i've RMA'd several times. i'm just tired of losing my data at this point.

Dr, thanks for that. if i had the equipment i'd give it a try.

you know come to think of it, i dont think any of the drives i have purchased since 2004 have died on me

It looks like a step that was listed as optional in one guide, absolutely must be done in another guide, so I've tried that and I'll see if the drive works properly after work.

Resurrection! Zero data loss. No waiting for weeks. No RMA BS. No being treated like an idiot by some tech support numpty.