unable to format new hdd

[timOleary]

It's a Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB.
I have it in a Sabrint external enclosure connected via usb. The drive
initialized fine. I set it to do a full format and when I returned,
the message said Windows was unable to format it.
It is visible in device manager and storage manager, only it has a
blank space instead of NTFS.
tried quick and slow format, same problem.
IWXPpro SP2; ASUS P5WD2E-PREMIUM.
Thanks in advance

 

[JS]

It's a Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB.
I have it in a Sabrint external enclosure connected via usb. The drive
initialized fine. I set it to do a full format and when I returned,
the message said Windows was unable to format it.
It is visible in device manager and storage manager, only it has a
blank space instead of NTFS.
tried quick and slow format, same problem.
IWXPpro SP2; ASUS P5WD2E-PREMIUM.
Thanks in advance

Have you tried formatting the drive by directly connecting it to a
motherboard SATA connector
and power supply cable?

 

[Twayne]

Woof! OP, I'm sure you know better than to trust anything from this
clown who claims to be an MVP. If you like infections, that could be
the pace to get it! Nothign good has ever crossed rt's mind, even.

 

[timOleary]

Woof!  OP, I'm sure you know better than to trust anything from this
clown who claims to be an MVP.  If you like infections, that could be
the pace to get it!  Nothign good has ever crossed rt's mind, even.

The referenced WD resources were disappointing.
I have unsuccessfully tried to download Diagnostics from the Western
Digital Website. First d/l and running it didn;'t work, and then
d'ling and putting on a CD didn't work either. Not sure if I really
need a diagnostic or why i'm having so much trouble. probably that I
am not a great tech.

I have two internal SATA drives running right now. I could try to
connect the hdd with a spare SATA cable and find an unused power
connector on the PSU. There is an external SATA connector on my mobo,
but no external power. Maybe i am being a dummie. Will the hdd operate
by simply connecting the SATA connector? isn't pwer required too? How
about if I connect the hdd using the external SATA connecotr, but
power it with the external enclosures power?
like I've said, my system sees the drive, i was able to initialize it
without a problem, etc.
To be honest, when I first obtained this mobo and the two SATA hdds,
the setup for SATA as described in the ASUS manual was intimidating,
so I got a shop to do it for me. funny thing was I asked them to set
up a RAID and they didn't; they said it would have taken a lot of
time, and I would have complained about the excessive fee. By then I
really needed to get the PC up and running, so I ran it like that,
without a RAID, just a C & D drive. So even though I've set up a few
external USB HDDs using IDE types, this is my first SATA.
thanks

 

[timOleary]

The referenced WD resources were disappointing.
I have unsuccessfully tried to download Diagnostics from the Western
Digital Website. First d/l and running it didn;'t work, and then
d'ling and putting on a CD didn't work either. Not sure if I really
need a diagnostic or why i'm having so much trouble. probably that I
am not a great tech.

I have two internal SATA drives running right now. I could try to
connect the hdd with a spare SATA cable and find an unused power
connector on the PSU. There is an external SATA connector on my mobo,
but no external power. Maybe i am being a dummie. Will the hdd operate
by simply connecting the SATA connector? isn't pwer required too? How
about if I connect the hdd using the external SATA connecotr, but
power it with the external enclosures power?
like I've said, my system sees the drive, i was able to initialize it
without a problem, etc.
To be honest, when I first obtained this mobo and the two SATA hdds,
the setup for SATA as described in the ASUS manual was intimidating,
so I got a shop to do it for me. funny thing was I asked them to set
up a RAID and they didn't; they said it would have taken a lot of
time, and I would have complained about the excessive fee. By then I
really needed to get the PC up and running, so I ran it like that,
without a RAID, just a C & D drive. So even though I've set up a few
external USB HDDs using IDE types, this is my first SATA.
thanks

this morning, i reconnected the external hdd and powered it. i went to
my computer and opened it.i was informed that it was not formatted,
and would i like to format it, i clicked quick format, and it
formatted promptly and i am able to use the drive. i saved a word file
and then deleted it. there are now two folder on the drive recycler
and system volume information.

go figure.

i'd like to run some diagnostics on this drive before i start loading
it.
or maybe partition it. any suggestions?

 

[BillW50]

In
timOleary typed on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:24:21 -0700 (PDT):

this morning, i reconnected the external hdd and powered it. i went to
my computer and opened it.i was informed that it was not formatted,
and would i like to format it, i clicked quick format, and it
formatted promptly and i am able to use the drive. i saved a word file
and then deleted it. there are now two folder on the drive recycler
and system volume information.

go figure.

i'd like to run some diagnostics on this drive before i start loading
it. or maybe partition it. any suggestions?

No that is normal. Windows puts those on all formatted disk drives. At
least for FAT and NTFS drives anyway.

 

[timOleary]

IntimOleary typed on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:24:21 -0700 (PDT):




No that is normal. Windows puts those on all formatted disk drives. At
least for FAT and NTFS drives anyway.

since that post I did a full format, I'm good to go. when i wrote 'go
figure', i was referring to how at first i was unable to get the drive
to format then i was.
now when i right click on the dirve i am not getting an option to
partition it.

 

[BillW50]

In
timOleary typed on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:26:36 -0700 (PDT):

In,

since that post I did a full format, I'm good to go. when i wrote 'go
figure', i was referring to how at first i was unable to get the drive
to format then i was.
now when i right click on the dirve i am not getting an option to
partition it.

No, you partition first. If it isn't already partitioned, then format.
Not the other way around. As you can't format an unpartitioned drive.

 

[timOleary]

In
In,





No, you partition first. If it isn't already partitioned, then format.
Not the other way around. As you can't format an unpartitioned drive.

OH! thanks man am i dense or what? so what is the next step? I think
the drive would perform better if it were two partitions.
thanks again.