I purchased this unit as a portable way to backup files across my home network. The drive was very easy to set up and did a fine job with data storage (something which should be a given when reviewing a hard drive). However, less than a month after my purchase, the mini-USB connector snapped off the hardware as I was removing the USB cable -- very little pressure was applied, and I'd only removed the cable one or two times in the past. I now have an expensive paperweight filled with data, and no way to get it off.
EDIT: After disassembling the casing and hooking the drive up as an internal SATA drive, I was able to save my data. The way the mini-USB connector was attached to the bridge board was very obviously poorly designed and may have been soldered by a monkey. Rather than come up with a better approach, Western Digital had a 1/2 inch metal shim screwed next to the spot. Unfortunately this doesn't make the connector any more stable -- it just adds a perfect fulcrum for generating torque and snapping it off with normal use. Western Digital My Book 3.0 - 1 TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive with Pci-Express card
I purchased a 1TB my book 3.0 and used it for about a month and a half until the connector pulled of the PCB. This seems to be a recurring problem with these drives. Fortunately I backed it up the night before this happened but I did add more files the next day. I decided that getting the content off the drive was more important than dealing with the warranty so I took it apart to re-install the connector. I am an electrical engineer with access to a microscope and experience re-working fine pitched electronic assemblies so temporarily fixing the connector isn't much of a reach. I am also experienced in inspecting electronic assemblies for causes of failure.
I found that the connector came off due to cold solder joints. The connector is soldered to the PCB and several locations to provide support. Unfortunately the pads are connected to the ground plane and there isn't sufficient thermal relief requiring a significant amount of heat to make a good solder joint. The solder joints on my drive were never heated enough so they broke with very little force applied. The poor soldering in combination with the stiff cable provided were the cause of the failure. The poor quality of workmanship makes it inevitable that many other users will have the same problem.
I've tried several eSata drives for the speed, and always found them buggy and prone to causing system instability. This USB 3.0 drive is priced right, very stable, and very fast. Highly recommended...especially since it includes a card for two USB 3.0 ports.
the PCIe card is not compatable with Server 2008, or so they say. It installs and is recognized, but the HD can not be accessed while it is plugged into the 3.0 card. Western Digital advised me to return it, but I installed in a desktop for the speed boost. - Usb 3 - 1tb External - Western Digital - 1tb'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
