We're so sorry to hear about your experience with the drive and the difficulties you faced while trying to get support. The issues you described - excessive heat and random disconnections aren't expected and indicate a problem with the unit, the port, or the cable. We would recommend testing it with a different port or computer if possible. For help with warranty replacement, please reach out to our support team directly at: https://support-en.sandisk.com/app/askweb - we're here to make sure this gets resolved for you.