Last night the desktop started having issues.  After a couple hours of troubleshooting, I've come to the conclusion that I've got a bad sector on the hard drive -- a Western Digital 1.5TB disk.  Windows 7 can still boot, most things appear to be running fine, it's one (large) app in particular that seems to be sitting on the bad spot.
However, it's a *really* bad spot.  CHKDSK hangs when it reaches it, as does the Western Digital official drive-testing software that I obtained from their website.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to replace the disk and reinstall, because any imaging software I use is going to puke as soon as it hits that sector as well, and I can't find a utility able to mark it as such without falling into the tarpit.  Very frustrating.
So... has anyone had any experience with getting a WD hard drive replaced under warranty?  This was bought new (OEM packaging) back in February of this year.  It's still under the 1-year manufacturer warranty period.  But I've never had to deal with replacing a WD drive.  Maxtor, Seagate, Quantum, yes.  But never WD.
Am I going to have an uphill fight in front of me?
(Also, if you can recommend any drive utilities that stand a chance of marking that bad sector so I can maneuver around it, that'd be appreciated too)

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

When I've not been plotting world domination in V, slaying Covenant or playing old-school JRPGs. I've been playing Kitten, it's not bad little platformer running a catgirl pretty much all over the place. I think it's the only place I've heard the typical ding response of 'Gratz' vocalised. It's also a game which I recommend that a controller is used, but then I also think the console version's the one to get, as the instructions for the PC aren't very clear.

Does anyone have an opinion on Mission Evolved, it looks interesting.

--Rod.H

If I could work out how to embed the video from the site it would be http://www.topgear.com/au/videos/topgea ... -the-lions]here.

Aside from that Top Gear content is coming to the gaming consoles, for Grand Turismo 5(PS3) is getting the Top Gear Test Track and a possible appearance of the Stig in the drivers seat while Forza 3 (360) is getting a GOTY edition with Top Gear DLC.

--Rod.H

So, I'm checking the politics forum one last time before going to bed, and I noticed this. A thread with 8 replies, the last two having been posted by hmelton and Sofaspud, with Sofaspud's being the most recent. But the index is listing hmelton as having the last reply. Which seems odd.

-Morgan.

At least one muslim clerics has issued a Fatwa that orders her death and several others have supported this. So far no muslim leader has publicly spoken out against the kill on sight Fatwa.

As near as I can tell from the few reports posted by the news the FBI reported to her that several muslims groups have been planning her murder and that other groups may be trying to enter the

country or activate assets already here.

hmelton

The Mads are coming! Hooray, Hooray! The Mads are coming RUN AWAAAAAY!!!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20100929/tc_ ... rom_home_1

Here's one I caught in a Wal-mart.
http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/produc ... id=1321274

The Flintstones turns 50 today... and even us Canadians get to see http://www.google.ca/logos/2010/flintstones10-hp.jpg!

(A shame that Tony Curtis didn't live to see it. He was one of the first celebrities to appear in a cartoon, lo those many years ago - now it's commonplace.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

Obit here.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.