HDD Failure?

[AMD2600]

So I bought a laptop (specs below) a few months ago and practically since the first day I bought it I had been having issues with it. Essentially, the computer will hang momentarily and then resume after as if nothing happened.
More specifically, if I was playing a game, the image displayed would freeze (with sound either looping or stopped) for a split second to a few seconds then resume right afterward without a problem. In other cases, I'd be typing in a word processor and the program would freeze, displaying no input till after the freeze ended. I've also occasionally had errors pop up when saving and my Python code interpreter even crashed once.

This freeze up happens on practically everything I run on the computer from navigating with Windows Explorer to using the terminal. I did some snooping in the resource manager and it seems during each freeze up, the highest active time spikes followed by a spike in reading/writing by the System process.

I'm pretty convinced there is something wrong with the HDD, but of course second opinions is good to get some perspective. Any help is appreciated!

Cheers


For reference, these are the specs:
MSI CX61
Intel i5 3210M @2.5 GHz
Nvidia GeForce 640M 2GB DDR3
Intel HD Graphics 4000
6 GB DDR3
500 GB HDD (WD5000BPVT-22HXZT3, two 250GB partitions)

 

[njxc500]

If its new enough, just return it and get a new one. I had a Toshiba laptop that just had a simply crappy hard drive in it, a Toshiba drive, and Toshiba wouldn't do anything, so I just returned it. Otherwise, get an SSD and swap it out.

 

[AMD2600]

Sadly, the store warranty expired after two weeks. I would deal with the manufacturer for a repair, but their conditions are not that great. Tons of documents to fill out and include with the machine for such a simple issue. Shipping there is also solely my liability.

I would gladly do the replacement on my own time and money, but sadly the service panel to get to the HDD has a "Warranty Sticker; Void if tampered" covering one screw to open it up. I found this really peculiar as this isn't even opening it up completely, it's just a simple panel that gives access to the HDD, RAM, and wireless modules.

Anyways, does this definitely sound like a bad hard drive based on the symptoms mentioned earlier? If need be, I can gather any other info required.

 

[warhead0]

Store warrant is rubbish, contact the manufacturer and organise an RMA.

it's not that hard really.

 

[Pyree]

MSI warranty cover both trip of the shipping cost for my laptop. There is only 1 form that I have to fill in. The courier came in the afternoon to pick up my return request made in the morning. But that's in Australia. You are in Canada so MSI may have different terms.

Don't worry about the sticker. It's void if they can prove there is any user inflicted damage. That's what an MSI rep told me. So my warranty sticker was off the laptop on 1st day when I put a SSD in. But still check with MSI rep in your country. The warranty terms can be different.

If you are still worry, take a picture of the warranty sticker, use an art cutter (or any thin blade) to peel the sticker right off. Put the sticker on the non stick paper of used sticker label. Then if you need to send it back to warranty, just put the sticker back like what it used to be, like the photograph.

 

[AMD2600]

@warhead0: Yeah store warranty is rubbish which is why I didn't get the extended warranty. Though if it was in the short term warranty, I could have probably exchanged it (after some backup of course).

@Pyree: Yeah, MSI told me I need to cover the shipping costs there as well as giving me a shopping list worth of things to do before they'd accept it. They also told me they are not responsible for any loss or damage, which implies they mean both ways.
I may just check in with a representative as you suggested. Doing the replacement myself sounds so much easier