error when formatting - invalid media reading drive C

[q_q_anonymous]

was playing with a sector editor, figured i can't do permanent damage.
was experimenting. none of the datda on the hdd is important. I
thought that fdisk and with its mbr switch, and format, would be able
to rewrite the bytes that count.

i wrote a boot record from a floppy disk onto the hdd. - i.e. replaced
the first 512 bytes. then i lost access to all my files on that hdd -
fair enough. so I used fdisk removed the partition, recreatred it made
it active, rebooted, tried to format it (A:\>format c: /s) and I got
an error "invalid media reading drive c abort rety fail" So I aborted.
I did fdisk /mbr. Then I tried format c: /s again, got the same error,
did 'f' for fail and it let me format it. I shoudln't get that error
before formatting though.

it's an excelstor hdd (i.e. a rubbish hdd), they don't have any
utilities on their site for download. but i'm hoping that free 3rd
party software has a solution. there was a mention of norton disk
doctor fixing it on usenet, but no further information was give

 

[Rod Speed]

was playing with a sector editor, figured i can't do permanent damage.
Correct.

was experimenting. none of the datda on the hdd is important.
I thought that fdisk and with its mbr switch, and format, would
be able to rewrite the bytes that count.

Its simpler to just write zeros thru the first few hundred tracks if
you do manage to produce a problem with something like clearhdd.

i wrote a boot record from a floppy disk onto the hdd. - i.e.
replaced the first 512 bytes. then i lost access to all my files
on that hdd - fair enough. so I used fdisk removed the partition,

That isnt going to affect the boot code in the MBR.

recreatred it made it active, rebooted, tried to format it (A:\>format c: /s)
and I got an error "invalid media reading drive c abort rety fail"

Presumably it got rather confused about the geometry
detail etc in the MBR that came from a floppy.

So I aborted. I did fdisk /mbr. Then I tried format c: /s again,
got the same error, did 'f' for fail and it let me format it. I
shoudln't get that error before formatting though.

You likely still have the useless geometry detail in the MBR.

it's an excelstor hdd (i.e. a rubbish hdd), they don't have any
utilities on their site for download. but i'm hoping that free 3rd
party software has a solution. there was a mention of norton disk
doctor fixing it on usenet, but no further information was give

Wipe it with clearhdd, that will fix it.
http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/clearhdd.htm

 

[q_q_anonymous]

thanks, that's a great utility, i've added it to my useful programs

though, i found that the problem was with the ide cable. I changed the
cable and it was fine. The old cable was technically good - 18" and 80
way but visually imperfect - a tiny speck of coating had been scraped
off exposing a few mm of copper wire.

Regarding utilities, which utilities made by one HDD manufacturer work
on drives of any manufacturer? (besides samsung's clearhdd) I have
heard for example, that maxtor have some good utilities, but obviously
i wouoldn't want to buy a maxtor drive!

 

[q_q_anonymous]

hmm, i testd again. seems like now i still get the error even with the
perfect ide cable. I ran clearhdd then fdisk then format.

doesn't matter. i just press f a few times and it lets me format it.

thanks for the info

 

[Rod Speed]

i found that the problem was with the ide cable. I changed
the cable and it was fine. The old cable was technically good
- 18" and 80 way but visually imperfect - a tiny speck of coating
had been scraped off exposing a few mm of copper wire.

Likely the force required to do that dislodged one of the
connections to one of the wire in one of the connectors.

Regarding utilities, which utilities made by one HDD manufacturer
work on drives of any manufacturer? (besides samsung's clearhdd)

Many hard drive manufacturers do have
a ute that writes zeros thru the drive.

I have heard for example, that maxtor have some good utilities,

I dont care for them myself.

but obviously i wouoldn't want to buy a maxtor drive!

Me neither. But thats because they dont provide
local warranty support in my country, the drive has
to be shipped to singapore for a warranty claim.

 

[Rod Speed]

hmm, i testd again. seems like now i still get the error even with
the perfect ide cable. I ran clearhdd then fdisk then format.

doesn't matter. i just press f a few times and it lets me format it.

That's a real worry. Run Hitachi's DFT
and Seagate's diagnostics on the drive.

thanks for the info

No problem, thanks for the feedback, too rare in my opinion.