis or easus .the faster you do it the better. HDD failure means some information could be irrecoverable and lost every single day you delay.

If time is a factor( only after hours you are free) because SLS shop close quite early. You can try challenger pc repair outlets.

 

[cscs3]

get reliable backup cloning software like acronis or easus .the faster you do it the better. HDD failure means some information could be irrecoverable and lost every single day you delay.

If time is a factor( only after hours you are free) because SLS shop close quite early. You can try challenger pc repair outlets.

1. If hardisk is about to fail state, it best not to travel the pc to repair shop.
2. Hopefully not too serious problem on original disk and still able to clone.
Most important is the OS/Application as one may not have the license key to re-install them. For data, is best to get a USB disk and copy them out as soon as possible.

 

[cscs3]

get this, real 7200rpm 1 TB WD Blues are getting hard to find. The 5400rpm WD Blues are actually WD Greens.

https://www.lazada.sg/products/wd-blue-1tb-sata-6g-64mb-cache-35inch-7200rpm-internal-hard-disk-wd10ezex-local-3-year-warranty-i214161292-s324689455.html?spm=a2o42.searchlist.list.11.4f133237IYFzVs&search=1

WD black is a better choice. More expensive too.
Base on Fuwel price list 1TB blue $60 (2 years warranty), 1TB black $112 (5 years warranty)

 

[manutd1972]

1) Ok, so after reading the various replies, I'm 50% considering doing the cloning myself. Now trying out some of the cloning software mentioned on my old PC. I can't use this PC to perform the cloning on the actual failing hdd cos this PC not very reliable. Sometimes freezes. Anyway, it's got 3 old hdd so I'm cloning HDD 2 to HDD 3 to see if I have the IT capability to do it myself.


2) Out of curiosity, does it matter when PC is placed in a vertical standing position or a horizontal sleeping position when in use? That is, HDD will either be in a flat position when spinning, or on its side when spinning.


3) Anything above $100 is out of the budget that I'm willing to spend. Want to conserve moolah for future upgrades. That's why the highest I'm looking at is WD Red. Blue is probably cheapest for me, but it's the occasional 24/7 that I'm concerned about. I don't mind downgrade from 7200rpm to 5400rpm.


4) Can't remember the exact error message but something to do with S.M.A.R.T. and that my HDD is about to fail. Error message advised me to backup and replace. So I'm figuring so long as I don't use my PC for now, I still got chance to clone. Only worry is if the HDD fails while I'm cloning it. Then cry and bye bye everything....lol.

 

[Lastwishes]

Really consider just:
1) getting a 250 gb SSD and reinstalling your OS again, just to get your system working first.
2) disconnect the failing hard-drive until you are willing to budget for a new hard-drive to clone to.

For one thing, your entire computer will just feel way, way snappier on the ssd. For another, setting the OS up on an ssd and using harddisks as storage is a better practice.

Cloning a working hard-drive is simple, but trying to clone a failing hard-drive can be very frustrating. Messing around with a failing hard-drive without having done it before usually just makes it worse.

Cloning it so that you don't have to spend time reinstalling the OS and setting up drivers is not advisable thing to do. When the drive is failing, the priority should be to recover as much critical data as possible before the drive actually fails.

Cloning is is mostly good for minimizing the hassle when you do a upgrade from a working drive to a larger/faster drive (it's just time spent where you can leave the program unattended). Also, the way windows handles data recovery (or at least, consumer accessible methods like macrium reflect, acronis and a bunch of others) really sucks. I've never had them actually work on failing drives, and had to boot linux to run ddrescue instead. The runtime was about 20 hours for a 2TB drive. Setting up windows again with all the regular programs I use takes about 2-3 hours max.

 

[cscs3]

1) Ok, so after reading the various replies, I'm 50% considering doing the cloning myself. Now trying out some of the cloning software mentioned on my old PC. I can't use this PC to perform the cloning on the actual failing hdd cos this PC not very reliable. Sometimes freezes. Anyway, it's got 3 old hdd so I'm cloning HDD 2 to HDD 3 to see if I have the IT capability to do it myself.


2) Out of curiosity, does it matter when PC is placed in a vertical standing position or a horizontal sleeping position when in use? That is, HDD will either be in a flat position when spinning, or on its side when spinning.


3) Anything above $100 is out of the budget that I'm willing to spend. Want to conserve moolah for future upgrades. That's why the highest I'm looking at is WD Red. Blue is probably cheapest for me, but it's the occasional 24/7 that I'm concerned about. I don't mind downgrade from 7200rpm to 5400rpm.


4) Can't remember the exact error message but something to do with S.M.A.R.T. and that my HDD is about to fail. Error message advised me to backup and replace. So I'm figuring so long as I don't use my PC for now, I still got chance to clone. Only worry is if the HDD fails while I'm cloning it. Then cry and bye bye everything....lol.

If Smart error, this means error threshold reached, but data should be safe for the time been. Do necessary backup sooner.

 

[manutd1972]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. Proof once again that this community can be supportive and helpful.


Have done more research on the net, and even tried out EaseUS free software to clone 1 HDD on my old PC.


One pertinent question that arised during this test-clone is that my failing HDD and the new HDD is of cos SATA, but the test-clone HDDs and the old PC used for the test-clone is IDE. I know there are IDE/SATA adapters that I can use but, can I connect both SATA drives to my old PC (IDE) and use it to do the cloning?


Not sure if my thinking is logical or flawed, but the reason why I want to do this is, so that the failing HDD is not taxed to run the PC while also managing the cloning process. It's only job is to be read and have its contents copied to the new HDD, so lower load on it to minimise chance of failure during cloning. Leave the workload of running PC and cloning process to another HDD, albeit a slower older-generation HDD.


Can this be done? Or I need to do the cloning on my SATA pc?

 

[manutd1972]

Ok, I think maybe clearer this way.


Operating PC:
Win 8.1
Toshiba 1TB SATA hdd about to fail
Intended replacement hdd - WD Red 1TB




Backup PC:
Win 7 Home Premium
System drive - Toshiba DT01ACA050 500GB (IDE, i think)

Slave 1 - Hitachi HDT72502 250GB (IDE, i think)
Slave 2 - Seagate 250GB (IDE, i think)
Test-clone successfully done by cloning Slave 1 onto Slave 2.







Question in my head now:
Can I replace both Slaves 1 & 2 with both SATA drives from the Operating PC, use the Backup PC to perform the cloning, then install the WD Red in the Operating PC as the only drive and junk the "about to fail" hdd?




Last resort, of cos, is to just put the WD Red into the Operating PC and use the "about to fail" HDD to manage the cloning. My concern with this option is - I'll need time to install the EaseUS software, then run the cloning. And pray the HDD don't fail during the time it takes to install EaseUS and complete cloning 1TB. Think it took close to 2hrs during the test-clone of the 250GB above.


So, can I use the Backup PC to manage the cloning? If yes, will I need 2 IDE/SATA adapters or just 1?