Is your hard disk drive (Seagate) genuine or counterfeit fake? - Travis'...

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Is your hard disk drive (Seagate) genuine or counterfeit

fake?
Posted on January 30, 2008

4
This is an eBay experience I would like to share involving a seller sending me counterfeit
refurbished drives, advertised as new.
The drives were Seagate 750GB Barracuda (model number ST3750640NS), I purchased 2
in 2 separate auctions, and both received drivers were counterfeit refurbished drives.
More then likely, sellers wont list actual pictures of the drives, so it is not till you physically
receive them that you will be able to tell if you have been gypped.
A C O UNTE R FEIT R E FUR B IS HE D D R IVE NEXT TO A GE NUINE S EAGATE D R IVE

From afar, the most obvious difference is the shape of the labels. The drive on the left has a
standard looking rectangle label, while the drive on the right has an interesting shape with
curved corners; this is the genuine Seagate drive. With the counterfeit drive, the original

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label has been removed and replaced by a fake rectangle label. A rectangle label is cheap
and easy to make, no curves are required to be cut.
A C LO S E R LO O K AT THE C O UNTE R FE IT D R IVE

Upon closer inspection, it can be observed that the label is of very poor quality. The printing
is all splotchy and the text unreadable. If you look on the edges of the label, you can also
see traces of where the original label was adhered to, this proves the original label was
removed. Judging by the scratches on the metal casing, this drive is not new; and most likely
refurbished.
A LO O K AT THE D R IVE S D ETAILS

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It can be observed the serial number is 3QD0FF2D. All Seagate drives have individual serial
numbers that will validate on Seagates Warranty Validation page. In this case the counterfeit
drive returns Expiration Unknown, genuine drives will return an Expiration date. All Seagate
750GB drives have 5 years Seagate warranty, even the OEM drives from what I have
experienced. Once again there are a lot of scratches on the surface.
THE FINAL C O NFIR MATIO N

The thing about hard disk drives, is that you can write anything you want on the label, but
the drives embedded information (included serial number) will not lie. Seagate offers
SeaTools, drive diagnostic software for the Seagate range. The easiest way to get a copy of
SeaTools is from the Ultimate Boot CD. SeaTools was run on the counterfeit drive, and a
screen captures taken.

SeaTools confirms the model is indeed a ST3750640NS, however the serial number is
actually 5QD18MCE, and the Firmware is actually 3.AEK. This is the hard proof that this
drive has had its label removed.
C O NC LUSIO N

The reasons for a removed label are most likely that the drive is refurbished, when Seagate
refurbishes a drive they sometimes replace the label with a new label stating it is a
refurbished drive. Note; this is still a genuine Seagate label, the label will still be that
interesting shape with curved corners, it will however say refurbished on it. Buyers dont like
refurbished drives, so it may have been the seller replaced the refurbished label so that he
could then sell the drives as new. Refurbished drives are also cheaper for sellers to buy.

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In order to minimise being discovered, sellers will most likely sell the counterfeit drives in a
cheap hard disk drive enclosures, as it was in my case. Always inspect any drives that arrive
in enclosures to confirm you have received what was advertised. Do not simply make sure it
works and looks nice.
Sellers may also state that the drive is OEM, as also in my case. Just remember that all
Seagate drives can be warranty validated, even if OEM.
The end my story, the seller did send me 2 new drives after I sent the counterfeit drives back
at my expense. I am sure he relisted them.
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1 Comment

Sheikh

I have purchased one Seagate HDD, the product use to last for 5 to 7
years, now its lasting only for months, eventhough there was printed
stickers on boxes like 3 years, 5years..
I bought last month and only 3 times i was able to start the seagate 1TB
HDD chinese made.. which is dummy & fake, products, in a period of
1year I have lost 4 HDD of 500GB. the problem is bad detecters or bad
circutes, getting Overheat or HDD top and bottom plates are getting very
heated..
We must stop such proudcts in the market. Products which were lasting
for few years is now lasting only for few months.

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