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This means you’re on your own to reinstall
and configure the operating system, device drivers, as well as any
software applications or utility programs that originally were
bundled with the PC.
If you’ve never done this kind of project
before, be especially prepared for anywhere from several hours of
work to a near impossible feat, if you don’t have the relevant
installation media and product unlock keys.
The Real Cost of Hard Drive Replacement
Unfortunately, as most PC vendors feel
financial pressure to reduce their support and warranty costs, you
probably will be subjected to this no-frills warranty service
approach.
Hard drives for desktop PCs are relatively
inexpensive, around $100 to $200 at retail. So it’s important to
understand that the warranty service on a hard drive replacement
generally doesn’t cover the more substantial labor costs involved
with restoring the hard drive and system to the pre-crash condition.
If you outsource the task to a professional
computer consultant, it easily could cost you $200 to $500 (or more)
in labor to get that PC hard drive back to its pre-crash condition.
Even if your internal guru handles the work, this easily could pull
your internal guru away from his or her real job for a half-day or
more.
Because the expense of recovering a crashed desktop PC hard drive
tends to be more concentrated on soft costs, which most times
aren’t covered by the PC vendor’s warranty anyway, we see more
and more reason not to purchase extended warranty coverage with
entry-level desktop PCs. This favors the self-insurance approach on
desktop PC extended warranties, covered in Tip #18, under Spare
Desktop PCs.
Hard Drive Replacement Action Items
If a hard drive fails on a desktop PC,
notebook or server system and the system is within the warranty
period, what is the PC vendor's responsibility?
Does the dispatched technician simply
install a freshly-formatted, blank hard drive, or does the
technician restore the original factory installed, bundled software
(i.e. bundled operating system, device drivers, software
applications and utility programs)?
If the technician only installs a blank
replacement hard drive, has the PC vendor provided you with
appropriate installation media and unlock keys to reinstall original
factory installed, bundled software?
Are details regarding hard drive
replacement spelled out in the PC vendor's warranty statements?
Do you have documentation or checklists for
reinstalling and customizing any software applications and utility
programs that were installed on each PC, beyond the original factory
installed, bundled software? Are the related installation media and
unlock keys readily available for reinstalling additional software
following a hard drive crash and replacement?
Following a hard drive crash and
replacement, who is responsible for restoring the impacted system to
its pre-crash condition? Is it your company's internal guru, an
external computer consultant or some combination of the two?
Has the PC vendor's policy on hard drive
replacement influenced your decisions on whether to purchase
additional warranty coverage?
Does your company take any specific
precautions to minimize the risk of needing hard drive replacement
in the first place?
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