[Douglashh]

My LaCie Mini has apparently died, just out of warranty naturally, and I need to get a new bootable external drive.

I really liked the LaCie Mini fitting under my Mac Mini. I'm thinking about the Newer Tech v3 but am wondering if I would be better off just getting a stand alone external drive. Space is not really an issue but I do like the look of external drive stacked under my Mini.

The external will be used to keep a bootable clone as backup. Any thoughts, advice and recommendations appreciated.

[reader50]

Have you determined if it is the drive or LaCie enclosure that died? Since it's out of warranty, you can take it apart. If the enclosure died, move the drive to a new enclosure. If the drive died, put a bigger/faster new drive in the enclosure.

On the other hand, you could call LaCie and try to beg warranty coverage anyway. Apple will sometimes extend AppleCare coverage if it ran out just a few days or weeks before.

[Douglashh]

When I turn the drive on the light comes on and there is a whirling sound when it starts up but then it just makes a clicking sound and the whirling sound again and just repeats that. I unhooked it and gently shook it and plugged it back in and it started and mounted just fine. Turned it off and then on again and it starts with the whirling sound clicks and repeats that over and over. In order to get it to work I have to unhook and gently shake it and then it works until I turn it off and on again.

[Spheric Harlot]

That does sound like a dead drive - that's the part LaCie *didn't* make...

Try their customer support form on the homepage.

I've had extremely good experiences with them here in Germany (I have about a dozen LaCie drives) - very quick, and pretty cool.

[reader50]

Probably the drive, or (unlikely) a loose cable connection inside. If you can get it mounted again, I'd copy everything off RIGHT NOW. It's rare to have that opportunity with a failing drive.

Ditto what SH said - call LaCie. At worst they'll say no. If they won't do anything, then open 'er up, reseat the cables. Problem continues, buy a new 500+ GB laptop drive to replace the bad drive.

[Douglashh]

I called LaCie and they were kind enough to offer me a new external HD although not the model I had, a Mini Hub, because the one I had was discontinued about 18 months ago. I'll miss the form factor but at least I'll have a new external HD.