Formating an External HDD

  • Thread starter Thread starter dc
  • Start date Start date
D

dc

Hello guys,

Just put an existing HDD (Samsumg SV1204H, 120gig, 5400rpm) in a new Spire SP105B External Harddrive case setup. Did everything by the directions. Tried to read the drive, because I intended to dump the contents all into a file folder on another computer to pick up the data and other pertinent info. Well anyway, the drive had a popup saying, This disk in drive F: is not formatted. Do you want to format it now? I didn't really want to, but gave in and did it anyway. But before it got to the end, another popup said something like, Windows cannot complete the format.

Am I supposed to Fdisk it again and if so, how is that accomplished with a USB 2.0, without booting with a Windows 98 Bootdisk or the W2K CD. Oh, I have both, but am I supposed to go through this again? I have to admit that I did not check the jumpers, but I 99.9% sure they are on "cable select".

Thanks in Advance,
Appreciate any guidance,
dcdon
 
Found this, but can't read until pay and for one issue. They don't have a one issue price.
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Storage/Misc/Q_20762156.html

thanks again,
dc
Hello guys,

Just put an existing HDD (Samsumg SV1204H, 120gig, 5400rpm) in a new Spire SP105B External Harddrive case setup. Did everything by the directions. Tried to read the drive, because I intended to dump the contents all into a file folder on another computer to pick up the data and other pertinent info. Well anyway, the drive had a popup saying, This disk in drive F: is not formatted. Do you want to format it now? I didn't really want to, but gave in and did it anyway. But before it got to the end, another popup said something like, Windows cannot complete the format.

Am I supposed to Fdisk it again and if so, how is that accomplished with a USB 2.0, without booting with a Windows 98 Bootdisk or the W2K CD. Oh, I have both, but am I supposed to go through this again? I have to admit that I did not check the jumpers, but I 99.9% sure they are on "cable select".

Thanks in Advance,
Appreciate any guidance,
dcdon
 
If you're very lucky, the format operation failed completely, otherwise
you've just made it harder to recover your data from the drive. You do not
want to format the drive and you do not want to run FDisk!

I'm not sure why you can't access the drive. It might be the drive's
jumper settings. Try setting the jumpers to Master. What OS are you
running? If the drive is formatted as NTFS, you will not be able to read it
using Win98.

--

- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools



Hello guys,

Just put an existing HDD (Samsumg SV1204H, 120gig, 5400rpm) in a new Spire
SP105B External Harddrive case setup. Did everything by the directions.
Tried to read the drive, because I intended to dump the contents all into a
file folder on another computer to pick up the data and other pertinent
info. Well anyway, the drive had a popup saying, This disk in drive F: is
not formatted. Do you want to format it now? I didn't really want to, but
gave in and did it anyway. But before it got to the end, another popup said
something like, Windows cannot complete the format.

Am I supposed to Fdisk it again and if so, how is that accomplished with a
USB 2.0, without booting with a Windows 98 Bootdisk or the W2K CD. Oh, I
have both, but am I supposed to go through this again? I have to admit that
I did not check the jumpers, but I 99.9% sure they are on "cable select".

Thanks in Advance,
Appreciate any guidance,
dcdon
 
Thanks Gary...

I decided reading the drive wasn't as important as using it, so that's why I tried to Format it. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that point. I'm running W2KSP4+. I'll try resetting the pins to master, and see if that helps anything. BTW, I tried it in more than one machine. They are both NTFS and the drive in question is NTFS also. The W98 boot disk was just to be able boot to a command prompt to run Fdisk.

Hope you don't mind me posting on top. Just get used to it. Know some folks get a wedgie over it.

thanks and I'll post what happens with the pin changing,
dc
If you're very lucky, the format operation failed completely, otherwise
you've just made it harder to recover your data from the drive. You do not
want to format the drive and you do not want to run FDisk!

I'm not sure why you can't access the drive. It might be the drive's
jumper settings. Try setting the jumpers to Master. What OS are you
running? If the drive is formatted as NTFS, you will not be able to read it
using Win98.

--

- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools



Hello guys,

Just put an existing HDD (Samsumg SV1204H, 120gig, 5400rpm) in a new Spire
SP105B External Harddrive case setup. Did everything by the directions.
Tried to read the drive, because I intended to dump the contents all into a
file folder on another computer to pick up the data and other pertinent
info. Well anyway, the drive had a popup saying, This disk in drive F: is
not formatted. Do you want to format it now? I didn't really want to, but
gave in and did it anyway. But before it got to the end, another popup said
something like, Windows cannot complete the format.

Am I supposed to Fdisk it again and if so, how is that accomplished with a
USB 2.0, without booting with a Windows 98 Bootdisk or the W2K CD. Oh, I
have both, but am I supposed to go through this again? I have to admit that
I did not check the jumpers, but I 99.9% sure they are on "cable select".

Thanks in Advance,
Appreciate any guidance,
dcdon
 
He's wrong. You should be able to read whatever was there before and
format it in the USB case.

--

- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools



Hi Gary,

Just talked to a tech at the shop I got the external case from. He said I
have to put it in another machine and format it there. I have a couple of
old machines laying around. Let you know how that goes also.

thanks,
dc
If you're very lucky, the format operation failed completely,
otherwise
you've just made it harder to recover your data from the drive. You do
not
want to format the drive and you do not want to run FDisk!

I'm not sure why you can't access the drive. It might be the drive's
jumper settings. Try setting the jumpers to Master. What OS are you
running? If the drive is formatted as NTFS, you will not be able to read
it
using Win98.

--

- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools



Hello guys,

Just put an existing HDD (Samsumg SV1204H, 120gig, 5400rpm) in a new Spire
SP105B External Harddrive case setup. Did everything by the directions.
Tried to read the drive, because I intended to dump the contents all into
a
file folder on another computer to pick up the data and other pertinent
info. Well anyway, the drive had a popup saying, This disk in drive F: is
not formatted. Do you want to format it now? I didn't really want to, but
gave in and did it anyway. But before it got to the end, another popup
said
something like, Windows cannot complete the format.

Am I supposed to Fdisk it again and if so, how is that accomplished with a
USB 2.0, without booting with a Windows 98 Bootdisk or the W2K CD. Oh, I
have both, but am I supposed to go through this again? I have to admit
that
I did not check the jumpers, but I 99.9% sure they are on "cable select".

Thanks in Advance,
Appreciate any guidance,
dcdon
 
Hi Gary,

Just talked to a tech at the shop I got the external case from. He said I have to put it in another machine and format it there. I have a couple of old machines laying around. Let you know how that goes also.

thanks,
dc
If you're very lucky, the format operation failed completely, otherwise
you've just made it harder to recover your data from the drive. You do not
want to format the drive and you do not want to run FDisk!

I'm not sure why you can't access the drive. It might be the drive's
jumper settings. Try setting the jumpers to Master. What OS are you
running? If the drive is formatted as NTFS, you will not be able to read it
using Win98.

--

- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools



Hello guys,

Just put an existing HDD (Samsumg SV1204H, 120gig, 5400rpm) in a new Spire
SP105B External Harddrive case setup. Did everything by the directions.
Tried to read the drive, because I intended to dump the contents all into a
file folder on another computer to pick up the data and other pertinent
info. Well anyway, the drive had a popup saying, This disk in drive F: is
not formatted. Do you want to format it now? I didn't really want to, but
gave in and did it anyway. But before it got to the end, another popup said
something like, Windows cannot complete the format.

Am I supposed to Fdisk it again and if so, how is that accomplished with a
USB 2.0, without booting with a Windows 98 Bootdisk or the W2K CD. Oh, I
have both, but am I supposed to go through this again? I have to admit that
I did not check the jumpers, but I 99.9% sure they are on "cable select".

Thanks in Advance,
Appreciate any guidance,
dcdon
 
Hi Gary,
no joy
Tried Master and tried to Format in the case. Gets to the end and says Windows can not complete the format.
May be something wrong with the drive. Another older much smaller drive worked fine. I haven't tried to format it in the case as of yet, but will let you know if that goes okay.

Thanks very much for the assistance,
dc
He's wrong. You should be able to read whatever was there before and
format it in the USB case.

--

- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools



Hi Gary,

Just talked to a tech at the shop I got the external case from. He said I
have to put it in another machine and format it there. I have a couple of
old machines laying around. Let you know how that goes also.

thanks,
dc
If you're very lucky, the format operation failed completely,
otherwise
you've just made it harder to recover your data from the drive. You do
not
want to format the drive and you do not want to run FDisk!

I'm not sure why you can't access the drive. It might be the drive's
jumper settings. Try setting the jumpers to Master. What OS are you
running? If the drive is formatted as NTFS, you will not be able to read
it
using Win98.

--

- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools



Hello guys,

Just put an existing HDD (Samsumg SV1204H, 120gig, 5400rpm) in a new Spire
SP105B External Harddrive case setup. Did everything by the directions.
Tried to read the drive, because I intended to dump the contents all into
a
file folder on another computer to pick up the data and other pertinent
info. Well anyway, the drive had a popup saying, This disk in drive F: is
not formatted. Do you want to format it now? I didn't really want to, but
gave in and did it anyway. But before it got to the end, another popup
said
something like, Windows cannot complete the format.

Am I supposed to Fdisk it again and if so, how is that accomplished with a
USB 2.0, without booting with a Windows 98 Bootdisk or the W2K CD. Oh, I
have both, but am I supposed to go through this again? I have to admit
that
I did not check the jumpers, but I 99.9% sure they are on "cable select".

Thanks in Advance,
Appreciate any guidance,
dcdon
 
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