Solve : Hard Drive Not Formatting?

1.	Solve : Hard Drive Not Formatting?
Answer» Hello, Alright, this topic is completely separate from my other MOTHERBOARD frying. I'm dealing with that. Now with my second computer, though, the HARD drive seems to have stopped working. I don't know what to say about it except one day the computer was running fine, and then a few days later when i started it up it wouldn't recognize the hard drive. So simply because it was on hand, i tried another hard drive and the motherboard recognized it. Now not only is this a hard drive that windows crashed on, but since you can't quite swap hard drives i tried to reformat it (i didn't have any files really on the first hdd so i was ready to simply switch them). The problem is that it isn't working. I start up the computer with the windows xp disc and I get to the point of formatting, and it takes forever. I left it running for 6 hours because i forgot about it, and in that 6 hours it completed 2%. In fact, it completed 1% and i happened to be standing up there when it reached 2%, which is how i know it didn't freeze. I tried it on my final computer (the one i'm using) and the same thing happened. Well, i left it for about 30 mins and it was still at 0% so i stopped it. Obviously my first thought is that it's dead. It's the fact that the format didn't actually fail but take a ridiculously long time that makes me wonder, though. Is this a simple QUESTION? Is the hard drive done? I'm going to take more of a look at the original hdd and i might end up back here about that one as well. ThanksWho is the hard drive manufacturer? Have you tried downloading their diagnostic software to test the drive in question?I would suggest downloading the diagnostic utilities from the manufacturer of your hard drive. Make the boot CD and run the "long" test on the problematic drive.Quote from: Saviour on September 26, 2008, 09:39:58 PM Who is the hard drive manufacturer? Have you tried downloading their diagnostic software to test the drive in question? Whoops - great minds... It's a Quantum Fireball, and i think you answered my addition question drmsucks: it runs from a boot cd so you don't need windows?It could be caused by a damaged partition. Since you're going to format the drive anyway...have you tried deleting and then creating the PRIMARY partition...then formatting?No i suppose i probably haven'tQuote from: Anythingwill on September 26, 2008, 09:43:58 PM It's a Quantum Fireball, and i think you answered my addition question drmsucks: it runs from a boot cd so you don't need windows? Correct.So...does that mean you're going to... ...or are we going to just assume you're going to run a diagnostics on the drive and or repartition/format the drive?Sorry I'm looking for the diagnostic tool right now, so i'll try redoing the partition, and if it doesn't work i'll have the diagnostic tool ready Keep us posted...All right, So i deleted the partition and tried it from there but it still didn't work. As for the diagnostic tool, i've run into a snag I believe. It boots and comes up to a screen that has these options: /MFX /BL=16 /LEND=ON /DELAY=OFF I can type out what it says additionally by each one if you want. The real problem with this, though, is that my keyboard suddenly stops working. It's a usb keyboard, but it works in bios, and i only use it because the ps/2 port doesn't work. I've tried it a few times, and each time the keyboard won't work. I EVEN tried the ridiculous pressing every key on the keyboard.Move the drive to another machine to run the tests... Those commands don't look familiar...what utility is this ? ?Right, that's what i forgot to type. Yea i was going to run it on another machine, i just have to wait until later today to do that. Thought i should update. Umm, i'm using "Maxtor PowerMax 4.23 Bootable CD .ISO image file" from http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

Answer»

Hello,

Alright, this topic is completely separate from my other MOTHERBOARD frying. I'm dealing with that.

Now with my second computer, though, the HARD drive seems to have stopped working. I don't know what to say about it except one day the computer was running fine, and then a few days later when i started it up it wouldn't recognize the hard drive.

So simply because it was on hand, i tried another hard drive and the motherboard recognized it. Now not only is this a hard drive that windows crashed on, but since you can't quite swap hard drives i tried to reformat it (i didn't have any files really on the first hdd so i was ready to simply switch them). The problem is that it isn't working.

I start up the computer with the windows xp disc and I get to the point of formatting, and it takes forever. I left it running for 6 hours because i forgot about it, and in that 6 hours it completed 2%. In fact, it completed 1% and i happened to be standing up there when it reached 2%, which is how i know it didn't freeze. I tried it on my final computer (the one i'm using) and the same thing happened. Well, i left it for about 30 mins and it was still at 0% so i stopped it.

Obviously my first thought is that it's dead. It's the fact that the format didn't actually fail but take a ridiculously long time that makes me wonder, though.

Is this a simple QUESTION? Is the hard drive done?
I'm going to take more of a look at the original hdd and i might end up back here about that one as well.

ThanksWho is the hard drive manufacturer?

Have you tried downloading their diagnostic software to test the drive in question?I would suggest downloading the diagnostic utilities from the manufacturer of your hard drive. Make the boot CD and run the "long" test on the problematic drive.Quote from: Saviour on September 26, 2008, 09:39:58 PM

Who is the hard drive manufacturer?

Have you tried downloading their diagnostic software to test the drive in question?

Whoops - great minds... It's a Quantum Fireball, and i think you answered my addition question drmsucks: it runs from a boot cd so you don't need windows?It could be caused by a damaged partition.

Since you're going to format the drive anyway...have you tried deleting and then creating the PRIMARY partition...then formatting?No i suppose i probably haven'tQuote from: Anythingwill on September 26, 2008, 09:43:58 PM

It's a Quantum Fireball, and i think you answered my addition question drmsucks: it runs from a boot cd so you don't need windows?

Correct.So...does that mean you're going to...

...or are we going to just assume you're going to run a diagnostics on the drive and or repartition/format the drive?Sorry

I'm looking for the diagnostic tool right now, so i'll try redoing the partition, and if it doesn't work i'll have the diagnostic tool ready Keep us posted...All right, So i deleted the partition and tried it from there but it still didn't work.
As for the diagnostic tool, i've run into a snag I believe. It boots and comes up to a screen that has these options:

/MFX
/BL=16
/LEND=ON
/DELAY=OFF

I can type out what it says additionally by each one if you want. The real problem with this, though, is that my keyboard suddenly stops working. It's a usb keyboard, but it works in bios, and i only use it because the ps/2 port doesn't work. I've tried it a few times, and each time the keyboard won't work. I EVEN tried the ridiculous pressing every key on the keyboard.Move the drive to another machine to run the tests...
Those commands don't look familiar...what utility is this ? ?Right, that's what i forgot to type. Yea i was going to run it on another machine, i just have to wait until later today to do that. Thought i should update.

Umm, i'm using "Maxtor PowerMax 4.23 Bootable CD .ISO image file" from http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

Solve : Hard Drive Not Formatting?

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