Thanks Kris. This had been baffling me. But thanks to this vid rescued the internal drive from a duff control interface and plugged the bare disk directly into my server. Data rescued. Brilliant. Thanks. (Mine was a 750GB but exactly the same process.
Wow, that worked. Thanks a mil. And if someone comes across a company that doesn't invalidate the hard drive's warranty just because the casing has been removed, please let me know.
Wow, that worked. Thanks a mil. And if someone comes across a company that doesn't invalidate the hard drive's warranty just because the casing has been removed, please let me know.
@flame0731 i just opened my seagate 250gb, instead of taking the full case off, at the bottom of the base take off that case, you will see a silver housing, unscrew that and unscrew the screws connected to the board, there you will see the cable he took off on the right side. my hard drive light doesn't come on anymore, going to see if it works better
@RoyaleCafe Well, I got a little veg knife, stainless steel, "Sharpest Knife in the World" it says on the blade. I tried to pry out the plastic around them. And I snapped the top of it off.... so don't try that.
I'd say your casing is fucked, or the insides are useless... flip a coin.. shit. Good luck. I myself will be taking a saw to the bottom of it as I no longer care about this shitty casing. :D
Thanks for posting this vid. I have this stupid fucking drive too, and ive read online(for all you who still have issues after disabling the lights) that removing the actual hard drive from seagates enclosure and putting it into another enclosure will solve EVERY issue you have unless you dropped the drive and fucked it up another way.
just wanted to point out that before you removed the drive from the plastic casing, you undid the two screws on the bottom of the cage - this is unnecessary and is only needed if you want to remove the drive from the cage and the USB controller from the drive :)
I have a Freeagent 750gb, it's only a few months old and has just gone dead, have been to the Seagate website but that place just gives you the run around it is designed that way, no phone numbers or email contacts just a load of bullshit runaround, not good if you live in the UK. I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy anything from that company AGAIN. They should be monitored and prosecuted for selling RUBBISH.
Made in China. I wonder why ?
I may make a vid of me destroying it Burn baby Burn
Hi, my hd has been a pain in the ass.. it wont show on my pc, and i tried to unplug the light. It still wont show on my PC. People mention "sleep mode" could this be it? but then how do i turn it off, when the hd wont show?
Hi, my hd has been a pain in the ass.. it wont show on my pc, and i tried to unplug the light. It still wont show on my PC. People mention "sleep mode" could this be it? but then how do i turn it off, when the hd wont show?
Hi, my hd has been a pain in the ass.. it wont show on my pc, and i tried to unplug the light. It still wont show on my PC. People mention "sleep mode" could this be it? but then how do i turn it off, when the hd wont show?
@BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
YES, it worked!!! I was able to recover all my data! :)
You should be able to easily do the same thing...the problem I was having was that the Seagate wouldn't power on. I just cracked open the Seagate Freeagent and got out the hard-drive (I have zero technology/computer skills) and I popped it into a hard-drive "dock" that I got off of Amazon for $30, just like you would pop in a nintendo cartridge.
@BalazarsBrain@BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
@BalazarsBrain@BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
@BalazarsBrain@BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
This guy must be an expert, Ive been reading folk are having nightmare opening this due too two clips , I dont understand how he opened this without breaking them when other folk have been using coat hangers and other things to try.
These drives are crap. I bought one to backup my pics and iTunes. I recommended my brother's gf get one too so she could back up work files. She filled hers up over a couple of weekends and then dead, for no reason. I used mine less that 10 times and same thing... dead for no reason. Seagate used to be an industry leader about 12 years ago... I don't trust them anymore.
M'kay...right after step one (remove base cover with flat screwdriver...the vid and RL stop matching. I have a aluminium enclosure with the UBS and Power plugs and what looks like a MoBo inside (2" X 2" X 1/4"). One screw is visible and the other screw seems to be under this enclosure. Any ideas as to how to get to screw #2 w/out damaging the Alum enclosure? KTHX
i've noticed today that this hard drive has gotten a lot of very bad reviews but i think it kinda depends on the specific user. i've had mine for 4 years now, i dropped it 3 years ago. and except for it separating at the seam, it still works perfectly
@omgwtfbbqstfu Yea its amazing that they think 60 celsius is OK for a hard drive to run at! Both Seagate and Western Digital need to rethink cooling with external 7200RPM drives..
Yea after 3 rma's where they sent me drives that failed their own seatools test, they broke down and sent me a new drive. I immediately cracked that case open and ripped it out, damn the warranty.
Bottom was way easier to get off than I expected; I managed it without a scratch. That led me into a false sense of security---the body is much harder to get open. I couldn't get the last side (the outlet side), but I could open it wide enough to extract the HD anyway.
Mine always had a loose power connector, but one of my friends finally snapped it off all the way a year ago. It's been sitting unused since then. :P Getting a new case and hoping I can salvage it!
All my 3 PCs have stopped recognising my Seagate FreeAgent Desktop 500GB HDD. The guys at the local PC store said that I can replace it but I will lose all my data. Alternatively, they said I can open the case and connect the HDD directly to the motherboard so that I can try and save the data, but if there is any visible damage to the case the warranty will be invalidated. Do you think that the drive would work after connecting it to the motherboard? Will any damage be visible afterwards? Thanks
@johnnytifosi I just contacted seagate to return my 1TB freeagent. They gave me a return authorization number. When I asked if they would get my data for me she said no, but she asked if I wanted to try myself and I said yes. She told me that she would put a note in that I was attempting my own data recovery.... so they gave me the OK to open it up, try myself, before sending it in for a replacement... good to know that is an option though I think my drive is toast (after only 8-9 uses). Crappy.
thanks for the video btw. helped me open my 750gb version up. the USB port on this external drive had gone loose so i needed to open it up and take the drive out and put in another case to access data.
I have just bought this external harddisk today from market. But My system cannot read the information on the my 500 GB Seagate Freeagent go external hard drive using the supplied USB cable. l. Is a required driver missing out on my system? I think that my Windows have some missing driver for this products. Do I need to get a Y USB cable which have two USB cable (one additional USB cable for power consumption for this drive)? Does this drive run successful after plugging this with Y USB cable?
Segate freeagent drives = bad power supplies and adapters. Numerous reports of the power supplies (for AC powered models) failing, sometimes within days of purchase. Just google it. Happened to me as well 4 days after I bought it.
Its been happening for years and years and yet Segate does nothing NOTHING about it. Everyone always says back up back up, its your responsibility, and all that.
What happens when your hard drive that you just bought to back up things on, wont power on anymore?
For those complaining about lost data: Hard drives are complex devices. They are prone to fail at any moment. Some will fail immediately, some within months, most after several years. Manufacturers provide many-year guarantees so that you're not left out of pocket if you're unlucky, but your data is your responsibility. Learn how to back up your data and do so with great care.
Regarding standing the drive vertically: It's a good way to reduce footprint and get better air flow.
Same here, dropped it (luckily I didn't have it on) , theres nothing but a bzz, like its trying to read the disks on the inside. Took it apart, afew cut fingers, but I'll live.
Long story short, the thing looks amazing on the inside. Gonna see if a friend and me can fix it.
Note: If you try to open it...DO NOT LET ANY DUST GET INSIDE !!!!!!!!
@tubeit8 i went to an unofficial HDD repairer.. i left my HDD and 1 day after i got my HD working... i dont know how he did.. but he said that he didnt open the case.. there was no any damage on the screws...
maybe he used a special HDD low level software....
i have the exact same drive, does anyone know why is not finding anything using either Spotlight or Find on Leopard??? it says "0 found" even though i can access those files manually... help anyone... thx
The way they designed these drives to stand vertically is pretty stupid. If it ever gets bumped over you're screwed.
If anybody actually wants these in that enclosure, then I'd at least remove the base (as shown in the vid) so you can lay it horizontally. It's much safer that way.
I'm having similar problems with the 2TB Seagate Freeagent (PN: 9zc2ar-500). The damn thing won't even turn on. Advice for others: Avoid this crap and buy another brand.
My bet is that the drive inside is fine; it's just the enclosure/interface that's bad. Still, rather than voiding the warranty as you did I'll just be returning mine and buying a MyBook.
These things have a failure sheet a mile long! A day ago one of my dads drives failed to be recognized. I thought maybe it was the encoder board, so I cracked open a working drive, and swapped the SATS/USB encoder boards. The encoder works fine. For me, this is a drive-based problem. So I've got two working encoders, and only one Seagate Barracuda HDD sitting in front of me. Any ideas on how I could get the data off this "dead" drive for my dad? I can't get anything to work. Thanks.
Thank you for the video! An uncle went to USA and gave me this same hardware as gift, but the thing sounds like a blender+chain aw when plugged and windows see it but cannot use it. None recover tool works with it.
I cannot return the HD to warranty since my uncle didn't give me the package or documents, as well send anything to USA is very expensive. :/ So it's up to me if I can replace the HD by itself. So your video is a good start! :)
Guys, I was quoted over $700 to get my hard drive recovered from best buy..Acording to "Geek Squad" it was a level 2 problem such as the I/O device error..No windows pc's would even recognize the drive...The solution for recovering all that information from the drive was simple..Just got a sata to usb adapter and hooked it up to a macbook...problem solved...all of it pulled right up..the pc's with the sata connection would not work...but the mac did...
@Spank2798 hopefully they just misunderstood you, hard drive recovery from a damaged hard drive can be really difficult and expensive, but just retrieving the data is super easy like you explained.
@Spank2798@Spank2798 hopefully they just misunderstood you, data recovery from a damaged hard drive can be really difficult and expensive, but just retrieving the data is super easy like you explained.
my usb connection that is on the board that is connected to the hard drive is bust does any1 know where i can get another 1 of thows boards. with SATA connection.
Just go to the Seagate site and go under warranty to get a replacement drive. I just called today and I'm getting a replacement by Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm not gonna use it, however. I'm gonna see it on ebay once I get it.
I need to buy that tool to work around the outside, I tried a lot of tools, but I still can't open the plastic. Please, tell me the name of that tool, I need to buy it!
This Harddrive is a piece of SHIT. I always took care of it. Yesterday, i turned it on the side (no drop) and it started to make loud noises. Then my computer stoped recognizing it. Its basically dead. Seagate wont repair it, they will replace it. Im loosing my 500GB of data. So pissed off!!
My friend and I were amazed at how accurately you described MY exact situation with this external hd....I wake up one day and it's lying on its side...after that, it's not being recognized and there's a sound coming from the inside...I can't believe I've lost ALL my data...I'm NEVER buying seagate again...EVER.
Well, im really sorry for your lost! You could ask seagate for a data recovery, thats if your data are worth more than $2,000!! (Ridiculous) I heard LaCie is good. I bought Little Disk LaCie 500gb. Moral of this story, if you want to save your data, have 2 hard drives. Keep one in a safe place where your never gonna touch it. Thats what ill do with my new free piece of shit seagate hd which is coming by mail...
@billywool That sucks. Too bad for seagate, thought they were a decent make.. Well, the free agent go usb only portable drive doesn't have that problem.. I don't know why anyone would want an external HDD that uses AC power anyway.
@billywool Yeah, they'll replace it all right. With another 'refurbished' drive that had stopped working for someone else. The one they "replaced" for me fell apart. Specifically, the connection came loose inside the drive casing. And yes, these are crap.
well when you open the case off it, unscrew the connectors around the hard drive itself too, then once you have just the hard drive the section of chip board that has the use connector on it can simply be taken off by sliding it off, once you have done this you will notice that is now just a SATA Internal hard drive that can be put into a Desktop computer. Hope This Helps! Message me if you cant sort it
Thanks! But this was insane! I will certainly never buy another one of these things from Seagate again. Every other external disk I've had has been a breeze to open. This was crazy.
would a tech from seagate service center be able to know the drive was opened? i didnt see any mention of seals/stickers being broken, and i don´t want to void the warranty.
The 'siren' noise is a dead giveaway. Your hard drive is now probably farming. It's called farming because the head gets knocked out of alignment and touches the platter, leaving little furrows in the surface. The platter is irreperably damaged in this process, as is the head
Dude, when I opened mine, there are 4 rubber mounts/cushions/shock absorber like thingies...I cant remember where the hell they go. Is it on the cover where the the hard disk lies on? Or is it on the cover where the top cover lies on top of the HDD. So confused!! AAArrrrghh! Help!
Good start but he did not show how to remove the power/usb console located rigt in the base. Can't remove the 2 screws at the base without removing that console.
Hey Thanks ... works nicely ... however, I do not think that you need to take the base off ... I had one base screw that would not go back in since it was so cheaply made. Thanks
was having a crapper of a time trying to open my 250. mine's slightly different to open (a bit harder). SATA inside of mine (P/N 9NK2AE-500 which despite the P/N is a 250Gb). replaced it with 1Tb - all good! thanks very much for the vid!
The song is DIAMOND HEAD. The band is THE VENTURES, No. 1 Instrumental Rock Group in the World. 50 years in business and still at it. Dick Dale is nowhere at the level of this band.
Didn't say DD was a slouch. I don't think The Ventures have ever wanted to sound like him...no need to. Their versatility for 5 decades is testament. I don't think Dick has that same level of versatility.
You might be right. DD has been around for the same amount of time though. I was watching some Ventures clips after your post and they were really tight. DD didn't have that good of a band.
I need some help folks! (Thanks for the video by the way)
I dropped my External HD and the USB became dislodged. I'm fairly certain they won't cover this problem under warranty. What are the chances it will work if I remove the HD from the case and install it in a Rosewill RX-358-S SLV (Silver) 3.5" SATA to USB enclosure? Is this HD even compatible with that? Thanks very much.
Yep, I finally removed the cover of my 750gb. It is in fact a basic Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm SATA drive. Now it is in my PC as a SATA. I found out I could solder the connector back onto the circuit board. In a way, its good that I bought this drive. Once fixed, I can buy any cheaper internal drive and make it USB 2.0. 750gb internal is way cheaper than external. Also the 1.5TB is out now.
I have a question, now this is a Sata HDD right? I have a 750gb one and i accidentally broke the USB connector at the back of the unit, it has come off the motherboard. What do I do? Can I remove the case and use it as a SATA instead of USB? It is still under warranty too.
well to be honest i would first look for another wire! if all els fails then open it up take the drive out and put it in your pc, it should be a standerd sata in that. its a highspeed usb device, not likely to be an ide. what els can it be? it looks like a standard sata in a caddy to me. might aswell if its no use to you
Unfortunately, its not the wire that's broken. It's the port that I insert the wire to thats broken. The back of the HDD has the tiny little USB jack. That has come loose from the circuit board. It's still under warranty, but I wonder if they will transfer my data for me to my new one that they will give me.
MILLIONS have the same problem, incluiding me, remove all, take the glue black rubbers and his screwws, they take out the silver shield and the circuits , and voila a regular Serial ATA hardrive, (Mine is on my desktop now)
You can put it on a SATA case avaliable on any electronic computer store, take your HD with you and they can install it on the case..
Thank you so much, man. Mine just crashed and I've been looking everywhere for even minor info on where to start.... had no idea the base plate just popped off like that. Thanks again, this is a real life saver.
Hello does anyone know if its IDE or Sata? Im actually thinking about opening mine as i bought it for my laptop but built a new computer and wanna use another HD in it.
the seagate free agent desktop 250gb is really hard to open i gotten past the reall small screww but the pry and pull part is really hard anyone know a really easy way to open it?
Im having problems with mine when I shut off the computer the hdd didnt turn off. I turned on the comp and it didnt recognize it. i had to unplug the damn thing. When I turned it on and turned off my comp, same thing happened so I had to unplug it again. After a while it ended up corrupting it.
Anyone have this problem? I have to return it to seagate.
Thanks Kris. This had been baffling me. But thanks to this vid rescued the internal drive from a duff control interface and plugged the bare disk directly into my server. Data rescued. Brilliant. Thanks. (Mine was a 750GB but exactly the same process.
spidermaf 1 day ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Wow, that worked. Thanks a mil. And if someone comes across a company that doesn't invalidate the hard drive's warranty just because the casing has been removed, please let me know.
Snaaffer 2 months ago
Wow, that worked. Thanks a mil. And if someone comes across a company that doesn't invalidate the hard drive's warranty just because the casing has been removed, please let me know.
Snaaffer 2 months ago
I had that song stuck in my head while I opened mine. haha thanks for the info!
ilikemyrealname 3 months ago
mine turns on - light comes on - then off again before the pc can recognize it!!!! HELP!
lifeintechicolor 5 months ago
Okay I have seagate 250GB hard drive. Is there a video on how to open it? Or repair it? Or extract the information. Something.
flame0731 5 months ago
@flame0731 i just opened my seagate 250gb, instead of taking the full case off, at the bottom of the base take off that case, you will see a silver housing, unscrew that and unscrew the screws connected to the board, there you will see the cable he took off on the right side. my hard drive light doesn't come on anymore, going to see if it works better
wgreenwood25 2 weeks ago
so I just tkaeout the HD. I need a usb sata dapter right. waht about the power source?
thanks
ulujm 6 months ago
@ulujm Once you have the drive fully removed, it's a standard SATA hard drive.
ShokaLion 5 months ago
Hi guys. O k I have the !TB seagatefreeagent. it's not recognize by my PC anymore. I can hear a spinning sound. what can I do?
thanks
ulujm 7 months ago
What if I can't fucking find a motherfucking screwdriver that's half the size of a motherfucking head of a fucking needle?!
FUCK YOU SEAGATE!
LordShivasServant 7 months ago
@LordShivasServant I know!!! I fucken striped those little fucks. How am i suppose to open it now!!?!?!?!?
RoyaleCafe 7 months ago
@RoyaleCafe Well, I got a little veg knife, stainless steel, "Sharpest Knife in the World" it says on the blade. I tried to pry out the plastic around them. And I snapped the top of it off.... so don't try that.
I'd say your casing is fucked, or the insides are useless... flip a coin.. shit. Good luck. I myself will be taking a saw to the bottom of it as I no longer care about this shitty casing. :D
Good luck!!
LordShivasServant 6 months ago
@LordShivasServant I shall follow your advice about the saw. Thanks!
RoyaleCafe 6 months ago
Love the six Seagate employees who disliked this vid.
hatecrew777 7 months ago
Thanks for posting this vid. I have this stupid fucking drive too, and ive read online(for all you who still have issues after disabling the lights) that removing the actual hard drive from seagates enclosure and putting it into another enclosure will solve EVERY issue you have unless you dropped the drive and fucked it up another way.
also, my newer seagate is SOOOOOOO much better.
garrettsbacak 9 months ago
Good Video, very helpful so Thanks.
just wanted to point out that before you removed the drive from the plastic casing, you undid the two screws on the bottom of the cage - this is unnecessary and is only needed if you want to remove the drive from the cage and the USB controller from the drive :)
CypherAod 9 months ago
I have a Freeagent 750gb, it's only a few months old and has just gone dead, have been to the Seagate website but that place just gives you the run around it is designed that way, no phone numbers or email contacts just a load of bullshit runaround, not good if you live in the UK. I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy anything from that company AGAIN. They should be monitored and prosecuted for selling RUBBISH.
Made in China. I wonder why ?
I may make a vid of me destroying it Burn baby Burn
phillintheuk1 10 months ago
very usefull , its work TYVM
grgbpm 11 months ago
Tried this on my seagate, but i still wont show on my computer? any suggestions?
Pandamads 1 year ago
I tried this. My HD still wont show? any suggestions? dont know how to get it out of sleep mode without i showing on my pc
Pandamads 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hi, my hd has been a pain in the ass.. it wont show on my pc, and i tried to unplug the light. It still wont show on my PC. People mention "sleep mode" could this be it? but then how do i turn it off, when the hd wont show?
Pls Help me
Pandamads 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hi, my hd has been a pain in the ass.. it wont show on my pc, and i tried to unplug the light. It still wont show on my PC. People mention "sleep mode" could this be it? but then how do i turn it off, when the hd wont show?
Pls Help me
Pandamads 1 year ago
Hi, my hd has been a pain in the ass.. it wont show on my pc, and i tried to unplug the light. It still wont show on my PC. People mention "sleep mode" could this be it? but then how do i turn it off, when the hd wont show?
Pls Help me
Pandamads 1 year ago
how do i take out the hard drive? can u post that half of the video? my usb connector broke, i'll by a casing if its a normal 3.5" in here
NaimLisEntertainment 1 year ago
@NaimLisEntertainment it is a normal 3.5 SATA drive, my usb connection broke as well and I had to resolder it to get it to work again.
jmvg91 1 year ago
This hard-drive won't power up for me, so I'm prying it apart, and going to try an external casing....better than spending money on data recovery!
I'm looking on Amazon for a sata 3.5 external enclosure...hope this is the right one???
BalazarsBrain 1 year ago
@BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
niiu 1 year ago
@niiu
YES, it worked!!! I was able to recover all my data! :)
You should be able to easily do the same thing...the problem I was having was that the Seagate wouldn't power on. I just cracked open the Seagate Freeagent and got out the hard-drive (I have zero technology/computer skills) and I popped it into a hard-drive "dock" that I got off of Amazon for $30, just like you would pop in a nintendo cartridge.
BalazarsBrain 1 year ago
@BalazarsBrain
Thanks man! I appreciate your help. I'll buy a dock now. Thanks again!
niiu 1 year ago
@BalazarsBrain @BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
niiu 1 year ago
@BalazarsBrain @BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
niiu 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@BalazarsBrain @BalazarsBrain Hey there! I have the same problem, I was just wondering if you were able to buy an external casing and if it worked. Please let me know, I'm trying to retrieve the data that's on my hard drive. Thanks
niiu 1 year ago
This guy must be an expert, Ive been reading folk are having nightmare opening this due too two clips , I dont understand how he opened this without breaking them when other folk have been using coat hangers and other things to try.
kinkabala 1 year ago
These drives are crap. I bought one to backup my pics and iTunes. I recommended my brother's gf get one too so she could back up work files. She filled hers up over a couple of weekends and then dead, for no reason. I used mine less that 10 times and same thing... dead for no reason. Seagate used to be an industry leader about 12 years ago... I don't trust them anymore.
gmangsxr750 1 year ago
M'kay...right after step one (remove base cover with flat screwdriver...the vid and RL stop matching. I have a aluminium enclosure with the UBS and Power plugs and what looks like a MoBo inside (2" X 2" X 1/4"). One screw is visible and the other screw seems to be under this enclosure. Any ideas as to how to get to screw #2 w/out damaging the Alum enclosure? KTHX
MrBishop2 1 year ago
i've noticed today that this hard drive has gotten a lot of very bad reviews but i think it kinda depends on the specific user. i've had mine for 4 years now, i dropped it 3 years ago. and except for it separating at the seam, it still works perfectly
richteen 1 year ago
how much are one of these things? I think i broke my brother's...
hifatpeople 1 year ago
is it a serial ata HD or the other kind.
thosegudvidz 1 year ago
Ok, for one thing. You never showed how to remove the hard drive from the inner casing, where, like around the taped area where the connectors are???
This rates as Amateur ranking at best.
AlthosSilverwing 1 year ago
Fantastic that you took the time to film this. Somethings just aren't so obvious! Thanks.
newmexicoflygirl 1 year ago
Helio Sequence sticker on that drive...nice.
cnasty82 1 year ago
Just amazing how this harddrive company engineered a vent free plastic oven for its own drives.
incompetence++
omgwtfbbqstfu 1 year ago
@omgwtfbbqstfu Yea its amazing that they think 60 celsius is OK for a hard drive to run at! Both Seagate and Western Digital need to rethink cooling with external 7200RPM drives..
danwat1234 1 year ago
@danwat1234
Yea after 3 rma's where they sent me drives that failed their own seatools test, they broke down and sent me a new drive. I immediately cracked that case open and ripped it out, damn the warranty.
omgwtfbbqstfu 11 months ago 2
Thank you! I had no idea how to take this thing apart once my usb port was destroyed.
absolutprince 1 year ago
Hey man like the vid :)
just wonderin if there is anyway I can remove the hard drive from the casing and just use it as a smaller external hd ex. SATA casing?
TheReapersFear4 1 year ago
Bottom was way easier to get off than I expected; I managed it without a scratch. That led me into a false sense of security---the body is much harder to get open. I couldn't get the last side (the outlet side), but I could open it wide enough to extract the HD anyway.
Mine always had a loose power connector, but one of my friends finally snapped it off all the way a year ago. It's been sitting unused since then. :P Getting a new case and hoping I can salvage it!
kithbird 1 year ago
All my 3 PCs have stopped recognising my Seagate FreeAgent Desktop 500GB HDD. The guys at the local PC store said that I can replace it but I will lose all my data. Alternatively, they said I can open the case and connect the HDD directly to the motherboard so that I can try and save the data, but if there is any visible damage to the case the warranty will be invalidated. Do you think that the drive would work after connecting it to the motherboard? Will any damage be visible afterwards? Thanks
johnnytifosi 1 year ago
@johnnytifosi I just contacted seagate to return my 1TB freeagent. They gave me a return authorization number. When I asked if they would get my data for me she said no, but she asked if I wanted to try myself and I said yes. She told me that she would put a note in that I was attempting my own data recovery.... so they gave me the OK to open it up, try myself, before sending it in for a replacement... good to know that is an option though I think my drive is toast (after only 8-9 uses). Crappy.
gmangsxr750 1 year ago
thanks for the video btw. helped me open my 750gb version up. the USB port on this external drive had gone loose so i needed to open it up and take the drive out and put in another case to access data.
pofrani 1 year ago
I have just bought this external harddisk today from market. But My system cannot read the information on the my 500 GB Seagate Freeagent go external hard drive using the supplied USB cable. l. Is a required driver missing out on my system? I think that my Windows have some missing driver for this products. Do I need to get a Y USB cable which have two USB cable (one additional USB cable for power consumption for this drive)? Does this drive run successful after plugging this with Y USB cable?
Spiderman7895 1 year ago
@Spiderman7895
try a different usb cable. and no. you don't need a Y usb cable.. this drive has its own power supply
pofrani 1 year ago
thanks
kazakhool 1 year ago
i this hard drive and it locks up on me
i never dropped it.
i paid so much for it and it doesn't work properly :(
GUYANESEGT 1 year ago
Segate freeagent drives = bad power supplies and adapters. Numerous reports of the power supplies (for AC powered models) failing, sometimes within days of purchase. Just google it. Happened to me as well 4 days after I bought it.
Its been happening for years and years and yet Segate does nothing NOTHING about it. Everyone always says back up back up, its your responsibility, and all that.
What happens when your hard drive that you just bought to back up things on, wont power on anymore?
QuietBearr 1 year ago
I just opened my FreeAgent Desktop 1TB....
almost all tabs are broken now! :(
Damn thing is harder to open than an iPhone/iPod
task514 1 year ago
Was easy to get this thing open and replace drive with one with a larger capacity. Thanks!
rikhemsley 1 year ago
For those complaining about lost data: Hard drives are complex devices. They are prone to fail at any moment. Some will fail immediately, some within months, most after several years. Manufacturers provide many-year guarantees so that you're not left out of pocket if you're unlucky, but your data is your responsibility. Learn how to back up your data and do so with great care.
Regarding standing the drive vertically: It's a good way to reduce footprint and get better air flow.
rikhemsley 1 year ago
Fantastic help. I just broke the mini USB port and I need to fix it but I didn't want to waste the whole cover.
thank you
Pier
AlienXSVideo 1 year ago
I got the 1TB does anyone know if after opening this series of HDD can put it into another enclosure?
SVOddball 1 year ago
Same here, dropped it (luckily I didn't have it on) , theres nothing but a bzz, like its trying to read the disks on the inside. Took it apart, afew cut fingers, but I'll live.
Long story short, the thing looks amazing on the inside. Gonna see if a friend and me can fix it.
Note: If you try to open it...DO NOT LET ANY DUST GET INSIDE !!!!!!!!
XZeroBandit 1 year ago
i drop this drive, from desktop (2 feet), turned off position, and it doesnt wok right now.
now it sounds a periodic noise "bzzzzz".
i dont know how to get back my lots of data..
i think seagate sucks..
ulaskat 1 year ago
@ulaskat Did you ever get it fixed? If so, what was the solution?
tubeit8 1 year ago
@tubeit8 i went to an unofficial HDD repairer.. i left my HDD and 1 day after i got my HD working... i dont know how he did.. but he said that he didnt open the case.. there was no any damage on the screws...
maybe he used a special HDD low level software....
ulaskat 1 year ago
@ulaskat and i paid 130 $ ... :D
ulaskat 1 year ago
i have the exact same drive, does anyone know why is not finding anything using either Spotlight or Find on Leopard??? it says "0 found" even though i can access those files manually... help anyone... thx
TERRANCIO 2 years ago
The way they designed these drives to stand vertically is pretty stupid. If it ever gets bumped over you're screwed.
If anybody actually wants these in that enclosure, then I'd at least remove the base (as shown in the vid) so you can lay it horizontally. It's much safer that way.
gdement 2 years ago
Is this a SATA or IDE???
shaazzap 2 years ago
It's SATA. I just opened one like this yesterday.
gdement 2 years ago
what size sata?
iModYou 1 year ago
3.5", with normal desktop hookups
gdement 1 year ago
I'm having similar problems with the 2TB Seagate Freeagent (PN: 9zc2ar-500). The damn thing won't even turn on. Advice for others: Avoid this crap and buy another brand.
My bet is that the drive inside is fine; it's just the enclosure/interface that's bad. Still, rather than voiding the warranty as you did I'll just be returning mine and buying a MyBook.
Lesson learned: Seagate external drives = crap.
king2048 2 years ago
These things have a failure sheet a mile long! A day ago one of my dads drives failed to be recognized. I thought maybe it was the encoder board, so I cracked open a working drive, and swapped the SATS/USB encoder boards. The encoder works fine. For me, this is a drive-based problem. So I've got two working encoders, and only one Seagate Barracuda HDD sitting in front of me. Any ideas on how I could get the data off this "dead" drive for my dad? I can't get anything to work. Thanks.
HalfBredNinja 2 years ago
I have the same model e.hdd. I wonder CAN I USE THE HDD WHICH IS INSIDE THE S.FREEAGENT ???
(on my computer sata port)
TheHuNTERplus 2 years ago
Man, it ought to be illegal to build something with that many clips. Whatever happened to using screws?
infikitsune 2 years ago
my computer suddenly won't recognize it. any ideas?
xBenjiBoy28x 2 years ago
Yes, Buy WD instead.
evildwarf 2 years ago
Good video thank you.. it helpd.. love the music to it too..
mizzpink05 2 years ago
Thank you for the video! An uncle went to USA and gave me this same hardware as gift, but the thing sounds like a blender+chain aw when plugged and windows see it but cannot use it. None recover tool works with it.
I cannot return the HD to warranty since my uncle didn't give me the package or documents, as well send anything to USA is very expensive. :/ So it's up to me if I can replace the HD by itself. So your video is a good start! :)
thebeerwolf 2 years ago
I am having technical difficulties with the product itself, the last time i used it was last year.
I plugged in the wires that were required, but the light does not even come on?
Nor does it appear on my computer? ANY HELP GUYS?
Hwasim7661 2 years ago
i am having the same problem
any ideas?
w4rp3d256 2 years ago
Guys, I was quoted over $700 to get my hard drive recovered from best buy..Acording to "Geek Squad" it was a level 2 problem such as the I/O device error..No windows pc's would even recognize the drive...The solution for recovering all that information from the drive was simple..Just got a sata to usb adapter and hooked it up to a macbook...problem solved...all of it pulled right up..the pc's with the sata connection would not work...but the mac did...
Spank2798 2 years ago 9
Good info....I'll keep that in mind since mine won't turn on so I'm wondering what will happen once I get it open and hook the drive to my system.
Mjbabycakes7072 2 years ago
@Spank2798 hopefully they just misunderstood you, hard drive recovery from a damaged hard drive can be really difficult and expensive, but just retrieving the data is super easy like you explained.
kaelencow 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Spank2798 @Spank2798 hopefully they just misunderstood you, data recovery from a damaged hard drive can be really difficult and expensive, but just retrieving the data is super easy like you explained.
kaelencow 1 year ago
good song
matatoe 2 years ago
thank u for the video.
damn thing is bad. the powercord got disconnected and it broke :S.
anyway thanx
VRC122 2 years ago
thanks very much for the video it saved me much time busting into my HDD. You rock!
lane45lane45 2 years ago
What type of HDD is it, IDE or SATA?
froznsolid 2 years ago
my usb connection that is on the board that is connected to the hard drive is bust does any1 know where i can get another 1 of thows boards. with SATA connection.
hatsman12345 2 years ago
I dropped mine and now it makes scratching and clicking sounds. Will opening it up help? Do you think the data is salvagable?
(I would rather not send it in to the idiots at customer service.)
Death1Ikki 2 years ago
Oh and like others before me said, DO NOT BUY PRODUCTS FROM THIS COMPANY.
Death1Ikki 2 years ago
Just go to the Seagate site and go under warranty to get a replacement drive. I just called today and I'm getting a replacement by Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm not gonna use it, however. I'm gonna see it on ebay once I get it.
discharmingman 2 years ago
I need to buy that tool to work around the outside, I tried a lot of tools, but I still can't open the plastic. Please, tell me the name of that tool, I need to buy it!
xazac87 2 years ago
it is just a screw driver. He puts it in and twists it to separate the sides.
kah00na 2 years ago
This Harddrive is a piece of SHIT. I always took care of it. Yesterday, i turned it on the side (no drop) and it started to make loud noises. Then my computer stoped recognizing it. Its basically dead. Seagate wont repair it, they will replace it. Im loosing my 500GB of data. So pissed off!!
billywool 2 years ago 7
My friend and I were amazed at how accurately you described MY exact situation with this external hd....I wake up one day and it's lying on its side...after that, it's not being recognized and there's a sound coming from the inside...I can't believe I've lost ALL my data...I'm NEVER buying seagate again...EVER.
lordshin73 2 years ago 2
Well, im really sorry for your lost! You could ask seagate for a data recovery, thats if your data are worth more than $2,000!! (Ridiculous) I heard LaCie is good. I bought Little Disk LaCie 500gb. Moral of this story, if you want to save your data, have 2 hard drives. Keep one in a safe place where your never gonna touch it. Thats what ill do with my new free piece of shit seagate hd which is coming by mail...
billywool 2 years ago
its the power adapter and not the drive itself i had similiar problem with a WD the hard drive is ok just take it out put it in a external case
crysisen 2 years ago
I am also facing the same problem. My computer can recognize it, but it's showing Zero GB used and Zero GB space available!!!
It's making noise too... what do I do save my data
gyanmanjhi 2 years ago
I have the same problem, have you find a solution. please let me know I really want all my newborn kid pictures back.
thanks,
mtlPato 2 years ago
try changing the usb cable
crysisen 2 years ago
its the power adapter and not the drive itself i had similiar problem with a WD the hard drive is ok just take it out put it in a external case
also try changing te usb cable
crysisen 2 years ago
@billywool That sucks. Too bad for seagate, thought they were a decent make.. Well, the free agent go usb only portable drive doesn't have that problem.. I don't know why anyone would want an external HDD that uses AC power anyway.
zxbryc 1 year ago
@billywool
To be frank you should never trust a single disc witha ll your data, they are all prone to failure. That being said this design was esp stupid.
omgwtfbbqstfu 1 year ago
@billywool this is the exact same problem as i have. I ahve lost so fuckin much..
Jesustittiefucking 10 months ago
@billywool Yeah, they'll replace it all right. With another 'refurbished' drive that had stopped working for someone else. The one they "replaced" for me fell apart. Specifically, the connection came loose inside the drive casing. And yes, these are crap.
lortaylee 7 months ago
Nice one for this, i need to open mine cause i busted the connector for the USB cable when i tripped over the cable lol.
Killerer 2 years ago
ive done that too. how did you fix it? i just want my data and don't care if the things does not work any more.
kympointon 2 years ago
well when you open the case off it, unscrew the connectors around the hard drive itself too, then once you have just the hard drive the section of chip board that has the use connector on it can simply be taken off by sliding it off, once you have done this you will notice that is now just a SATA Internal hard drive that can be put into a Desktop computer. Hope This Helps! Message me if you cant sort it
Killerer 2 years ago
same thats what i have done is it possible to take the usb connector back out by opening it. mine has gone into the case of the hard drive
hatsman12345 2 years ago
Thanks! But this was insane! I will certainly never buy another one of these things from Seagate again. Every other external disk I've had has been a breeze to open. This was crazy.
uksqueeze 2 years ago
Love the music!!
edmilson93 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
You can disable the light via software you dumbass...
mssssee 2 years ago
Thanks for the great vid. You show what the Seagate forums don't tell.
los2chapines 2 years ago
hey i removed mine but i forgot where the 4 rubber cushions go. U know the 4 little square cushions? like rubber stops...where do they go? pls help!
seanfer69 2 years ago
would a tech from seagate service center be able to know the drive was opened? i didnt see any mention of seals/stickers being broken, and i don´t want to void the warranty.
wholesum 2 years ago
Thanks LOL ive been at that for about 1hr i was about to give up!
SonyHackMyMum 2 years ago
I dropped my 500gb external and its not turning on. it keeps making a beep when i plug in the AC power.
i tried to perform this on my problem too, but it doesn't seem to work, so overheating is not the issue on mine... any ideas?
mindscape10 2 years ago
The 'siren' noise is a dead giveaway. Your hard drive is now probably farming. It's called farming because the head gets knocked out of alignment and touches the platter, leaving little furrows in the surface. The platter is irreperably damaged in this process, as is the head
EdenEdits 2 years ago
hey...soo is it true?/ if I have dropped mine, and makes the same noise, it means it`s finished??
monkeywithaskirt 2 years ago
Dude, when I opened mine, there are 4 rubber mounts/cushions/shock absorber like thingies...I cant remember where the hell they go. Is it on the cover where the the hard disk lies on? Or is it on the cover where the top cover lies on top of the HDD. So confused!! AAArrrrghh! Help!
seanfer69 3 years ago
I cant pry open the casing. any tips?
penguin5822 3 years ago
oh I got it, just put the screw driver in right inder the clips.
penguin5822 3 years ago
Good start but he did not show how to remove the power/usb console located rigt in the base. Can't remove the 2 screws at the base without removing that console.
jbg45638 3 years ago
Sweeet, thanks man!
jonofagg 3 years ago
I searched for the same thing in google.
Cheers for the vid!
w4tt4g3 3 years ago
Imagine my delight when I typed "How to open Seagate Freeagent Desktop" into Google, and this vid came up!
I was going to attack the bottom first anyway, but your guide reassured me that I wouldn't be wrecking it.
Thanks dude, reps x 1000 ;-)
stuartmarchant 3 years ago
Hey Thanks ... works nicely ... however, I do not think that you need to take the base off ... I had one base screw that would not go back in since it was so cheaply made. Thanks
drgold2000 3 years ago
That song is awesome.
Charles2337 3 years ago
dude! you rock!
was having a crapper of a time trying to open my 250. mine's slightly different to open (a bit harder). SATA inside of mine (P/N 9NK2AE-500 which despite the P/N is a 250Gb). replaced it with 1Tb - all good! thanks very much for the vid!
btw, what's the soundtrack? it's awesome!
adamspence21 3 years ago
Sounds like Dick Dale. King of surf rock guitar. If it isn't him, it's someone that wants to sound like him!
paulhb 3 years ago
The song is DIAMOND HEAD. The band is THE VENTURES, No. 1 Instrumental Rock Group in the World. 50 years in business and still at it. Dick Dale is nowhere at the level of this band.
ncirlfan 2 years ago
I can appreciate your opinion, but where does it come from? Dick Dale is no slouch. More of a slap to Dick Dale than a compliment to the Ventures.
paulhb 2 years ago
Didn't say DD was a slouch. I don't think The Ventures have ever wanted to sound like him...no need to. Their versatility for 5 decades is testament. I don't think Dick has that same level of versatility.
ncirlfan 2 years ago
You might be right. DD has been around for the same amount of time though. I was watching some Ventures clips after your post and they were really tight. DD didn't have that good of a band.
paulhb 2 years ago
a dude there is also a program called seagate manager 2 turn off the light. >_>
everybodykillerz 3 years ago
Awesome. Very useful to know that the base can come off to make the thing more portable. Thanks.
Blogzer 3 years ago
I need some help folks! (Thanks for the video by the way)
I dropped my External HD and the USB became dislodged. I'm fairly certain they won't cover this problem under warranty. What are the chances it will work if I remove the HD from the case and install it in a Rosewill RX-358-S SLV (Silver) 3.5" SATA to USB enclosure? Is this HD even compatible with that? Thanks very much.
duganhunters 3 years ago
i deleted the files off my hhd and then my comp stop detecting! could you please help me?
eliden 3 years ago
this would be better if it wasn't so damn fast.
axemexa1 3 years ago
and thanks.
axemexa1 3 years ago
Yep, I finally removed the cover of my 750gb. It is in fact a basic Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm SATA drive. Now it is in my PC as a SATA. I found out I could solder the connector back onto the circuit board. In a way, its good that I bought this drive. Once fixed, I can buy any cheaper internal drive and make it USB 2.0. 750gb internal is way cheaper than external. Also the 1.5TB is out now.
seanfer69 3 years ago
all external hdd's are mostly 99% a normal HDD... thats why you can just buy a external case and throw a HDD in there and use it as a external HDD...
Farcry2Maps 3 years ago
It really helps. I unplugged the light and it starting to work smoothly again.
haidavila 3 years ago
I have a question, now this is a Sata HDD right? I have a 750gb one and i accidentally broke the USB connector at the back of the unit, it has come off the motherboard. What do I do? Can I remove the case and use it as a SATA instead of USB? It is still under warranty too.
seanfer69 3 years ago
well to be honest i would first look for another wire! if all els fails then open it up take the drive out and put it in your pc, it should be a standerd sata in that. its a highspeed usb device, not likely to be an ide. what els can it be? it looks like a standard sata in a caddy to me. might aswell if its no use to you
draculapw 3 years ago
Unfortunately, its not the wire that's broken. It's the port that I insert the wire to thats broken. The back of the HDD has the tiny little USB jack. That has come loose from the circuit board. It's still under warranty, but I wonder if they will transfer my data for me to my new one that they will give me.
seanfer69 3 years ago
MILLIONS have the same problem, incluiding me, remove all, take the glue black rubbers and his screwws, they take out the silver shield and the circuits , and voila a regular Serial ATA hardrive, (Mine is on my desktop now)
You can put it on a SATA case avaliable on any electronic computer store, take your HD with you and they can install it on the case..
retrodisko1 3 years ago
Do you still get the Delayed write error?
tyeo098 2 years ago
Btw.... to everyone that's asking whether this is SATA or IDE- I'ts SATA.
johnthejew 3 years ago
Thank you so much, man. Mine just crashed and I've been looking everywhere for even minor info on where to start.... had no idea the base plate just popped off like that. Thanks again, this is a real life saver.
johnthejew 3 years ago
Now my next question is how to open one of the 2.5" drives... no visible screws or anything.. no holes nothing..
mazetechsystems 3 years ago
thanks for the vid again..
Is this drive a SATA? or IDE drive?
DJPixcell 3 years ago
Thank you very much for posting this video.
quarky42 3 years ago
thanks man waned to no how to open mine if i eaven could
so i can replace the led on front with green should look good ill post bout it
gremlinkiller 3 years ago
im not that good with computers....but is this seagate hardware same as a tower?
Thunderwind4 3 years ago
Hello does anyone know if its IDE or Sata? Im actually thinking about opening mine as i bought it for my laptop but built a new computer and wanna use another HD in it.
JonBr84 3 years ago
its an EXTERNAL hard drive
neothematrixhacker 3 years ago
they use normal internal hard drives for externals, so most likely sata
Krisspychiken 3 years ago
the seagate free agent desktop 250gb is really hard to open i gotten past the reall small screww but the pry and pull part is really hard anyone know a really easy way to open it?
saiyanprince786 3 years ago
Perceverance
DJExploziv 3 years ago
Close... perSeverance.
MrDefaulto 3 years ago
True. My Bad
DJExploziv 3 years ago
Im having problems with mine when I shut off the computer the hdd didnt turn off. I turned on the comp and it didnt recognize it. i had to unplug the damn thing. When I turned it on and turned off my comp, same thing happened so I had to unplug it again. After a while it ended up corrupting it.
Anyone have this problem? I have to return it to seagate.
GhostFace3891 3 years ago
Is it possible to change the color of that "Orange Strip" ? Either by replacing them with blue LED's or anything..
greaj04 3 years ago
ps thanks for the video, very useful.
But I can see they changed the design of the drive slightly, the plugs are now in the base. Making it harder to get into the drive.
DJPixcell 3 years ago
Does the desktop drive include any software like the "PRO" or "GO" variations?
I just ordered the desktop model, by accedient, and I can't send it back.
I was just hoping it did, but most likely does not.
Thanks. I got the same one, the 500gb desktop model.
DJPixcell 3 years ago
Guess u dont pay attention to directions very well just go to the FreeAgent utilities to enable or disable the fkn lights
MYYOUAREARETARD 3 years ago