Anyone using IBM 75GXP HD ?

[CyNics]

How is it doing ?
There is a big problem with 75GXP HD, and my 75GXP 30GB HD went to hell 2 months ago, and yesterday I got a new replacement from IBM, same model and it isn't a 60GXP
Can't decide whether to use it or sell it
any suggestions ?

 

[bacillus]

IMO, with all the adverse reports about that particular model, I'd advise you to sell it!

 

[CyNics]

I apologize for my mistake.
Yes, it is actaully a 30GB 60GXP.
When I first received this HD, I read the size of the capacity and it was 30GB. I was very disappointed cause I thought only 75GXP series has 30GB. So I didn't give a damn about the model no. But this morning my roomate had a look at it and he told me if this drive is a 30GB 75GXP, the model no. should be DTLA-307030 and not IC35L030AVER07-0. So he told me IBM actually sent me a 30GB 60GXP drive. I was so suprised and I went to IBM storage website to have a check and YES it is a 30GB 60GXP
This is cool
By the way, I thought in 60GXP series, 1 platter is 20GB, so how would this possible to be 30GB ?
Thanks

 

[AndyHui]

One platter has 2 sides, with the total being 20GB: 10GB on each side.

Your drive has 2 platters, with a total of four sides, but only 3 sides are available for use.

 

[esung]

*sigh*, you are lukcy. I bought a brand new 75GXP 30GB HD more then a year ago, and since then I had RMA twice the drive already. the second time IBM had to ship me a used one from Thailand (I called and they verified it is coming in from Thailand direct, and explain the delay).

and seriously, I couldn't trust any of the 75GXP drives now.
but I do have a friend who had a 45GB 75GXP gone bad, and IBM replace it with a 60GB 60GXP!

 

[CyNics]

Ha
my 30GB 60GXP made in thailand :
are you malaysian ?>

 

[CyNics]

So you mean I have a 40GB drive with 3 heads ??
damn...have an extra 10G but can't use it..argggg
I need an extra head

 

[GT578]

I still have one 75GXP that works ...... my other one died back in October and I got a 60gxp from IBM for it.....

The 60GXP should be fine....as mine is working without any problems...but I am just waiting for the 75GXP to die ......

 

[CyNics]

q]but I am just waiting for the 75GXP to die

<<

hehe.
this is cool.
I am waiting for my 60GXP to die, and hope IBM send me a 120GXP

 

[Mitzi]

I had a 75GXP which died last November, I got a replacement from IBM a few weeks later (it took about 8 weeks to arrive though!), touch wood the current drive is running okay - though I don't trust it at all - I use it for storage and I've have everything backed up on CD.

I've lost all faith in IBM - if you can get a good price for the drive, sell it, otherwise just use it as a a storage drive but keep backups!

 

[rondeemc]

maybe this thread belongs in the "brag and moan" I purchased 6 IBM 30g drives last spring based on the great reviews and everything was OK until Sept when one went south in a raid setup. Very light duty and it went with no warning. Just a click click click repeatedly when it had power connected. RMA'd it a few weeks back but have not received the replacement yet. Then a second system lost its stablity. Very strange behavior for a couple of weeks then one day I noticed the click had started in it. Checked the tech support site and downloaded their DFT software and it found several bad sectors which IBM could not explain when I contacted them about it. Said to use their erase utility which writes 0's to the entire disk and then reinstall. Did that but now the drive is louder then it was previously which was very quiet. After some time with tech support that have sent me a firmware update to install. Of course I have to do a full erase again.

Anybody else done the firmware dance? Any luck?

 

[audiophan]

my 45gb 75gxp has been working fine for a while, but unfortunatly the WD drive i purchased in december is starting to develop an odd clicking behavior

 

[bozo1]

<< So you mean I have a 40GB drive with 3 heads ?? >>


Actually, you have 4 heads. The bottom platter contains track information. The head there reads the track information for positioning purposes. That is why the heads don't drift over time and we no longer have the need (or even ability) to do a true low-level format on a drive.

 

[Rkonster]

IBM says there isn't a higher failure rate for this drive! Riiiiiight, 2 of my 4 75gxp's have died. Go figure.

 

[speed01]

rondeemc, why do you have to do a full erase on the drive for a firmware upgrade? At work, we unfortunately deal with just IBM machines
and last years roll out of about 2000 pc's all came with the same POS drive in them. For a while we were losing them at a rate of 3 to 5 a week
due to the ominous "hiss-click" phenomena. After several maintenance calls, we were given a firmware upgrade to run on them (which didn't work)
but we didn't have to wipe them first. Then, after losing even more drives, we were given another firmware upgrade and IBM sent people to
install it on production machines. Still no erasing to do and this one actually appears to work this time. Now it's the first thing we do before
deploying anything.

Speed

 

[rondeemc]

speed01

It was in the instructions IBM sent me with the firmware update.

 

[ffej]

I'm getting ready to rma my second drive. The first one lasted about a year before it started getting errors. They replaced that one with a "used servicable part" which was obviously used since the case had several scratches on it. Well that one lasted about a month and is now making the noises. I do think this one is worse than the first one especially since it only lasted a little over a month. No more ibm's for me. :disgust:

 

[rondeemc]

speed01
here is what I received from IBM after my last conversation with them:

As a company we are continually focused on improving the performance and
reliability of our hard disk drives. I have investigated your specific
case, and I would recommend that we upgrade your drive to the latest
firmware level for the 75GXP Model.

I have attached the DFT Firmware Update Utility.
Note that while the procedure of updating the firmware on your drives is
non-destructive and no data will be written to the user area of your
drives it is highly recommended that you backup any important data you may have
on your drives before performing the firmware. The update must be run on a
NON-RAID controller. It will not update any drive that is part of a RAID
array.

In addition, if your drive is currently experiencing problems, you must
back up all data and run the erase disk function in Drive Fitness
Test(standard version) PRIOR TO UPDATING THE CODE. This will repair any
mismarked sectors. All data that is not backed up will be lost during the
erase disk. Drive Fitness Test is available at
http://www.storage.ibm.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Thank You for Contacting IBM

 

[Allen7]

I am using two 45G running raid 0 with no trouble so far.

 

[rondeemc]

Allen7
So how long have you had them? My were fine until about the 7-9 month.