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expireditsamazeling | Staff posted Jun 22, 2022 06:49 PM
expireditsamazeling | Staff posted Jun 22, 2022 06:49 PM

WD Hard Drives (Refurb): 3TB Western Digital My Book External Desktop

+ Free Shipping

$50

$90

44% off
eBay
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Update: This popular deal is still available.

Western Digital via eBay has select Certified Refurbished Western Digital Drives on sale below. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter itsamazeling for posting this deal.
  • Note: These drives also include a 2-Year Allstate Warranty (more info). You may save an additional $15 Off your purchase when you buy 3 or more qualifying items.
Available:

Editor's Notes

Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff

Original Post

Community Notes
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Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Update: This popular deal is still available.

Western Digital via eBay has select Certified Refurbished Western Digital Drives on sale below. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter itsamazeling for posting this deal.
  • Note: These drives also include a 2-Year Allstate Warranty (more info). You may save an additional $15 Off your purchase when you buy 3 or more qualifying items.
Available:

Editor's Notes

Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff

Original Post

Community Voting

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+93
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Top Comments

R3DTR1X
6313 Posts
1185 Reputation
For archival purposes, SMR is fine. Write once, then read mostly. It's constant read/write cycles that kill SMR drives. For important, irreplaceable files like family memories, best to make at least 2 copies and store one copy off site at a different location. I would have no problem using 2 of these drives for my photos and videos, then in the unlikely event one of them fails you will still have the other to retrieve them.
adamk77
5 Posts
14 Reputation
I've purchased one of these refurb drives and I would not recommend it. I ended up getting a refund.

I purchased it knowing fully well that these were SMR drives, but I did not expect 1 MB/sec both read/write speeds. This was transferring and reading large media files.
R3DTR1X
6313 Posts
1185 Reputation
Trash SMR drives make great plex drives

155 Comments

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Jun 23, 2022 09:14 PM
3,914 Posts
Joined Feb 2013
babygdavJun 23, 2022 09:14 PM
3,914 Posts
Quote from Tillman91 :
I need a drive to put important photos/videos because my laptop is full. I'd be devastated if they were lost because most files are of family, and with my dad just passing away a few months ago, I'm afraid to buy something that could lose all my files as I can't get those memories back or make new ones with him. I looked for Father's Day deals, but it being the first holiday in my 31 years not spent with my dad, I wasn't in the right mindset to read and review the top drives for what I'm looking for. I have a lot of photos/videos, plus huge GoPro hero 9 files amount whatever else isn't on my iCloud (which is something I'd like to have a backup of as well sometime in the future because Icloud is weird and confusing to me, kinda like how I bought a huge brick of the 1TB one for $300-$400 back in 2009ish at Best Buy. I didn't know I could use it like a regular drive or SD card, so set it up with its software, meaning it's password protected, and if I remember correctly I cant update it by adding new files to it without losing my original update from 15 years ago. Plus I need a lot more space these days with 4K videos and GoPro hero 9 video files being so huge.

Any suggestions on what would be a good alternative to this? Big space, lower price that won't lose my files?

I can't spent too much because our household income is literally $0 and has been since he passed months ago. But I do need to be able to use my laptop and want to keep those files safe and not accidentally buy a Chinese knockoff or something that will break somehow. I usually buy from Amazon (never used eBay before),

Sorry, that was long! I've been finding out I talk a lot in this stage of grief (whatever it is these days). I'm like a crazy crack head these days with how much I talk/text (when not isolating).

. ..,,Anyway, I apologize and truly appreciate any suggestions you, or anyone willing to read all of this may have for me.

Thank you!
Free/cheap ways

1. Backup the very most important to more than 1 cloud provider.

Eg main copy #1 of the most important files go to OneDrive.com, the second copy to #2 Google drive, the third copy #3 to mega.nz

2. Use handbrake.fr to create smaller versions to backup online what you can. Not ideal, but at least you have something.

3. Create a private YouTube channel and upload there. Might get erased at any time, but it's 1 copy.

4. Subscribe to Office 365 and you get the 1tb onedrive account free as a student. See school it dept.

5. Create multiple email accounts and open up multiple cloud storage.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...g_services

6. Backblaze or other cloud pc backup
https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html

7. Search "microcenter free" for the free 256gb ssd and microsd card deals.
2
Jun 23, 2022 09:17 PM
3,914 Posts
Joined Feb 2013
babygdavJun 23, 2022 09:17 PM
3,914 Posts
Quote from BucketListKilla :
Are all these hard drives SMR?
No. You'd have to verify individually drives by model /serial number. Even actual read/write testing.

WD has been known to swap between smr and conventional without notice even in the same product.
1
Jun 23, 2022 09:31 PM
3,914 Posts
Joined Feb 2013
babygdavJun 23, 2022 09:31 PM
3,914 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank babygdav

Quote from BlueWinter931 :
Would you trust using a backup service like Backblaze and an external like this? I was hoping to go that rout.
The idea behind a Good backup system is simple.

1. Offline at least 1 of 2+ backups

This means at least 1 backup method of 2+ methods is never connected to your computer except when making backups.

This reduces the chance of destruction of files when the PC gets infected with a virus or idiotic users format/erase the backup drive by accident.

2. At least 1 storage off site.

Theft, fire, etc can destroy everything on site, so 1 copy at minimum off site (cloud, bank vault, parent's house, etc).

Even 1 fireproof safe inserted into a concrete/brick backyard bench/decorative planter/etc that's disguised/hidden from view works. No thief is going to bring a sledgehammer and look for hidden safes in the backyard, and hundreds of pounds of brick holding the safe isn't the typically pickup and run thing either.

3. Backups sync'd frequently enough to prevent great loss.
Some people take a zillion photos, might need to backup across all storage devices weekly.
Others only on a few special occasions per year, so a backup across all storage devices every quarter might be more sensible.

In between sync'd backups to all storage devices, you can backup to a local device daily/frequently/constantly.

4. WD/Seagate and other NAS (network) drives exist.
You can create your own "cloud" storage connecting these hard drives to the internet.
For the 1+ off-site backup, you can connected a nas at a parent's home for your offsite backup.

5. Bluray drives and disc backups work, too.
Use Pioneer drives + Panasonic made in japan archival discs.

25-100gb per disc depending on the discs you buy.

And tape drives, too.
(Vhs tapes decades old still play fine, so for longevity tape has proven it can last in cold storage.)

6. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...p_services

7. You can either drop files into an encrypted vhd, or zip/rar files into a password protected file, or veracrypt files before uploading sensitive files to the cloud.
(Anything someone else owns = they can see everything you upload.)
Last edited by babygdav June 23, 2022 at 02:36 PM.
2
1
Jun 23, 2022 11:29 PM
7,080 Posts
Joined May 2007
DonV1962Jun 23, 2022 11:29 PM
7,080 Posts
Quote from Davidhh :
Just wanted to point out that multiple buyers in the reviews have claimed that the seller is NOT actually Western Digital. That could explain why the warrantee is from a third party. It's still a pretty great deal (though not quite as good as the previous ones that sold out pretty quickly, which is probably why they're not bringing them back!) But be aware of what you're buying from whom.

I got the 4TB model when it was $46. It's worked fine for me with no problems.
I think multiple buyers are clearly mistaken. Do you really suppose that a company like WD would let an Ebay account claiming to be them stand? The account has been there since 2017 and has over 25,000 feedback responses. I do see not favorable reviews and complaints about a lack of response from the Ebay account but that does not mean that the account was not set up by WD.
Jun 23, 2022 11:35 PM
7,080 Posts
Joined May 2007
DonV1962Jun 23, 2022 11:35 PM
7,080 Posts
Quote from eric098899 :
I would strongly recommend not buying a hard drive that somebody sent in with warranty issues and now the manufacturer is saying that it's fixed. Taking a huge chance with the fact that these are sensitive to begin with.
We have one user here saying that the drive they received was completely new and only spun up once. I ordered refurbished flash drives and they were in retail sealed packages. It may be a mix of both new and actual returns. I can't tell you how many deals I have got on refurbs to only find they were actually new products. It is easy enough to scan a drive when you get it and send it back by way of Ebay's returns if it shows any severe use or other problems
Jun 24, 2022 03:27 AM
737 Posts
Joined Jan 2013
jacob2012Jun 24, 2022 03:27 AM
737 Posts
Last time when Seagate Game Hub Drive 8TB was on sale, guys were trashing the SMR drive in it and telling its slow performance, but I have 150 MB write speed (file copying) with it.
Last edited by jacob2012 June 24, 2022 at 05:13 AM.
Jun 24, 2022 01:48 PM
912 Posts
Joined Feb 2012
tomcworldJun 24, 2022 01:48 PM
912 Posts
Quote from DonV1962 :
Was it in a regular retail package?
No retail packaging

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Jun 28, 2022 05:19 AM
769 Posts
Joined Apr 2007
dc_area_mcseJun 28, 2022 05:19 AM
769 Posts
I bought a portable WD HD before, then couldn't figure out how to format it to connect to a Chromebook. Anyone have suggestions?
Jun 30, 2022 05:38 PM
1,619 Posts
Joined Jun 2008
DavNeilJun 30, 2022 05:38 PM
1,619 Posts
Quote from dc_area_mcse :
I bought a portable WD HD before, then couldn't figure out how to format it to connect to a Chromebook. Anyone have suggestions?
I have not used Chrome book but it should be that you connect to Chrome book and then some format utility should help you.

From internet you can format in NTFS or FAT32 and it is r/w but have not done it.

From Google help.

You can access files on external devices connected to your Chromebook if they use the following types of filesystems:

FAT (FAT16, FAT32, exFAT)
HFS+ (read-only on journaled HFS+)
ISO9660 (read-only)
MTP
NTFS
UDF (read-only)
Jun 30, 2022 06:11 PM
19 Posts
Joined Aug 2012
tomlichuJun 30, 2022 06:11 PM
19 Posts
I got the WD My Book 4 tb, it says the hard drive has been on for 5 hours. Have not done any testing on it yet.
Jun 30, 2022 07:00 PM
422 Posts
Joined Feb 2014
Cats869Jun 30, 2022 07:00 PM
422 Posts
Just got my WD Passport Ultra 4TB. Looks brand new and checked the info and shows Power on count as 8 counts, and power on hours as 0 hours. I'm assuming an open box return. Slick!
Jul 01, 2022 02:17 AM
207 Posts
Joined Oct 2021
BlueWinter931Jul 01, 2022 02:17 AM
207 Posts
I got mine in. The box says on the outside, "WARRANTY VOID IF OPENED". Wtf? It is a seal on the carboard box that you need to open to even see the product. Still going to open mine and check them out. I will report back. I got two big boys.
Jul 01, 2022 06:54 PM
78 Posts
Joined Dec 2020
GrrrrrrrrrrJul 01, 2022 06:54 PM
78 Posts
Just received their 5TB easy store. Just note that it won't look as pictured. It's an older version of the EasyStore (not all black).
Jul 01, 2022 11:00 PM
695 Posts
Joined Nov 2011
nidoJul 01, 2022 11:00 PM
695 Posts
Got my 5TB ones, checked with tools, say it was powered on 4 times with total of 0 hour, so basically it is just new.

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Jul 01, 2022 11:16 PM
78 Posts
Joined Dec 2020
GrrrrrrrrrrJul 01, 2022 11:16 PM
78 Posts
Quote from nido :
Got my 5TB ones, checked with tools, say it was powered on 4 times with total of 0 hour, so basically it is just new.
How can I check? Interested

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