Any idea what the internal dims of the drive inside the case are, if I ripped it out for other usage?
Oh you gotta love pulling in the Sneakers reference! I read that and could automatically hear the recorded voice speaking it.
Usually when they call em ultra portable & such it’s a standard 2.5" in a shell
Will I still be able to use the cloud backup if I reformat for use with OSX?
From owning a few WD Passports, they’re faster & more reliable than Seagate & Toshiba but having the USB chipset fused to the drive controller board is more of a nightmare if the USB connector becomes loose and being stuck paying for WD data recovery isn’t fun. In a "work’ environment just easier to leave the cable connected to the drive to avoid unnecessary unplugs, chances are these refurbs are customer returns and WD had to resolder a new USB 3.0 socket.
Is a refurb WD Passport worth the risk? I have a 3yr old refurb used for media storage to a playback device still in usage so its plenty of proof WD refurbs are reliable. Most of their notebook & desktop drives I’ve used lasted a solid 5-6yrs, fewest warranty claims I’ve ever had to deal with and lowest failure rate(most WD drives I’ve owned lasted 8yrs at 24/7 usage).
WD Passports haven’t been normal drives since 2008, these drives have the USB socket and chipset built-in the controller board which allowed them to have a slightly smaller footprint of avoiding SATA to USB bridge board.
If you’re into shucking drives for notebook drive replacements, Seagate Backup Plus/Expansion 1, 1.5 & 2TB are still using normal drives. Avoid the new 4TB portable model as its no longer two Samsung Spinpoint M9T, they designed a new drive similar to the WD Passport USB chipset on the drive controller board. (tear downs of the new Seagate 4TB drive is based on 4x1TB platters found on the Seagate Thin 1TB single platter design)
Could you find out what the nature of this “refurbishment” was done on these?
I am leery of them fixing some problems with the drive functioning, like the mechanism or the surface defects etc.
On the other hand, if these are returned because someone did not like their color … well then thats another matter…
Go check slickdeals. There is this exact hard drive new for the same price from adorns on eBay.
Basically, if you’re a prime member, you’re saving $10 because it’s factory reconditioned.
That comes down to personal preference. How much is worth have a shinny new thing without previous problems?
its not EXACTLY the same drive, though. The Elements drive only has a 1yr waranty with WD, where as the ultra has a 3yr warranty.
However, i dont know if this being a refurb changes the 3yrs to some lesser amount of time.
Refurbs usually get 6 months from WD, if they are done thru WD. I’ve seen refurbs on Woot from someone other than the manufacturer with only a 30 day warranty.
I’ve had a WD Passport for about 5 years now. Still works like a charm.
I’ve bought another one as well, and it’s held up also.
I can’t recommend them enough!
Has anybody used one of these for Xbox ONE expanded storage?
I haven’t but there’s no reason it wouldn’t work like a charm. I’ve got a WD MyBook 3TB drive on my Xbone and it’s a flawless setup. This should work fine.
FYI… some of you are asking about the recertification process. Here’s the quality statement direct from Western Digital.
Western Digital Factory Recertified Hard Drives
This unique program offers recertified drives for both legacy and current product lines, and demonstrates Western Digital commitment to excellence by employing:
• Top quality components
• State-of-the-art equipment (same as our warranty process)
• Stringent quality requirements (same as our warranty drives)
Recertification Process
Every Western Digital Disk Drive product that earns the quality statement of “Recertified” goes through the same rigorous standard test processes applied to Western Digital new drives, including process flow, test sequence, test time, and pass/fail criteria. All replacement parts are purchased from Western Digital’s approved suppliers and thus meet or exceed Western Digital’s stringent design specifications. Western Digital’s Recertification test process applies the latest standard firmware and test processes ensuring all benefits of the latest product designs.
WD Direct Warranty
Every Western Digital recertified hard drive carries a direct Western Digital 6 month warranty.
The last 3 WD MyPassports I have had failed within a year. I use to think Western Digital was quality but I dont anymore and I avoid them for anything important.
There customer service was very disappointing. I personally will never buy a WD product again and tell everyone.
((Just a note WD was more then willing to replace my failed drives, thats a good thing, but the loss of data happened and I cant trust them anymore))
Yes. I have been using one I picked up back in April(big box store not woot)and it’s my main storage for Xbox One. Works like a champ. But having said that I’d be leary of refurbed HDD from anyone.
These prices are crap for the amount of storage for refurbed models. I can buy new ones for that price or better most of the time.
Is there a way to get two of them with different colors? I’m concerned that if I order one, Woot won’t let me go back and order another one in a separate transaction.
I think the cloud backup might be through the smartware which is PC only. Honestly I don’t think you want to use the smartware anyway, time machine is way better.