Is My External Hard Drive Crashing?

[Numi]

So, I loaded up the complete library of Kontakt 4 on my External Drive(OWC 500G TIChip924). Mainly, because my Mac Mini drive is an Intel SSD 40G and it would not fit on it.

Now, my External Drive has made some strange noises in the past..and OWC swears that the noises I had described were normal, although I have never heard a hard drive sound like it was sawing down a tree.

After loading this massive library onto this drive..and playing around with kontakt for 1 day. I come in the next evening and load up a project of Pianos and Pads and such...to find that it will only work at maxium buffer sample and barely at that. I then try the standalone version and it won't even play the sounds..it looks likes it is working but unless the buffer is set at an unreasonable setting, it won't playback at all(keep in mind, it worked almost without flaw the day before).

I then tried loading up a Pro Tools Project..guess what...now my projects are asking for larger buffers..saying that the Firewire buss is over run or has too many devices connected to it..which..it doesn't. Unless you consider the hard drive and Mbox 2 Pro too many devices. I even loaded up a blank project with really basic settings, tried to load a basic set up of the VI..and error after error with the Firewire bus. I tried reconnecting, and putting the drive behind the Mbox 2 Pro and vice versa..and then reinstalled the Mbox 2 Pro drivers. None of these attempts did anything to change the outcome. I have only the stock plug-ins installed..and Kontakt 4. Everything worked flawless until the day after I installed the Kontakt 4 Library..but like I stated before..the drive has always made weird noises when writing data(almost a grinding sound). I am a bit irked that when I contacted OWC the first time..they blew me off.

I can only assume..that all the weird grinding sounds that have been coming from the drive from time to time..have caught up to me..and the Kontakt 4 Library was so massive..that it was nearly the final nail in it's coffin.

Any thoughts?

P.S. I sent OWC an email...and I hope to back up the drive(if it will not crash on me) and get it replaced. But, I have never worked with their customer service before.

[Numi]

Well, I copied everything from the bad drive to a Hitachi 500g USB mini drive.

And, to my surprise Everything works better off the Hitachi then the OWC. I even loaded Pro Tools projects(which don't support USB) that loaded without issue and worked with really low buffer samples.

Kontakt 4, also worked flawlessly in standalone mode..streaming it's samples from the USB drive.

So, if a little dinky USB drive can handle streaming samples and project audio files....what can't my more expensive FW OWC drive not?

Verdict is in..my OWC drive is garbage..and probably was from the beginning when I originally called them about the noises I was hearing.

[Park Seward]

What happens when you run Drive Utility? Does it say the drive os OK?

I have several OWC drives and they all have been fine. But if yours is making loud "sawing" noises, I would ask for an exchange. their customer service is good.

How long have you had it?