Both my drives have given up the ghost, so looking for a replacement HD. The original Seagate Video drive I used is completely shot and my newer 2TB Samsung EVO SSD won’t play or be reformatted either in the Core or using disk utility on the Mac.
A replacement SSD is too expensive, so looking at either a 2TB Seagate Skyhawk or Seagate Barracudda. Any other recommendations? Thanks.
WD red Pro… 5 years warranty…
Thanks for the advice.
The WD Red Plus may be more suitable (and cheaper). The Pro spins at 7200 rpm, and in my NAS is noticeably louder than the Plus version which is a more leisurely 5400rpm. I don’t think you need the extra speed in a Core just for streaming music.
If you can get a 2.5” drive, eg WD Red, it should fit in the Core’s SSD position but be significantly more reliable than a 3.5” equivalent capacity due to reduced operational stresses and will undoubtedly be quieter.
As per post above, 5400 rpm is a better choice than 7200 rpm, again reduced operational stresses .
ATB, J
How old is your Samsung SSD? The reason I ask is that I had one fail in my Core and someone (maybe it was @Osiris) reminded me that they have a 5 year warranty. Mine was 4 years and 9 months and although I had to do lots of work to get the RMA accepted (a few hours worth) it was well under a week when the new SSD arrived from Samsung’s SSD facility in the Netherlands. I was very impressed.
Not sure, need to check purchase date. Strange thing is that it mounts onto the Mac and all the files are there and can be copied from it, but it doesn’t work in the Core and can’t be formatted. Might take it to a PC repair shop and see if they can wipe it!
Don’t know if you can download a low level formatting tool from the Samsung support website?
As always, use with extreme caution, such tools are not for the inexperienced……
As @davidhendon says, the 5 year warranty is your friend.
ATB, J
I have a Red Pro in my Core for 3 years and honestly you have to put you head at 10cm to hear it…
Yes, looking into warranty. Bought it in 2022!
There is specific Samsung software you need to run on a PC and it tests the SSD, which in my case I plugged into a USB enclosure for the purpose. In my case it found a large number of critical errors. You need to send screen shots of these with photos of the SSD and proof of purchase to Samsung. I had to ring their European centre in Holland and it took a while they accepted the case, then a whole circus of emails and couriers were unleashed, all at no cost to me. You can get all this by googling etc, but if you need more help, I will try to do so on request!
Clock’s ticking, good luck.
ATB, J
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I am Mac based and have no access to a PC. Have found a solution for now by using a external hard drive via the USB port on Core, so I have music again while I investigate a new HD.
Life’s too short, I’ll just get a new HD, but not a Samsung SSD!
Thanks all for your advice.
Chat GPT provides all the advice you need to make a successful warranty claim even with no PC to run the SSD on. You can easily ask yourself, but here is the answer it gave me just now.
“That is a common roadblock. Samsung’s official support channels frequently ask for a Samsung Magician screenshot as definitive proof of diagnostic errors or SMART failure before they authorize an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization). [1]
Since the 870 EVO is a SATA internal drive, your mate cannot use the macOS version of Magician to read it, even if he plugs it into his Mac using a SATA-to-USB adapter cable. [1]
He can successfully bypass the PC requirement and still get his warranty claim approved using these alternative methods:
Method 1: Provide “Mac-Equivalent” Diagnostic Evidence
Samsung’s customer support agents are trained to look for specific values (like Reallocated Sector Count or Wear-out Indicators). Your mate can provide alternative diagnostic proof that works perfectly on macOS:
870 EVO: Connect the 870 EVO to the Mac: Use a cheap SATA-to-USB adapter cable or enclosure.
Download DriveDx: Have him download the free trial of DriveDx (a highly respected macOS drive diagnostic tool).
Samsung Magician: Take a Full Screenshot: DriveDx explicitly pulls the exact same SMART health indicators as Samsung Magician. Have him take a clear screenshot of the DriveDx dashboard showing the drive’s serial number, overall health percentage, and any failed indicators (highlighted in red or yellow).
Samsung Magician: Submit to Support: When opening the claim, he should explicitly tell the agent: “I do not own a Windows PC, so Samsung Magician is unavailable. Attached is a full SMART health diagnostic report from macOS showing the drive failure.” Samsung’s memory division will almost always accept this.
Method 2: Bypass the Web Portal via Phone / Email
The automated web ticketing system on Samsung’s website is notoriously rigid and often loops back to demanding a Magician log. He can sidestep the automated checks entirely: [1, 2]
In the UK/EU: He should head directly to the Samsung Semiconductor Support Page or call Samsung Support. [1, 2]
In the US: He can email samsungmemorysupport@sea.samsung.com directly to bypass the website. [1]
What to include: He needs to email them a text file or pictures answering their standard intake questions:
Product Number (P/N) and Serial Number (S/N) (take a clear photo of the physical sticker on the 870 EVO drive).
Proof of Purchase (an invoice or PDF receipt showing it’s within the 5-year warranty window).
Description of failure: A simple description like “The drive has dropped into read-only mode / completely failed to boot in my Linux-based server environment and throws data corruption errors.” [1, 2, 3]
Method 3: The “No Trouble Found” Physical Route
If Samsung’s front-line customer service gives him a hard time about the lack of a Magician screenshot, he can simply request a physical mail-in inspection. [1]
Samsung allows customers to mail the drive to their authorized service center without prior diagnostic proof. Once received, Samsung technicians will plug the drive into their own test benches to verify the hardware failure. If they find a defect, they will automatically approve the RMA and mail him a replacement drive. [1, 2]
Does he already have the original purchase invoice/receipt ready? If he can find that and a clear picture of the drive’s serial number sticker, he already has 90% of what he needs to get the ball rolling. [1]”
Thanks for this, much appreciated. I’ll look into it more.