Solved Windows 7 laptop takes 20-25 minutes to shut down, even from Safe Mode

[F5ing]

Here's the results of the WD diagnostic.

Test Option: EXTENDED TEST
Model Number: WDC WD5000BEVT-75A0RT0
Unit Serial Number: WD-WXR1EB0XYD30
Firmware Number: 01.01A01
Capacity: 500.11 GB
SMART Status: FAIL
Test Result: PASS
Test Time: 10:11:48, July 19, 2012

I didn't know that separate parts might have their own warranties. I did some googling and none of the tools where you enter your serial number would work for me, so I looked at this list: WD Support / Warranty Services / End User / Worldwide Warranty Policy and Limitations My part number has 'BEVT' in it - does that mean it's a Scorpio Blue drive, and thus under warranty since I bought it new in March 2011? (I'm in the UK, so under 'Europe'.) Where do I go from here?

Scorpio Blue is a very cool name even for a drive that doesn't work.

Edit: The WD RMA process just told me that because Dell bought the drive, not me, I have to contact Dell. And my Dell warranty ran out already. That sucks.

If it was OEM the manufacturer is aware, and yes you do have to go to the computer manufacturer for warranty. But I'd contact them even though the warranty for the PC is over. I've gotten a couple manufacturers to replace drives even though warranty was up. Haven't always been successful doing that, but they were for PCs where the owners really couldn't afford it, so I would always at least give it a shot. It would always be for drives that would've been under the regular warranty had they been purchased outright, so I thought it was the right thing to do anyway.

Just imagine how cool that name would be if it worked!

Edit: I could take the laptop to the shop today, I've just been procrastinating and messing about with diagnostics and things. I know the problem won't go away by itself. I can borrow my mum's laptop for essential stuff like email until I get mine back.

That's good. The reason I asked is that it sounded as though the disk was rapidly degrading with all the stuff/testing/repairing that was being done. So I was thinking that if you still needed to use it for awhile, and it was "working" otherwise, it would probably be best to leave it be (other than continuing to use it as you normally would, storing your data elsewhere as you have been).

Be sure to read through the tutorials Greg posted before you take it in. There's info in there that you can use to help ensure the drive is really ready for the trash.

 

[Duckbill]

But I'd contact them even though the warranty for the PC is over.

Just to clarify - do you mean Western Digital or Dell here? I'm new to this, the last time I dealt with a broken laptop it was through home & contents insurance so they did it for me.

 

[F5ing]

But I'd contact them even though the warranty for the PC is over.

Just to clarify - do you mean Western Digital or Dell here? I'm new to this, the last time I dealt with a broken laptop it was through home & contents insurance so they did it for me.

Dell. WD doesn't have responsibility. But I would determine the length of WD's warranty for your particular model, just so you can "let Dell know" what the warranty would've been if it had been an 'off the shelf' drive rather than an OEM drive.

 

[F5ing]

Just looked up WD warratny for your drive: here in the U.S. it says it's a two year warranty. Kind of thought it would've been more like 3 years for that model.

 

[NoelDP]

Not for OEM - all OEM disk warranties are 12 months.
Retail warranties are anything up to 5 years for spinners.

 

[Duckbill]

OK, I tried Dell - no luck, but that's all I expected. I'm going to take it into the shop on Monday. Thanks for all your help, and I promise to be kind to my new hard drive and run CHKDSK when it asks me to!

 

[F5ing]

Not for OEM - all OEM disk warranties are 12 months.
Retail warranties are anything up to 5 years for spinners.

Yeah, I realize that, and know that I kind of got lucky the couple times the OEM relented.

Just another disadvantage of buying OEM. All components warranted with the machine, even though some of those same components, if purchased individually (off the shelf), would have far longer warranties. Makes you wonder if some of those 'identical' OEM parts come from a lower quality and cheaper 'production line' at the original manufacturer's plant. Or maybe those are the parts that don't qualify as 'bad', yet don't qualify as good enough for 'off the shelf' sales. Kind of like what they do sometimes with processors.

OK, I tried Dell - no luck, but that's all I expected. I'm going to take it into the shop on Monday. Thanks for all your help, and I promise to be kind to my new hard drive and run CHKDSK when it asks me to!

Well, you gave it a shot. If only it would've happened a few months ago, when the warranty was still in effect.

 

[Duckbill]

Final update: I got my new hard drive, they were unable to clone the old one because it was too badly damaged so this is a new clean Windows install, and it shuts down properly now. No more half-hour waits. Thanks for all your help!

 

[NoelDP]

Glad to hear it!

Good luck.