The disk drive is a sensitive precision instrument. It is extremely important to follow these packaging guidelines. If your hard drive is not packaged as described below you are further endangering your valuable data.

If available, please utilize the original packaging as it has been specifically engineered to optimally protect the drives during transit.

Anti-Static Bag

Place the drive in the original ESD (electro-static discharge) protective bag prior to shipment. If the ESD bag is not available, please use an equivalent anti-static bag.

Cushioning Material

To protect the drive from shock, you will need to use a cushioning material. Foam is the best isolator as long as the drive cannot move when the box is jolted and foam is covering all sides of the drive. To ensure the drive does not move inside the corrugated carton, make sure that you have secured the drive snugly with the same amount of cushioning on all sides due to the fact the carton could be dropped on any side during shipping.

When shipping more than one drive in a single carton, ensure that the drives do not touch and they are both cushioned individually. If utilizing foam, a minimum of 2" in all directions should be used.

If foam is unavailable the next best thing is bubble wrap, thirdly and not as recommendable is crumpled up newspaper. PLEASE! NEVER USE packing peanuts as they will not support the drive in all directions during shipping and the drive will tend to work its way to the bottom of the packing material. Furthermore, packing peanuts may create static electricity.

Box

Use a box that is at least twice the size of the media so that the media can be suspended in the middle of the box. We recommend a minimum of three inches of insulation all around for one hard drive. Use an outer carton that is made of corrugated paper. Do not use chipboard, as it is not strong enough to withstand the rigors of transit.

Please make sure the corrugated carton is free from defects and is structurally sound. Seal the corrugated carton firmly using adhesive backed tape. Make sure all carton edges are sealed also to prevent any tearing.

MARK THE BOX "FRAGILE" ON ALL SURFACES.

Shipper

Use a shipper that can track your package. PLEASE send us the tracking number by E-mail. You may use our Contact Page.

Insurance

Please insure your drive.

Other Comments

If at all possible, remove the media from the computer. Get expert help if necessary. Send us just the hard drive(s), tape(s), floppy, jaz, zip, optical, flashcard, microdrive etc..

Water damaged hard drives
If your drive has suffered water damage, please do not dry it. Enclose the drive along with a damp sponge in a sealed plastic bag to prevent it from drying out. Recovery is more likely if our engineers receive the drive before it has dried.

If you have any questions about the packaging process PLEASE let us know! 1.800.709.0326