Hi Ralph
Well that is indeed sad news
I wonder if its really some bad luck with them giving you the bad batch of hard drives or if its something to do with the hard drive connector/component of your laptop thats giving you problems.
but anyway, Acer techs should be the best to diagnose the problem hard disk.
With regards to "cloning" or creating a backup of your hard drive. You may want to try two options:
1. the
Acer eRecovery? software. I may come pre-installed on your machine OR you can download if it is available for your laptop model.
2. third party cloning tools that may be provided for free be your hard drive manufacturer
ACER E-RECOVERY SOFTWARE
Select your laptop model and see if it is available for download
http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers 
Below are the instructions from the Acer website
http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers...VHWkl4aw%3D%3D
==================
How do I create a backup with Acer eRecovery?
You can create and save backup images to hard disk drive, CD, or DVD.
- Boot to Windows.
- Click Start, and then All Programs.
- Click Acer, and then Acer eRecovery Management.
- You may be prompted to allow the program to modify the hard disk drive. Click Yes.
Note: You may be prompted to enter or create a password. This password will be required to use Acer eRecovery in the future. - In the next window select the Backup tab.
- Select Create user backup.
- Select the backup destination in the drop down menu.
To backup to the hard disk drive choose drive D:
To store the backup disc image on CD or DVD, insert blank writable media and select the optical disk drive. - After choosing the backup destination, click Next.
- Follow the instructions on screen to complete the process.
==================
Below are instructions for restoring the computer with backup discs
http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8028/kw/backup/related/1
How can I restore my computer with the backup discs I created?
With user created backups you are able to restore your computer to the factory default settings. If backup discs were created instead of factory restore discs, these can be used instead and will restore the system to a user backup point.
Ensure that the computer is completely shutdown, then turn on the computer.
When the Acer splash screen appears, tap the Alt and F10 keys simultaneously. A screen stating "Starting Acer eRecovery" should appear.
From the recovery options, choose Restore system from CD/DVD.
Insert either the first Recovery or Backup disc that you created.
From the on-screen options, choose a backup.
Click OK and the installation will begin.
Change the disc as necessary when prompted.
***If my undestanding is correct (sorry i cant find a detailed manual for the Acer eRecovery program). It should enable you to create backup discs of your hard drive. And somewhere in there, it
should also be able to create a bootable disc that will be capable of starting the computer, detect the new replacement hard drive, and then load each recovery disc to restore your previous OS and
files to the new hard drive.
ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE for Western Digital hard drives
Check your replacement western digital hard drive's type/model number and see if there is an available download for "Acronis True Image".
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?wdc_lang=en
Acronis True Image is a popular hdd cloning software. Depending on the type of your hard drive, there may be a version of Acronis True Image for it.
The detailed user manual for Acronis True Image is here
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/?id=191&type=25
I think you should check chapter 14 - Cloning.