Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have the same problem others have experienced: the computer just doesn't recognize the drive any more. I backed up a lot of my stuff on it, had no problems, worked fine for the 10 hours or so I used it to make the backup. Then one day I plugged it in and found that every time I tried to access it with Windows Explorer, Explorer would crash. So I rebooted the computer and...it stopped showing up! The drive just sits there and blinks at me like crazy as if it's crying out for help, but it doesn't show up in Explorer, Disc Managers, SeaTools for Windows, etc. One person here suggested to Mary that it was simply a matter of finding a drive that didn't have a letter and assigning a letter to it, but that's not feasible. It isn't recognized anywhere. Looking at the Seagate help forum (and these ratings), it seems I am not the only person who has experienced this. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THEY MAKE YOU SHIP IT BACK IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING. If for some bizarre and perverse reason you haven't hung on to the original box and anti-static bag for the entire two year duration of the warranty, then YOU HAVE TO BUY SPECIAL SHIPPING MATERIALS, OTHERWISE THE WARRANTY IS VOID, This is such a hassle for an $80 piece of equipment that of course most people will just give up without returning it. Could this be their intention? You decide. (Note: after I contacted them by Chat they said there was an option to have them send me the replacement first, then I use their packaging material to send my drive back to them. That would work. But you can only find that out if you complain directly. It's nowhere mentioned in the 20 (twenty) page pamphlet they send you to tell you how to pack your drive up to resend it. ) It's like Poe's poem The Raven: And the Backup, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my disc drive door; And his LEDs have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my data from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be recovered - nevermore! IMPORTANT ADDITION -- After I called them up to ask about the packaging etc., I must say that these people were incredibly helpful in sorting out the problem and getting me a new one ASAP. ANd I didn't have to use the original packaging after all, so sending it back was no hassle. Great service. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one from them. Just don't ever put all of your data on one drive no matter what make it is. Make a back-up of your back-up.