Comments on: Western Digital WDG1U1600 My Book Essential Edition 160GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

By: KGW

KGW — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:32:55 +0000

This external hard drive is being used to transfer old 3.5in. floppy drive data to a central storage. I was really surprised how easy it is to use, and I bought it based on the previous reviews about the ease of use. The connections are obvious, but there is also a graphic for this. With Windows XP-SP2, it set itself up, and now works just like a flashdrive that needs an outlet. It is only the old floppy drive that is slow in transfering the data, because it is incredibly fast otherwise. And it is an attractively-designed enclosure.

By: jayeldee

jayeldee — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:05:32 +0000

I bought this drive as a brand-new, sealed box item, and used it infrequently for 18 months, with no real problems. Five days ago, it began emitting random sequences of two to 10 “click” sounds, several times a day. And today, it died, with all the files that once resided upon it just … –vanishing. I’d give it an “R.I.P.”, if I didn’t think that it’s hardly unreasonable to expect a significantly longer lifespan for a major peripheral like this; I mean, 18 MONTHS? C’MON! Apparently, Western Digital is a junk peddler. (Indeed, now that I think of it, the unit actually has a junky “feel” to it; cheap plastic, flimsy construction, and all.) Buyer beware.

By: Obraszov

Obraszov — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:37:26 +0000

I wanted to reiterate what the other reviewers about this drive suddenly failing after a year. I only powered up this drive once every two weeks for maybe an hour at a time, to back up my files, and I’ve only owned it for a little more then a year. The other day, I came into my room and it smelled of something burning. I finally traced it to the hard drive where the green light was blinking on and off intermittently. Mind you, the hard drive was OFF. Somehow the power supply shorted and the connection between the power supply plug where it enters the hard drive was extremely hot; when I touched it, I thought I’d burned myself, it was so hot. I was gone all day, so I have no idea how long it was sitting there just burning away. The drive is dead, WD will not do anything about it since their warranty started almost FOUR MONTHS before I had actually purchased it since it is from the date of manufacture. What a TERRIBLE, AWFUL, FRAUDULENT rip off. They have lost me as a customer. They shouldn’t be allowed to mark the drive with a manufacturing date and then spend the time to ship it to a store where it sits in the stock room or warehouse for an unknown amount of time before it makes it to the shelf. The REAL warranty, therefore is only six to eight months. Unacceptable. They will not take responsibility. Also unacceptable. A lot of people are reporting failure after only a year of use, including burning of the drive. I find that awfully suspicious? Don’t you?

You have lost me as a customer!

Do not purchase!

By: L. Shahmoradian

L. Shahmoradian — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:27:41 +0000

my WD My book has been so reliable, holds a ton of memory, is the best external HD you can get at this price, and looks sleek.

By: Chris Burke

Chris Burke — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:26:08 +0000

This has to be the noised external drive that I have ever used and that number is in the dozens. It vibrates so bad that I could feel the entire desk vibrating with it. Pick the drive up and the vibrating stops. Needs some rubber feet or something because this just isn’t going to cut it.

Cool concept but even putting a soft cloth underneath only minimizes the issues.