USB HDD issues

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graytim

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Hi,

i have recently taken a 2.5inch hdd from a mac laptop and replaced. it with a larger one...... all worked fine.

I now have the old HDD from the mac and wish to format it and use it with a PC. So i couldnt see it on a PC or erase it useing a PC so i used Kill Disk and erased it but on a PC while i can see the HDD using device manager i am unable to formatt it or use it for storage. I can however see it using a mac a formatt it for PC use.

Any ideas? I am using windows 7 on my PC and OS x on my mac and it is starting to really frustrate me!!!!

Thanks in advance,

Tim
 
I'd say you just answered your own question. If you are able to see it on your Mac and can format it NTFS then do it that way.

Welcome to the forum :cheers:
 
Hi,

Thanks for the welcome and help. Only problem is while I can see the HDd and even format it using my mac it still won't show on the PC.

Thanks,

Tim
 
do you care about information that may or may not be on the drive?

If not, low-level format. Download ultimate boot cd. http://ultimatebootcd.com/

since you have the drive out, look at the manufacturer and run the HD utility for that manufacturer. you can test and zero the drive to ensure that it is completely wiped. if it doesn't recognize after that, then you have an incompatibility issue or a failed hardware.
 
I thought that too for kill disk but while it wipes it I cant use it. Wll try getting on the makers website and also the ultimate boot idea
 
Typically, I try to stay with the manufacturer's diagnostic software. This offers two types of assurance: if the drive is under warranty, the manufacturer software pretty much guarantees the ability to have it replaced without additional troubleshooting. It also ensures that the drive is being properly communicated with.

I have never used kill disk, so I am unaware of its operation. It may very well do what feckit says.

I have seen this issue once. It wasn't a problem with the drive. It was a problem between one particular computer reading that drive. It was a Lacie 1TB, non-portable USB drive. I know that it would be picked up by a Windows 7 machine and not an XP machine. I do not know about the Mac reading. I also do not remember the solution, only that it worked without formatting the drive. USB drivers and the like were re-installed, that I know.
 
Try this. Click on start and within the search box type in 'Disk management'.

That should bring up a link to the disk manager - open it.

If you can see your drive listed there right click on it and choose format.

You can also assign the disk a drive letter if need be.

How is your disk connected to your computer btw?
 
Cheers for that. I'll try the diagnostics. It's just strange the mac formats it as fat32 PC disk, copies things to it but the PC doesn't see it as anything other than a SATA drive.
 
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