Need some solid advice before I buy a hdd tonight.

[-RockMan-]

Well if you look at my signature, you can tell I have 2 80's gb going on in my system.
My backup hdd, is startin to fill up, as many prjects I am working on right now space is bafly needed.
Also I am going to need to install xp on one of those hdd''s so I can use my secondary sound card for midi creation, manipulation and to support some old hardware that windows 7 refuses to support.
Currently I am looking for a hdd in between 320-500gb worth of space.
Blasted newegg.com has marked most f the hdd'x with 500gb to 53.00 bucks and up.

I had an hitatchi once when I furst my computer they are pretty good but I prefer a seagate or western digital hdd to avoid any problems and aggrevation from sorry as customer support when the hdd dies and needs to be replaced.

Newegg.com - HITACHI Deskstar P7K500 HDP725050GLA360 (0A35415) 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Iam trying to keep the price under 54.00 with free shiping if at all possible.
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[InsaneJester17]

Have you considered trying virtual XP within windows 7 before dedicating a partion to xp?

Download Windows XP Mode

 

[-RockMan-]

Heh, I would love to do that, but thanks to a ****ty computer shop here in augusta computer exchange sold me a msdn product key.
Windows 7 refuses to activate, and the windows genuine advantage team told me they can't unblock the product key once it's black listed by their server.
Well I am in the process of backing up everything and getting ready to go back to windows xp sp3 for the next couple of months.
My mother has my windows 7 pro key right now, and she needs it, she hates vista so I don't think she'll forgive me if I put vista on her pc and make her use it.... -_-

Anyway I still do need that hdd by atleast friday or monday morning thats on my top priority list.
Any other advice, not relating to any windows problem I have is welcomed.

 

[Muffin Man]

Western Digital Caviar SE 16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s at ZipZoomfly
$0.99 over your budget, but it's from WD and has free shipping.

or this one
NCIXUS.com - Buy Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA2 7200RPM 16MB 8.9MS 3.5IN NCQ Hard Drive OEM 3YR MFR Warranty - WD5000AAKS.
cheaper still, also from WD, but idk what shipping costs would be to you.

 

[skylinegtrv98]

I have been using that same Hitachi HDD as my primary drive for going on 2 years...I haven't had any problems with it...I leave my computer on all the time too....Drive still runs as quiet today as the day I put it in....

 

[-RockMan-]

I need to ask of all you something about Hard Drive Manufacturers warrantys ?
I had bought a 320gb western digital blue cavier hdd for 47.99.
Newegg.com says the warranty through the manufacturer is 3 years limited, I talked to a sales rep right before I left the house to verify if that was true, he said maybe.....

I really don't want to play warranty mind games with manufacturer if they can't stand by their word or back up their promise once the hdd is registered and something bad happens to the hdd within a short year.
Do most of you know if hdd manufacturers will keep their word especially western digital ?

Last time I bought a new hdd 2 years ago, western digiral didn't keep their word after the hdd had some errors occur, which indicated the hdd is getting ready to give way.

 

[Fat.Clown]

only time I had to send in a hard drive for warranty was with western digital... and it was painless for me