Hard Drive will quick format, but not format. And will not complete the windows disk checker.

  • Thread starter Thread starter TheNoid
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TheNoid

I got a used 60GB laptop hard drive that seemed to not work and quickly
performed a quick format and started using it for my own personal
useage as an external drive. It then started to act funny, sometimes I
could not get big files and such off it. I then tried to do a long
format but I could not get past 3% (Tried using command prompt, the
Windows Utility, installing xp on it and formatting it in the steps
when plugged into a laptop [internally] and everything I tried did not
work to format the drive through a slow format). I have tried doing a
disk check and windows said it could not complete it. (all the while
the drive is set to "Optimize for performance" not "Optimize for Quick
Removal"). The only thing that works is a quick format... Any
reccommendations?
 
TheNoid said:
I got a used 60GB laptop hard drive that seemed to not work and quickly
performed a quick format and started using it for my own personal
useage as an external drive. It then started to act funny, sometimes I
could not get big files and such off it. I then tried to do a long
format but I could not get past 3% (Tried using command prompt, the
Windows Utility, installing xp on it and formatting it in the steps
Click to expand...

The drive is shot!


To confirm, you might as well run the manufacturer's diagnostic
 
Had a friends 80 gig hd this weekend with the same problem. A quick
format was ok but a full format would error.

Got round it by using partition magic to format the drive. Dropped
into real DOS mode and ran norton disk doctor on it. Found a few
damaged sectors and marked them as errors.

All ok now. Of course will have to replace the hd as it will only get
worse but should get another 6 months+ use out of it.

Planning to put it inside my psx2 - not crititcal use.

Rich
 
Hah, yeah thanks. I've had this problem for awhile and It's lasted all
the while. I'm loading it up with stuff now to see how well it works
but I'm pretty sure it works with some degree of reliability... just
not perfect.
 
TheNoid said:
Hah, yeah thanks. I've had this problem for awhile and It's lasted all
the while. I'm loading it up with stuff now to see how well it works but
I'm pretty sure it works with some degree of reliability... just not perfect.
Click to expand...

The hard drive's manufacturer's diagnostic may reallocate bad sectors.

Main problem is finding a diagnostic if its made by Toshiba.
 
I don't use external hard drives, but I have found that write cache ("Optimize for performance") being enabled can cause problems with flash drives. Try "Optimize for Quick Removal" (write cache disabled). The drive controller has built-in write cache so you don't need the windows write cache.
I got a used 60GB laptop hard drive that seemed to not work and quickly
performed a quick format and started using it for my own personal
useage as an external drive. It then started to act funny, sometimes I
could not get big files and such off it. I then tried to do a long
format but I could not get past 3% (Tried using command prompt, the
Windows Utility, installing xp on it and formatting it in the steps
when plugged into a laptop [internally] and everything I tried did not
work to format the drive through a slow format). I have tried doing a
disk check and windows said it could not complete it. (all the while
the drive is set to "Optimize for performance" not "Optimize for Quick
Removal"). The only thing that works is a quick format... Any
reccommendations?
Click to expand...
 
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