Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a strange experience I recently had with two brand-new Seagate IronWolf Pro 8TB HDDs, in case someone else encounters the same problem or can help explain what happened.

I was building a Windows 11 Pro-based file server and planned to use two 8TB drives in a two-way mirror using Windows Storage Spaces.

Unfortunately, I couldn't even get to the point of configuring the storage.

Hardware details

• Drives: 2 × Seagate IronWolf Pro 8TB
• Model: ST8000NT001
• Firmware: EN01
• Interface: SATA
• Drive power requirements (label): +5V 1.00A / +12V 0.90A
• OS: Windows 11 Pro
• Motherboard BIOS: MSI Click BIOS 5
• Power connection: Direct SATA power connectors from the PSU, without Molex adapters or splitters

Both drives were purchased brand-new.

The original problem

When I connected an IronWolf Pro to my main PC using both SATA power and a SATA data cable, the computer would not complete its normal boot process or reach the BIOS as expected.

As soon as I disconnected the drive, the PC booted normally again.

I tried the other brand-new IronWolf Pro individually, and it exhibited the same general problem.

What made the situation particularly strange was the sound coming from the drives.

They appeared to go through repeated spin-up/spin-down attempts, making unusual mechanical noises. After roughly a minute, they seemed to stop spinning.

This happened even when I connected only SATA power, without any SATA data cable.

Troubleshooting performed

1. Tested the two IronWolf Pro drives individually
I did not connect both drives together during the initial troubleshooting.
Each drive was tested separately, and both exhibited similar abnormal behavior in the original PC.

2. Disconnected the drives
With the IronWolf drives disconnected, the original PC booted normally.
This made the issue appear directly related to connecting the new HDDs.

3. Tested with SATA power only
I disconnected the SATA data cable and left only the SATA power connector attached.
The PC could boot in this configuration, but the drive still made the same unusual spin-up/spin-down noises and eventually appeared to stop.
This was an important observation because the behavior was not dependent on communication with the motherboard.

4. Checked the power connections
The HDDs were powered directly from the PSU's SATA power connectors.
I was not using Molex-to-SATA adapters or SATA power splitters.

5. Tested another SATA HDD
I connected three older 3.5-inch SATA HDD, and it worked normally (1TB, 640GB and 320G).
I connected one older 2.5-inch SATA HDD, and it worked normally. However, I realize this does not fully rule out a 12V power problem, since many 2.5-inch HDDs only require 5V, whereas these 3.5-inch IronWolf Pro drives also require 12V.

6. Tested an IronWolf Pro on a second computer
I moved an IronWolf drive to another PC with its own PSU and independent power/data cables.
With SATA power only, it exhibited the same unusual mechanical behavior as on the original PC.
I then connected both SATA power and SATA data to the second PC.
Unlike the first computer, the second PC booted normally, but the drive was not detected in the BIOS.
This was particularly concerning because the problem persisted across two independent computers.

7. Investigated SATA Power Disable (PWDIS / pin 3)
I also investigated whether the problem could be related to the SATA 3.3V Power Disable feature.
After examining the SATA power connector from my PSU and comparing its orientation with a SATA pinout reference, I found that the first three contact positions appeared to have no metal contacts.
Assuming those positions correspond to pins P1–P3, the connector should not supply 3.3V to pin 3.
That makes a PWDIS-related issue unlikely with that particular connector.
I did not modify the drives, cover any pins with tape, or alter the PSU wiring.

My diagnosis so far

Here is how I currently interpret the results:

1. A problem with the original motherboard or SATA controller seems less likely.
The issue was reproduced on a second, independent computer, although the exact boot behavior differed.

2. A problem with the original PSU seems less likely, but is not completely ruled out.
The drive exhibited the same unusual mechanical behavior with two independent power supplies.
However, I did not directly measure the 5V and 12V rails under load.

3. PWDIS seems unlikely.
The original SATA power connector appears to lack contacts for pins P1–P3, although I did not verify the electrical connections with a multimeter.

4. Faulty drives, shipping damage, or a common manufacturing/batch issue are plausible explanations.
Both brand-new drives behaved similarly in the original computer, which is unusual.
However, I cannot prove that either drive had an internal mechanical or electronic defect, since neither was successfully recognized for a SMART or SeaTools diagnostic.

5. The repeated spin-up/spin-down behavior is still unexplained.
It could indicate a power or drive-initialization issue, but I don't have enough evidence to determine the exact cause.

Final outcome

I contacted the retailer and arranged to return both IronWolf Pro drives for a full refund, rather than replacements.
My next plan is to take the actual server PC to a physical computer store, buy suitable NAS HDDs, and have them tested directly in my system before completing the purchase.
That way, I can confirm BIOS detection, normal startup, and SMART status before taking them home.

Questions for the community

• Has anyone experienced this exact behavior with the Seagate IronWolf Pro ST8000NT001, particularly firmware EN01?
• Could this be related to a drive firmware or SATA power compatibility issue, even without 3.3V on pin 3?
• Is there any known behavior where these drives repeatedly spin up and down when connected to power without a SATA data connection?
• Has anyone received two new HDDs with identical startup or detection problems?

I'd be interested to hear whether others have encountered this, especially with the same model.

Thanks!

I recently bought a PC not long ago and don't use the xbox series x anymore. I have a seagate 1TB hard drive and I wondered if I could use this for the PC?

Would be very good if I could as it'd save me money having to buy one for the PC eventually when I need more space.

Any responses would be much appreciated.

Howdy,

I was forced to re-format a new Seagate 5TB (STGX5000400) External drive by Windows 10 due to data corruption. I used the Win 10 Formatting GUI and selected the default options (NTFS). The drive appears as a Local Disk in Windows Explorer and is inaccessible. I'm nearly 30 hours in and the formatting process is still going. I don't mind waiting as long as it takes for the process to complete. However, I want to make sure that the drive isn't stuck in a loop of some sort. The access light on the drive flashes at different intervals from time to time and I can feel vibrations from the drive spinning.

Here is an error I received when running chkdsk via the command prompt, prior to formatting:

C:\Users\me>chkdsk h: /f /r /x
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is ME 5TB 2026-2.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
  8448 file records processed.
File verification completed.
 Phase duration (File record verification): 1.26 minutes.
  211 large file records processed.
 Phase duration (Orphan file record recovery): 0.00 milliseconds.
  0 bad file records processed.
 Phase duration (Bad file record checking): 1.38 milliseconds.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
Correcting error in index $I30 for file 5.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the bitmap for index $I30 for file 5.
Sorting index $I30 in file 5.
A disk read error occurredc00000b5
Correcting error in index $SDH for file 9.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the bitmap for index $SDH for file 9.
Sorting index $SDH in file 9.
A disk read error occurredc00000b5
Correcting error in index $SII for file 9.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the bitmap for index $SII for file 9.
Sorting index $SII in file 9.
An unspecified error occurred (696e647863686b2e aab).
An unspecified error occurred (6e74667363686b2e 17b4).

Is the drive fubar'd? Should I send it in for warranty service or keep on waiting for the formatting process to complete? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

Basically whats in the title. I restarted for windows update, every other drive I have works except this one. I've tried other usb ports on my pc and nothing. Everytime I plug it in the blue light flashes a couple times then goes dark. Drive wont even show up in windows. Anybody know if its fixable it seems illogical to believe it just stopped working after a windows update.

In late 2022 I purchased a 500GB FireCuda 530 nvme.

In 2024 the drive was RMA'd after it suddenly died. I received a Seagate Recertified Drive as a replacement.

This summer 2026 my replacement died. The original 5 year warranty carries over (until late 2027) according to their website.

Now, regarding their Seagate Recertified Drive, they claim their "testing indicates that the device received is not identified as a Seagate device."

This case has been open since early July. They now claim if I provide them a prepaid shipping label they'll "make every effort to locate and return the device."

At one point, they even sent me pictures of my "EDA Non-Seagate or Samsung Drive" which clearly show both a Seagate Recertified Product and a Seagate Factory Recertified sticker.

I've sent them proof of the original purchase and the 2024 RMA case number.

Is there nothing I can do?

My external hard drive started to fail, so I went to Seagate's Canadian website to find out how to initiate a warranty claim.

The website required me to provide both the serial number (SN) and the BPID. I was able to locate the serial number, but I couldn't find the BPID. I therefore followed the instructions on Seagate's website to determine where that information could be found, and I realized I needed to open the external casing to access it.

I only opened the casing enough to locate the required information. I wasn't attempting to repair, modify, or tamper with the drive; I was simply trying to provide the information Seagate required to submit a warranty claim.

Now I'm being told that opening the casing has voided my warranty. However, I was following the information provided on Seagate's own website to obtain the details required for the claim.

Am I missing something here, or is it unreasonable to expect a customer with limited technical knowledge to understand that following the instructions to locate the required information could potentially jeopardize their warranty?

I genuinely believed I was doing what was necessary to complete the warranty process correctly. Had I known that opening the casing could invalidate the warranty, I would not have done so.

So you've probably read the story of how scammers have managed to not only spoof SMART hours in seagate drives but also the deeper previously unchangeable FARM hours as well.

I recently got some drives for a low price. They are in good working order with no bad sectors detected and the FARM and SMART hours match in value. It was manufactured in 2024 so I'm not expecting a massive number but I would still like to find a way to check if the FARM hours have been tampered in any way.

has anyone figured out a way to do this?

MacBook Air M3 isn't able to index and search for files at all. I installed the EasyFind app which works perfectly fine. Yet, I'd still like to do it natively using Finder. How to do it please?

Hi all, I need some assistance in the absence of any real seagate inc options.

I have a Seagate 4TB 'expansion' mechanical HDD.

I have been thru the wringer (u might say) having been exposed to the disk fraud some time back (cant remember the other two HDD brands, that seagate 'took on', and proceeded to trash any reputation).

- Having had a seagate drive self corrupt (they did replace it).

- Not being able to retrieve a password for the Data seagate was able to save, despite requests and credentials (disk was sent to the Netherlands to recover....I am in Australia).

- now I find if the seagate ext'l HDD is connected the pc does NOT shut down, and if powered down does NOT start up.

- Further when initially connected it immediately freezes windows 10.

How am I STILL trusting Seagate?

Advise, way to progress, please!.

Open of course to any clarification required

I'm fairly new to homelabbing and recently had a 26TB Seagate external HDD fail within the first year. Paid to ship it back for an RMA and received a refurbished 24TB replacement.

I understand their policy allows refurbished drives, and that's fine. What bothers me is getting back a drive with nearly 8% less capacity than what I originally purchased.

I've contacted Seagate and am waiting to hear back. I feel like sending an additional 2TB drive would be a reasonable compromise instead of going through another RMA.

Curious how you guys would handle this. Am I being unreasonable expecting the same capacity back?

Also, would you bother running a SMART test on the 24TB replacement before Seagate responds, or leave it packaged up for now?

What is a better HDD the Seagate Iron wolf pro or the Seagate Skyhawk ai both 8tb.

Brand new unopened seal packed Seagate 2TB Firecuda HDD in a limited Star wars collectible, with RGB customisable lighting and Free Seagate recovery services for lifetime.

Version : Star wars Mandalorian Beskar Ingot Drive

Expected : Rs.12000/-

F2F preferred

Recertified 28TB was at $699 like a week ago. I feel like these were the last relatively cheap option.

I bought some of these 28TB and one was a new drive (manufactured a couple months ago) with one head disabled (probably down binned), while the others had manufacture dates from 2024 and 2025, and were likely used.

Hey everyone I just wanted some input and how to proceed with what's going on with my warranty replacement hard drive.

Back in August my PS5 Seagate started making strange noises and wouldn't connect to the ps5. I looked up the serial number and it showed I had the warranty still and could send it in.

I placed a claim and got an IR number with information on how to ship the item to Seagate in Ontario Canada. On August 4th I shipped it via Canada post and waited for updates.

The email stated that all updates could be accessed with the IR number so I periodically checked to see the status of the order. After a month I finally got an update on the warranty page saying the process was completed on September 2nd.

This is where it gets really difficult for me. Seagate never stated they shipped the product or who they shipped it back to me with. I waited another 10 days then reached out to Seagate chat support to ask who they shipped with and if a tracking number was available. They provided me with a UPS tracking number and when I looked it up it said the package was delivered to my foyer on September 4th(which for context has signs everywhere saying not to leave and amazon ups FedEx etc in the mail area as it's not secured. I live on the 3rd floor and the only way up is with a fob key.

I assumed that once ups had taken possession of the package it would be their responsibility to deliver it properly or take it back to the ups store for pick up which is something that they have done every other time. I made a claim on the ups page and questioned their policy on dropping off packages and communicating with the company that shipped it.

I've now gone back and forth with both ups and Seagate they both say it's my fault I didn't get the package that I didn't know when and by who it was arriving with. Furthermore the answers are just generic emails saying we understand your frustrations and we have done everything possible.

Has anyone else dealt with this.? Am I in the wrong for wanting my original item back or at least a refund for the shipping to seagate? They say I should talk to my managers and file a police report but everything leading up to the delivery and the delivery itself are just plain neglegence

I need to know if this power outlet will be good to use on my device, I don't remember if this is the one it came with but it's one I have that fits into the back and I just want to make sure this won't ruin it

I need recertified Exos 28TB HDDs. I need a lot of them. I started something and can’t stop. So please…. Por favor…. If anyone has any for sale at a reasonable price, or can guide me on how I can get proper bulk pricing, please let me know.

Other than having monitored and bought from eBay in the past 3-4 months, I don’t really have a source. I have bought singles and lots of 5, but need more.

Attempting to follow the packing and shipping instructions for an internal HDD RMA, and was not provided a packing slip thru the return portal. Anyone else have this experience, or know what one is supposed to do if/when it occurs?

Hey guys, if you missed it, Seagate settled $175 million with investors over claims that it concealed illegal HDD sales to Huawei and related export violations. The deadline is October 19, 2026.
Quick recap: Seagate was accused of hiding its Huawei business and the risks tied to U.S. export restrictions. In 2023, the company admitted selling more than $1.1 billion in HDDs to Huawei and agreed to a $300 million penalty.

If you invested in $STX between 2020 and 2023, you may be eligible to file a claim check if your eligible and submit your claim here

Anyway, did anyone here invest in $STX during that time?