--- product_id: 1242473 title: "WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5\" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model)" brand: "western digital" price: "223642CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1242473-wd-caviar-black-1-tb-sata-iii-7200-rpm-64 store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # 7200 RPM blazing speed 1 TB massive storage SATA III 6 Gb/s interface WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) **Brand:** western digital **Price:** 223642CFA **Availability:** βœ… In Stock ## Summary > πŸ’Ό Power your professional edge with WD Caviar Black β€” where speed meets reliability. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) by western digital - **How much does it cost?** 223642CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1242473-wd-caviar-black-1-tb-sata-iii-7200-rpm-64) ## Best For - western digital enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted western digital brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - β€’ **5-Year Limited Warranty:** Invest with confidence backed by industry-leading durability and long-term peace of mind. - β€’ **SATA III 6 Gb/s Interface:** Maximize throughput with cutting-edge connectivity, fully backward compatible for seamless integration. - β€’ **Blazing 7200 RPM Spin Speed:** Experience lightning-fast data access and transfer that keeps up with your demanding workflows. - β€’ **Massive 1 TB Storage Capacity:** Store your entire creative portfolio, gaming library, and critical files without compromise. - β€’ **StableTrac Vibration Reduction:** Engineered dual motor shaft stabilization ensures precision tracking and rock-solid reliability under heavy loads. ## Overview The WD Caviar Black 1 TB internal hard drive delivers high-performance desktop storage with a 7200 RPM spindle speed, 64 MB cache, and SATA III 6 Gb/s interface. Designed for power users, it features dual processors and StableTrac technology to reduce vibration and enhance accuracy during intensive read/write operations. Compatible across Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, it’s ideal for gaming, multimedia editing, and expanding desktop storage. Backed by a 5-year limited warranty, this drive offers a reliable, high-capacity solution for professionals demanding speed and durability. ## Description From the Manufacturer WD Caviar Black Hard Drives – Maximum performance for power computing.WD Caviar Black high performance 3.5-inch SATA hard drives combine 7200 RPM spin speed, an integrated dual processor, and dual actuator technology for lightning-fast performance in demanding desktop, workstation, and multi-drive systems. And 1 TB capacity gives you the space you need to hold enormous amounts of photos, videos, and files. Best of all these drives are backed by a 5-year limited warranty.Why you should choose WD Caviar Black:WD Caviar Black delivers industry-leading performance that's perfect for hard-core gaming and intensive photo and video editing. Maximum performance. Sophisticated performance enhancing features deliver the speed you need to work faster, not longer. No compromises. High performance, high reliability, cutting edge technology and a 5-year limited warranty make up WD Caviar Black, the ideal drive for those who demand only the best. Award winning. This 7200 RPM speedster is at the top of its class when it comes to performance and reliability. Ideal for:Power computing applications such as intensive photo or video editingMaxed out gaming systemsAdding lots of storage in desktop PCsAdding extra storage space for photos, videos and musicFeatures:SATA 6 Gb/s interface - Twice the interface speed with backwards compatibility to legacy SATA standards.Dual processor - Twice the processing power to maximize performance.Dynamic Cache - WD's dynamic caching algorithm improves performance in real time by optimizing cache allocation between reads and writes. For example, if there's an overwhelming percentage of read traffic as opposed to write traffic, the drive automatically allocates more cache for read data, which reduces congestion and improves overall drive performance. NoTouch ramp load technology - The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit.StableTrac - The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations which enables consistently higher performance.Desktop / Consumer RAID environments - WD Caviar Black Hard Drives are tested and recommended for use in consumer-type RAID applications. (RAID-0 / RAID-1)**Business Critical RAID Environments – WD Caviar Blue Hard Drives are not recommended for and are not warranted for use in RAID environments utilizing Enterprise HBAs and/or expanders and in multi-bay chassis, as they are not designed for, nor tested in, these specific types of RAID applications. For all Business Critical RAID applications, please consider WD's Enterprise Hard Drives that are specifically designed with RAID-specific, time-limited error recovery (TLER), are tested extensively in 24x7 RAID applications, and include features like enhanced RAFF technology and thermal extended burn-in testing.Upgrading your drive is easy - WD Acronis TrueImage, available as a free download on the WD Support site, enables you to copy all your data to a new drive so you don't have to reinstall your operating system to get all the benefits of a new drive. Note: Bare drive does not include any cables or mounting hardware.The WD advantage - WD puts our products through extensive Functional Integrity Testing (F.I.T.) prior to any product launch. On average, each new product goes through 600,000 hours of testing. WD also has a detailed Knowledge Base with more than 1,000 helpful articles. You can also call toll-free support 7 days per week in the U.S. and Canada. See the WD Support site for full details.WD-certified packaging - All WD drives purchased from desertcart.com are shipped in WD-certified hard drive packaging. It is designed and fully tested to provide WD products with the highest of safety while in transit. With WD-certified packaging, you can rest assured that your WD hard drive will arrive safely, fully protected, in a non-descript, easy-open package.Compatibility Works with Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000, Mac and Linux operating systems. You might also consider: Product Description WD Caviar Black high performance 3.5-inch SATA hard drives combine 7200 RPM spin speed, 32 MB or 64 MB cache, SATA 3 Gb/s interface, and up to 2 TB capacity with an integrated dual processor for lightning-fast performance in demanding desktop, workstation, and multi-drive systems. Rock solid mechanical architecture and enhanced reliability features help protect the drive and the data stored on it. Backed by a 5-year limited warranty. Review: Possibly the best drive for consumers. - This is my fifth WD Black hard drive I've bought, the first of the second generation 2TB drives. Overall I am very impressed at the performance and reliability. Fair prices too. I've used them as desktop drives, in arrays, and because they have SMART I've avoided loosing data or down time due to a critical failure. Performance The WD Black are at the upper end of the consumer drives, focusing on performance and reliability, at a higher cost. For the WD Black the performance is very high with fast access times, fast spin rate, high data-throughput, twin processors, and large cache... it's one well tricked out drive. Reliability Yes, less reliable drives are cheaper but you'll probably be buying a shorter life and be gambling on a critical failure catching you unawares. The WD Black drives are pretty close to being a sure thing because they are more reliable, more predictable, and have a long 5 year warranty. SMART Feature All drives have a lifespan and this is where WD SMART technology comes to your rescue. The built in SMART feature monitors and logs what the drive has to cope with - Yes, even reliable drives are prone to slip ups and we never know about it because they cope. Reading the SMART log helps predict the eventual failure and give user time to backup and prevent a critical failure, and means you can get failing drives out earlier making it more likely you can catch a drive while it's still under warranty. RE: Reviews of Pesky DOA Drives Reading consumer drive reviews you'll find about 2.5% to 5% of drives failing within the first 6 months. Heartbreaking when it happens for sure, but it's not bad considering shipping, installation, and application are all out of the manufacturers control for such a sensitive and complex part. There can be any of the handful of reasons for this rate of near-DOA drives but it's just a sad fact of buying drives today. There are ways to combat this happening to you. If they weren't shipped to you in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines (they'll list it on their website) don't accept them. Check the intended application, such as desktop, RAID, temperature ranges, etc. (no point in putting a drive in to fail) and if you'll be using it in a raid controller, NAS, or external case check the drive's compatibility with the respective manufacturer. WD or not, if there is a some sort of a SMART feature you can run a full test on each new drive you buy, to weed out any dud drives, before putting them in service. Don't worry if all that was Greek to you. The bottom line is... the WD Black drives have great performance, features, and are among the most reliable of the consumer drives with a marginal cost premium. Review: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III Hard Drive Bulk/OEM - WD1002FAEX - This review is for the Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop Hard Drive Bulk/OEM - WD1002FAEX. I also discuss using this hard drive to expand the recording capacity of a DirecTV receiver. There really isn't too much to say about a hard drive, as long as it works. In spite of that, I'll try to say a few things about this one. First, it works. Also, it's quiet. The one I have running continuously with my DirecTV receiver is slightly, but only slightly, louder than an electric wall clock. And I don't mean the kind that ticks; I mean the kind that has a sweep second hand and just whirrs softly. I used the NexStar 3 external drive enclosure by Vantec with this drive to expand the recording capacity of my DirecTV receiver. The USB or eSATA connection between the external hard drive and the computer (or receiver) is usually the limiting factor in data transfer, so this 7200 rpm drive is probably faster than I need. I expect that the packaging varies dramatically from order to order and mine was mediocre. The drive itself was in its own box, held in place by two plastic supports. That box was inside the larger desertcart shipping box and was cushioned with the plastic pillows that desertcart likes to use. I don't care much for this packaging. In my case, everything survived okay, but it's possible for the package to take a blow which would pop one or more of the plastic pillows. Once those pillows are popped, they are useless, and the next blow can ruin the contents. I would prefer true bubble wrap, or even packaging paper. As I said, though, I was lucky and everything came through okay. I was a bit concerned with using this SATA III drive in the NexStar 3 enclosure, which claims to accept SATA I and SATA II drives. As it turns out, the NexStar 3 works fine with this SATA III drive also. I was also concerned that I was getting a drive that was too advanced to couple with my DirecTV receiver, but that proved to be unfounded also. My receiver is not new and I was afraid it might not work with the "latest and greatest" hardware. All in all, I am very happy with the drive. I used this hard drive and an external enclosure to create more storage capacity on my DirecTV receiver. My DirecTV receiver is a model R22-200. The "-200" part of the model number is insignificant; it indicates where the receiver was manufactured. According to on-line experts, this upgrade should work with any DirecTV receiver that has an eSATA connector on the back. Other receivers may not show such a dramatic increase in capacity, however, because they have a larger internal hard drive to begin with. My R22 receiver was originally installed as a standard-definition receiver and had the capacity to record about 200 hours of programming. DirecTV upgraded it to an HD receiver after I bought an HD television. (I think the R22 is the only receiver with this upgrade capability.) HD programs have more data per hour of program so the limited storage space on the receiver's internal hard drive was quickly filled with the new HD programs. It looked like only 35-50 hours of HD programming would fill the original, internal hard drive. Connecting this 1 TB drive has increased storage capacity dramatically. Extrapolating from the small amount I have already recorded would result in an estimate of 150-200 hours of recording capacity in HD for the new drive. As stated earlier, I used this drive in a NexStar 3 enclosure. This one: Vantec NexStar 3 NST-360SU-BK External Hard Drive Enclosure (Onyx Black) Installing the drive into the enclosure takes about a minute, not counting the time to read the manual that came with the NexStar 3. I'm obsessive about reading manuals, but in this case it really wasn't necessary. Hard drive installation consists of: 1. Open the enclosure by pulling the end cover (with the tray attached) off the housing. 2. Slide the hard drive onto the tray, ensuring that the SATA connection is made. 3. Using the (#2 Phillips) screws provided with the NexStar 3, screw the hard drive to the tray. 4. Slide the tray, with the hard drive attached, part way back into the housing. 5. Attach the connector from the housing to the tray to power the LED indicator on the enclosure. 6. Slide the tray completely into the housing, routing the LED power wire to avoid snagging it. 7. Attach the tray to the housing with the (#1 Phillips) screws (also supplied with the NexStar 3). It took longer to write these instructions than it did to install the hard drive. To connect an external hard drive to a DirecTV receiver you MUST use an eSATA connection. You cannot use a USB connector of any kind with a DirecTV receiver. The NexStar 3 enclosure has both a USB 2.0 and an eSATA connection on the outside of the enclosure. The procedure for connecting this to the receiver is: 1. Unplug the receiver from its power source. (Note: Turning the receiver off without unplugging it probably won't work.) 2. Attach the eSATA cable from the eSATA connector on the NexStar 3 enclosure to the eSATA connector on the receiver. An eSATA cable is included with the NexStar 3. 3. Attach the NexStar 3 power transformer to an outlet. 4. Attach the power cord from the transformer to the NexStar 3. 5. Turn the power on to the hard drive by switching the NexStar 3 on. 6. Wait several seconds to ensure that the hard drive is spinning at normal speed. 7. Plug the DirecTV receiver back in to a power source. 8. Wait. During the wait you can watch the TV as it tells you that the receiver is checking for software, etc. After 15-30 minutes (for a 1 TB hard drive), you will be able to watch TV. Some Notes: 1. It's neither required nor desired to format the hard drive prior to attaching it to the DirecTV receiver. The receiver will format the drive using its own system. 2. You will lose access to all programs that were recorded on the receiver before you installed the external hard drive. The DirecTV receiver can operate off EITHER its own internal hard drive OR the external hard drive that you just installed, BUT NOT BOTH. 3. You will also lose all your favorite channel listings and all pre-programmed recording instructions. If you had the receiver set up to record your favorite programs automatically you will have to program it again for those same programs. You will also have to rewrite all your favorite channel listings. This can be daunting. I recommend that before you connect the external hard drive you write a list of your channel listings and the programs in your Series Manager or To Do List so you can re-create the lists more easily. 4. It will take hours before the receiver rebuilds the channel guide. You will get most of the current programs quickly, but to build a two-week database requires several hours. Also, the extra information, like the Cast & Crew listings, will not be rebuilt for quite some time. 5. You WILL NOT be able to move this hard drive from one receiver to another receiver and play the programs on it. My understanding is that the programs are encoded so as to be playable only by the same recorder that originally recorded them. 6. I have read on-line, but have not verified yet, that your programs and settings that were lost when you installed the new hard drive are not gone for good. According to sources, you should be able to remove the external hard drive by performing the steps basically in reverse and that this should restore your receiver to its pre-upgrade state. When all is said and done, I am thrilled with the results and the ease of this upgrade. ## Features - WD Caviar Black high performance 3.5- Inch SATA hard drive combines 7200 RPM, 64 MB cache, and SATA 6 Gb/s interface for the ultimate in power computing. - High performance electronics architecture features dual processors and bigger, faster caches for maximum read and write speeds. - StableTrac The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations. - 5 year limited warranty. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B0036Q7MV0 | | Additional Features | Portable | | Best Sellers Rank | #295 in Internal Hard Drives | | Brand | Western Digital | | Built-In Media | Hard Drive | | Cache Memory Installed Size | 64 | | Color | Black | | Compatible Devices | Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000, Mac and Linux operating systems. | | Connectivity Technology | SATA | | Customer Package Type | Standard Packaging | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,515 Reviews | | Data Transfer Rate | 3 gigabits_per_second | | Digital Storage Capacity | 1 TB | | Enclosure Material | Aluminum | | Form Factor | 3.5-inch | | Global Trade Identification Number | 00718037762340 | | Hard Disk Description | Mechanical Hard Disk | | Hard Disk Form Factor | 3.5 inches | | Hard Disk Interface | Serial ATA-300 | | Hard Disk Rotational Speed | 7200 rpm | | Hard-Drive Size | 1 TB | | Hardware Connectivity | SATA 6.0 Gb/s | | Hardware Platform | PC; Mac; Unix; Linux | | Installation Type | Internal Hard Drive | | Item Part Number | WD1002FAEX | | Item Weight | 1.5 pounds | | Manufacturer | Western Digital | | Mfr Part Number | WD1002FAEX | | Model Name | Caviar Black | | Model Number | WD1002FAEX | | Number of Items | 1 | | Special Feature | Portable | | Specific Uses For Product | Personal | | UPC | 718037762340 191120074795 090060003493 | | Unit Count | 1 Count | | Warranty Description | 5 year limited warranty. | ## Product Details - **Digital Storage Capacity:** 1 TB - **Hard Disk Interface:** Serial ATA-300 - **Brand:** WD - **Special Feature:** Portable - **Hard Disk Form Factor:** 3.5 Inches - **Hard Disk Description:** Mechanical Hard Disk - **Compatible Devices:** Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000, Mac and Linux operating systems. - **Installation Type:** Internal Hard Drive - **Color:** Black - **Hard Disk Size:** 1 TB ## Images ![WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81RWQFIg23L.jpg) ![WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41nbyidVhKL.jpg) ![WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41AnDh-y7FL.jpg) ![WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qLHtumKdL.jpg) ![WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mG5Lq3vZL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Size** options. ## Questions & Answers **Q: Help. Bought a new custom built Windows 8 PC, bought a WD 2TB black drive. But Windows 8 PC won't see the drive. It's not even showing under disk mgmt. Any ideas guys? Really appreciate your help. the power is connected since the driver is hot. The sata cable is connected too.** A: I agree with TechBob, I doubt its DOA. You may also try resetting your BIOS to default and see if it then recognizes the drive in Windows 8. Try a different SATA cable, or switch them around. Try reinstalling or installing the Intel AHCI driver. I use a great program called Advanced System Optimizer for ensuring all drivers are up to date. Also, make sure you have all of the Windows updates...including the select optional ones. I hope this helps. **Q: What's the difference between the WD4003FZEX been also sold here in Amazon.com and this one?** A: It's all in the specifications from wdc.com. The wd4003FZEX has a higher sustained data transfer rate (171MB/sec) than the wdc4001FAEX (154MB/sec). That is the time to get data from the drive to the computer. Most of us would not see the difference except high end gamers and power users. Speed is money. **Q: This is a REAL FAEX ?** A: Hi C.L., thanks for your answer. I've heard that the NEW models (FZEX) perform worst than the old "generation" (FAEX), that's the reason for being cheaper. I do agree with you, I prefer the Black generation, it's more reliable and faster than RED, GREEN and BLUE. I only have a pair of Green on a second NAS, all others HDD are Black (NAS and PCs) and I thrust very much on those FAEX, never had any issue on them. Thanks again. **Q: Does this connect to a SATA 3 cable?** A: Short Answer: Yes. It connects to SATA III cables. The SATA III refers to the transfer rate of data.SATA 3: 6 Gb/s SATA 2: 3 Gb/sSATA 1: 1.5 Gb/sThe highest, SATA 3, is backwards compatible with previous versions, but to get the best speeds, you'd likely need to use a SATA 3 cable, which would be rated for the higher speeds. I have standard SATA cables and have had no issues. Similarly, the port you plug into would also make a difference in the maximum data transfer speeds achieved. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Possibly the best drive for consumers. *by D***L on May 11, 2013* This is my fifth WD Black hard drive I've bought, the first of the second generation 2TB drives. Overall I am very impressed at the performance and reliability. Fair prices too. I've used them as desktop drives, in arrays, and because they have SMART I've avoided loosing data or down time due to a critical failure. Performance The WD Black are at the upper end of the consumer drives, focusing on performance and reliability, at a higher cost. For the WD Black the performance is very high with fast access times, fast spin rate, high data-throughput, twin processors, and large cache... it's one well tricked out drive. Reliability Yes, less reliable drives are cheaper but you'll probably be buying a shorter life and be gambling on a critical failure catching you unawares. The WD Black drives are pretty close to being a sure thing because they are more reliable, more predictable, and have a long 5 year warranty. SMART Feature All drives have a lifespan and this is where WD SMART technology comes to your rescue. The built in SMART feature monitors and logs what the drive has to cope with - Yes, even reliable drives are prone to slip ups and we never know about it because they cope. Reading the SMART log helps predict the eventual failure and give user time to backup and prevent a critical failure, and means you can get failing drives out earlier making it more likely you can catch a drive while it's still under warranty. RE: Reviews of Pesky DOA Drives Reading consumer drive reviews you'll find about 2.5% to 5% of drives failing within the first 6 months. Heartbreaking when it happens for sure, but it's not bad considering shipping, installation, and application are all out of the manufacturers control for such a sensitive and complex part. There can be any of the handful of reasons for this rate of near-DOA drives but it's just a sad fact of buying drives today. There are ways to combat this happening to you. If they weren't shipped to you in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines (they'll list it on their website) don't accept them. Check the intended application, such as desktop, RAID, temperature ranges, etc. (no point in putting a drive in to fail) and if you'll be using it in a raid controller, NAS, or external case check the drive's compatibility with the respective manufacturer. WD or not, if there is a some sort of a SMART feature you can run a full test on each new drive you buy, to weed out any dud drives, before putting them in service. Don't worry if all that was Greek to you. The bottom line is... the WD Black drives have great performance, features, and are among the most reliable of the consumer drives with a marginal cost premium. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III Hard Drive Bulk/OEM - WD1002FAEX *by L***N on January 1, 2013* This review is for the Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop Hard Drive Bulk/OEM - WD1002FAEX. I also discuss using this hard drive to expand the recording capacity of a DirecTV receiver. There really isn't too much to say about a hard drive, as long as it works. In spite of that, I'll try to say a few things about this one. First, it works. Also, it's quiet. The one I have running continuously with my DirecTV receiver is slightly, but only slightly, louder than an electric wall clock. And I don't mean the kind that ticks; I mean the kind that has a sweep second hand and just whirrs softly. I used the NexStar 3 external drive enclosure by Vantec with this drive to expand the recording capacity of my DirecTV receiver. The USB or eSATA connection between the external hard drive and the computer (or receiver) is usually the limiting factor in data transfer, so this 7200 rpm drive is probably faster than I need. I expect that the packaging varies dramatically from order to order and mine was mediocre. The drive itself was in its own box, held in place by two plastic supports. That box was inside the larger Amazon shipping box and was cushioned with the plastic pillows that Amazon likes to use. I don't care much for this packaging. In my case, everything survived okay, but it's possible for the package to take a blow which would pop one or more of the plastic pillows. Once those pillows are popped, they are useless, and the next blow can ruin the contents. I would prefer true bubble wrap, or even packaging paper. As I said, though, I was lucky and everything came through okay. I was a bit concerned with using this SATA III drive in the NexStar 3 enclosure, which claims to accept SATA I and SATA II drives. As it turns out, the NexStar 3 works fine with this SATA III drive also. I was also concerned that I was getting a drive that was too advanced to couple with my DirecTV receiver, but that proved to be unfounded also. My receiver is not new and I was afraid it might not work with the "latest and greatest" hardware. All in all, I am very happy with the drive. I used this hard drive and an external enclosure to create more storage capacity on my DirecTV receiver. My DirecTV receiver is a model R22-200. The "-200" part of the model number is insignificant; it indicates where the receiver was manufactured. According to on-line experts, this upgrade should work with any DirecTV receiver that has an eSATA connector on the back. Other receivers may not show such a dramatic increase in capacity, however, because they have a larger internal hard drive to begin with. My R22 receiver was originally installed as a standard-definition receiver and had the capacity to record about 200 hours of programming. DirecTV upgraded it to an HD receiver after I bought an HD television. (I think the R22 is the only receiver with this upgrade capability.) HD programs have more data per hour of program so the limited storage space on the receiver's internal hard drive was quickly filled with the new HD programs. It looked like only 35-50 hours of HD programming would fill the original, internal hard drive. Connecting this 1 TB drive has increased storage capacity dramatically. Extrapolating from the small amount I have already recorded would result in an estimate of 150-200 hours of recording capacity in HD for the new drive. As stated earlier, I used this drive in a NexStar 3 enclosure. This one: Vantec NexStar 3 NST-360SU-BK External Hard Drive Enclosure (Onyx Black) Installing the drive into the enclosure takes about a minute, not counting the time to read the manual that came with the NexStar 3. I'm obsessive about reading manuals, but in this case it really wasn't necessary. Hard drive installation consists of: 1. Open the enclosure by pulling the end cover (with the tray attached) off the housing. 2. Slide the hard drive onto the tray, ensuring that the SATA connection is made. 3. Using the (#2 Phillips) screws provided with the NexStar 3, screw the hard drive to the tray. 4. Slide the tray, with the hard drive attached, part way back into the housing. 5. Attach the connector from the housing to the tray to power the LED indicator on the enclosure. 6. Slide the tray completely into the housing, routing the LED power wire to avoid snagging it. 7. Attach the tray to the housing with the (#1 Phillips) screws (also supplied with the NexStar 3). It took longer to write these instructions than it did to install the hard drive. To connect an external hard drive to a DirecTV receiver you MUST use an eSATA connection. You cannot use a USB connector of any kind with a DirecTV receiver. The NexStar 3 enclosure has both a USB 2.0 and an eSATA connection on the outside of the enclosure. The procedure for connecting this to the receiver is: 1. Unplug the receiver from its power source. (Note: Turning the receiver off without unplugging it probably won't work.) 2. Attach the eSATA cable from the eSATA connector on the NexStar 3 enclosure to the eSATA connector on the receiver. An eSATA cable is included with the NexStar 3. 3. Attach the NexStar 3 power transformer to an outlet. 4. Attach the power cord from the transformer to the NexStar 3. 5. Turn the power on to the hard drive by switching the NexStar 3 on. 6. Wait several seconds to ensure that the hard drive is spinning at normal speed. 7. Plug the DirecTV receiver back in to a power source. 8. Wait. During the wait you can watch the TV as it tells you that the receiver is checking for software, etc. After 15-30 minutes (for a 1 TB hard drive), you will be able to watch TV. Some Notes: 1. It's neither required nor desired to format the hard drive prior to attaching it to the DirecTV receiver. The receiver will format the drive using its own system. 2. You will lose access to all programs that were recorded on the receiver before you installed the external hard drive. The DirecTV receiver can operate off EITHER its own internal hard drive OR the external hard drive that you just installed, BUT NOT BOTH. 3. You will also lose all your favorite channel listings and all pre-programmed recording instructions. If you had the receiver set up to record your favorite programs automatically you will have to program it again for those same programs. You will also have to rewrite all your favorite channel listings. This can be daunting. I recommend that before you connect the external hard drive you write a list of your channel listings and the programs in your Series Manager or To Do List so you can re-create the lists more easily. 4. It will take hours before the receiver rebuilds the channel guide. You will get most of the current programs quickly, but to build a two-week database requires several hours. Also, the extra information, like the Cast & Crew listings, will not be rebuilt for quite some time. 5. You WILL NOT be able to move this hard drive from one receiver to another receiver and play the programs on it. My understanding is that the programs are encoded so as to be playable only by the same recorder that originally recorded them. 6. I have read on-line, but have not verified yet, that your programs and settings that were lost when you installed the new hard drive are not gone for good. According to sources, you should be able to remove the external hard drive by performing the steps basically in reverse and that this should restore your receiver to its pre-upgrade state. When all is said and done, I am thrilled with the results and the ease of this upgrade. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ WD - Best drives I used in 20 years - But how good is "BEST"? *by J***P on September 24, 2011* I purchased my first WD 1TB Black about 2 years ago to be the boot drive (followed by 2 other WD 1TB Black drives for the same system) in a system rebuild. It has worked flawlessly since. Hence the reason to purchase another as I begin to build a new box. Unquestionably there has been doubt in the past about WD quality as I have many 2.5" drives that didn't last past 20-30 hours of use - making them a terrible way to backup you main box. Fortunately the WD 3.5" drives have been pretty reliable. Well, the Black drives have been good. I've never owned a "Green" drive that wasn't slow as molasses and scary during start up as a boot drive. Since this new drive has been running (under test transfers) for the past several days without a glitch, I may have lucked out and not got a "DOA" or "DOA just after arrival" drive. Typically they go bad fairly quick, especially when housed externally and bumped about or placed in a case without proper cooling, but just as several drives I've had in the past that died at the 3, 5 or 6 etc. month point (most of which were NOT WD's), any drive could go at any time. My point here - RUN BACKUPS! Raid is nice, but just slamming your boot drive onto a external 1GB drive (I prefer Macrium Reflect software and Toshiba Canvio drives) once and a while (2 week intervals work good), you can save yourself much grief in the future. Be happy you're not me, I have to backup 8-9 TB in personal work data every 2 weeks - ouch. Great way to spend part of the weekend. BTW, out of all my current drives: 3.5" WDs - most reliable and best quality, 3.5" Seagates - pretty close in quality (although I didn't buy one again for 23 years after all my ST225's died back in '87), 3.5" Hitachis - not sure yet, haven't run the the 2 new 3TB drives long enough yet - I'm still PO'd over the whole Deathstar (Deskstar) fiasco back in about 2005 when I lost 4 Deskstars in a 2 month period and tons of data with them - Hopefully Hitachi got the new ones right and this new 3TB will turn out to be a great lowcost drive. But for now, I only trust my boot drives to Western Digital! Now if they could only build a reliable 2.5"! ## Frequently Bought Together - WD Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive (WD1002FAEX ) (Old Model) - TECMIYO Ram 16GB Kit (4x4GB) DDR3 1333MHz 16GB PC3-10600/PC3 10600U Non ECC Unbuffered 1.5V CL9 2RX8 Dual Rank 240 Pin UDIMM Desktop Memory Ram Module (DDR3 4x4GB) - Cable Matters 3-Pack 90 Degree Right Angle SATA Cable 18 Inches (6.0 Gbps SATA III Cable, SATA Cable for SSD, SATA SSD Cable, SATA 3 Cables), Black --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - πŸ›’ **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** β€” Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** β€” Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - πŸ’° **No Hidden Fees** β€” All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - πŸ”„ **15-Day Free Returns** β€” Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - πŸ”’ **Secure Payments** β€” Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** β€” Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1242473-wd-caviar-black-1-tb-sata-iii-7200-rpm-64](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1242473-wd-caviar-black-1-tb-sata-iii-7200-rpm-64) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-11-10*