Scandal over used hard drives from mining farms in China

The hard drive market has recently experienced an unusual episode in the technology sector. It has been discovered that a large number of hard drives Seagate, sold as new, actually have previously been used in cryptocurrency mining farms in ChinaThis discovery has generated great concern among both consumers and the manufacturer itself.

During the cryptocurrency rush, especially with the emergence of Chia, the demand for massive storage skyrocketed, as this digital currency relies on the use of disk space. Many mining farms acquired huge amounts of HDDs and SSDs to mine the cryptocurrency. However, with the fall in the value of Chia, These farms stopped being profitable and many began to sell their equipment., including hard drives that had been in continuous operation for thousands of hours.

Used hard drives sold as new

A group of researchers has revealed that these hard drives, originating from China, have been manipulated to modify their records and make them look newThe analyzed disks had between 10.000 and 50.000 hours of use, which makes them worn-out devices with a reduced lifespan. This situation has affected hundreds of buyers in different parts of the world.

According to reports collected to date, more than 200 counterfeit hard drives have been sold in various regions, including Europe, Australia, Thailand and Japan. Altering parameters in the HDDs' SMART system has been key to hiding their wear. However, experts have been able to detect the manipulation using advanced diagnostic tools.

Reactions from manufacturers and retailers

In the face of controversy, Seagate has denied any involvement in this scam. and has assured that it is thoroughly investigating the situation. The company has enabled a complaints channel For buyers who suspect they have purchased fraudulent hard drives, urging them to contact us via [email protected].

Several stores in Europe have been involved in this sale of refurbished hard drives without informing customers about their real condition. Some, such as Alternate They have stated that they were unaware of the situation and have recommended that buyers file complaints if they detect irregularities in their units.

Others, such as galaxy, They have enabled a support page to manage the affected casesWhile Pro Shop has directly offered the possibility of return the discs and receive a replacement at no additional cost.

How to check if a hard drive is legitimate

For users concerned about the legitimacy of their hard drives, there are Various tools that allow you to verify its real statusIt is recommended to use programs such as Seagate Seatools o SmartMontools (version 7.4 or higher) with specific commands that allow you to check the HDD usage history. This way, it is possible to check if the disk has been previously used in a mining farm.

In addition, a fundamental precaution to avoid this type of fraud is Always buy hard drives from official distributors and not resort to second-hand sellers or stores of dubious origin.

This scandal has highlighted the risk of purchasing seemingly new products that have been subjected to extensive use in the past. As the investigation progresses, the industry is seeking to strengthen controls to prevent this situation from happening again in the future.