When I buy a hard drive, I know that it isn't a matter of if it fails, but a matter of when. Drive mechanisms have a finite lifetime, especially because of their moving parts. So, if the drive mechanism had failed in this drive, I would have understood. However, that's not what happened. Of all the things that could happen, the PATA - > USB/1394 interface board failed. Luckily, my data is safe on the drive itself. It's a wakeup call that I need a new external drive, however. I had this drive for just over two years.