WD Drive Registration says PCBA number invalid?

WD Internal Drives Desktop & Mobile Drives
1

Hi guys,

I just purchased 4 2TB WD Green Desktop hard drives in Beijing, China, and I am wondering if they are fake. Basically the registration system recognises the serial number and correctly tells me the drive model, but I cannot complete registration because it says the PCBA number is incorrect. I have researched a bit and the sticker on the back matches the print on the circuit board with only a difference in the first number, i.e. 2060 on the board and 2061 on the sticker. Is this a problem with the registration system, or did I buy fake drives?

Thanks for any advice!

2

Could we see photos of the label and each side of the PCB? You will need to black out the serial number, otherwise your images will not be approved.

3

Hi guys, sorry for the slow reply. I forgot my password and the reset password function is broken on the site after waiting several days, so I had to create a new account. Maybe think about fixing that? Anyway, here are the photos of one of the drives I bought that I cannot register on the WD site. Hope the silkscreened PCB numbers are visible, can anyone see what I am doing wrong entering the numbers? Or is this drive fake or manipulated in some way?

Thanks!

back.jpg
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front.jpg
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4

Hm, the rear photo came out smaller than expected, so here are the numbers again:

PCB silkscreen: REV A 2060-771698-004

PCB sticker: 2061-771698-T04 AA XE BEF5 0941 5 0003320 3323

5

Got the same issue trying to register 2 (kinda) oilder green drives, and 2 brand new red drives.

Says PCBA number invalid…

Did you manage to find a solution to your issue?

6

Same problem here - again purchased in China - Product of Thailand.

2 X WD1002FAEX-00Y9A0 hard drives - purchased in Shanghai,

PCB: 2060-771702-001 Rev P1 and 2060-701622-000 Rev P1

Stickers:

2061-701622-B00 03P XW 8J03 5DLR 7 0002500 9502 and

2061-771702-101 04P XC AT33 012R 2 0004480 0454

and  , 

1 X  WD1003FBYX-01Y7B1 purchased in Ningbo.

PCB: 2060-771702-001 Rev A

Sticker: 2061-771702-B01 AE XC AT93 0BM2 N 0007230 3237

I have tried entering both PCB and sticker but no joy registering them on the website.

What’s the story and would it be possible to print these numbers any smaller? 8)

7

Follow-up on this post.

I raised this question on the WD technical support site and the question was closed without comment.

That must mean that I am not one of their customers and have bought fake product. I might have hoped for a nicer way of being told this, but then to admit it would perhaps be to admit to having a piracy problem, so I guess I can understand the policy.

That they may be fake is disappointing of course, but perhaps not so surprising in China. For those wondering, no they are not cheaper here. I guess if they were cheaper people would not buy them for fear they were fake… The problem is that if you buy from abroad, the friendly customs official will charge you an extra 25% import duty and delay your shipment by 2 weeks for the pleasure.

I guess when buying in China, make sure that you can register the product before completing the transaction - normally possible if transacting via Taobao. You live and you learn. 8)