Hi,

I'm not sure if this is a unfortunate coincidence, a problem or, if I need a slap up side the head.

I have had 080000460 12G Blue now for just over 1 year. I could/should go on for a couple of pages
telling everyone how happy I am with my empeg as I have never been so pleased with an electronic product as
I am with my empeg and the entire empeg community. But, I'll get right to the story.

I am getting ready to make a long trip so on Wednesday I down load 1.03. Instead of loading it I start looking
at emplode and decide that I need more disk space. So as the unit is over a year old I decide to look at the
disk so that I can order a larger version from the same manufacture. I look through the BBS and find
no show stoppers so I begin. All goes extremely well. I removed the face plate, top cover and the disk
tray. Took a few pictures (to show my friends) and put it back together. I did not take the hard drive
off the tray. I did unplug the IDE cable and plugged it back in. It powered up just fine and I did not need
to move the IDE cable for a misalignment problem.
During this my SO is asking when she gets to get one for her car. So I start plotting and scheming,
I can order a 30G travelstar for my unit and get her a 10G empeg and add my 12G to it. Perfect!

Thursday, I put my empeg back in my car and drive my typical 45 minuets and the empeg works fine.
During lunch I order a 30G travelstar (should be here today) and catch up on the happings at empeg.
I drive home and all is well.

Thursday evening I load 2.00b into my unit and start my tour of the new features. Very cool especially
in light of the EOL announcement. I have never seen anyone add so many features to a product let alone one that
is EOL. You guys really are committed. After an hour or so of playing with the empeg and emplode (I did not
sync the unit) I leave the room for about 15 minuets and leave the empeg playing.. Upon returning I hear
the dreadful screech of a bad drive. I look at the computer, I look at the empeg and the noise is coming
from the empeg. The unit is still playing and the drive is spinning. This goes on for over a minute at
which time I unplug the power. The disk spins down and the noise is gone. I power the unit up and the noise
starts immediately. ( Assume that the platter motor bearings are making the noise)



Friday morning I power the unit up and the noise, though quiter, is still there.
The empeg works fine the disk spins up, gets a cache of data and spins down.
There is just a lot of noise coming from the drive.

So before I toss my 12G and install my 30G does anyone have any advice?

Thanks

Have Fun,
BillA.

Maybe IBM also gives 3 years factory warranty. Then I'd just mail IBM and send them the disk directly. They should then send you a replacement (probably a -fully functioning- refurbished model or if you're lucky, a new drive)
This has worked for me in the past with Seagate and Quantum, so I guess IBM is no different here.

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

Yeah, Fujitsu replaced my 17Gb disk with a 20Gb under warranty this way. I went through the retailer I got the disk from, and it took about 3 months, but I did get a new disk.


-- roger