Windows 7 External HDD Reformat

[Johzen]

Hi,

I would like to thank you guys in advance!

I have a 320GB External WD HD, I'm not sure what the problem is, but once upon a time, I pasted lots of files that it almost reached it's maximum allocated size, then the next time I plugged it in, it won't recognize it anymore.

I can't see it in "Computer/My Computer"
I can't see it in "Disk Management"
I can't see it in "CMD/DiskPart"
I dled and tried "KillDisk" still a bummer.

Although I can see it in "Device Manager"
And I can safely remove it from the task bar.

I also tried it on a Mac, I can see and open the USB, I can copy and everything, until I tried to "Erase" the drive and reformat it into "MS-DOS Fat32", it gave me an error wherein I can't reformat it, it was something about a Input Output error, and now I don't know what to do.

Any clue on how I can reformat it?

Thanks in advance,
Johzen

 

[patcooke]

Sounds like the drive might have a problem. Have a look at the WD link below and select the download appropriate to your drive to test it:

Link Removed

 

[Joe S]

Find your drive in Pat's link and download DLG (digital life guard). Run the test mode. It also offers the option to format the drive by writing zeroes. Sometimes that fixes a bad sector.
Joe

 

[Johzen]

Thanks! but Unfortunately,

I tried Digital Life Guard, I gave it a quick test, it passed, but the Current Sector is at "0 of 0"

I started an Extended Test, "Test found bad sectors that may be repairable"

Clicked "Repair", then it gave me an error saying "Error was detected while repairing bad sectors"

So I started to format by Write Zeros, Quick Erase, it Passed with "0 of 0 sectors"

I started a Full Erase, then it went "Test stopped with error", "0 of 0 sectors"

So the test result went like this:

[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]

​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Test Option:	QUICK TEST
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	PASS
Test Time:	11:57:52, October 14, 2012

Test Option:	WRITE ZEROS
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	FAIL
Test Error Code:	09-Sector #0-1::Write Zeros error!
Test Time:	11:58:04, October 14, 2012

Test Option:	WRITE ZEROS
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	COMPLETE
Test Time:	11:58:15, October 14, 2012

Test Option:	QUICK TEST
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	PASS
Test Time:	11:59:38, October 14, 2012

Test Option:	EXTENDED TEST
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	FAIL
Test Error Code:	08-Error was detected while repairing bad sectors.
Test Time:	11:59:52, October 14, 2012

Test Option:	EXTENDED TEST
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	FAIL
Test Error Code:	08-Error was detected while repairing bad sectors.
Test Time:	12:01:10, October 14, 2012

Test Option:	WRITE ZEROS
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	COMPLETE
Test Time:	12:02:13, October 14, 2012

Test Option:	WRITE ZEROS
Model Number:	WD
Unit Serial Number:
Firmware Number:	1.75
Capacity:	0.00 GB
SMART Status:	Not Available
Test Result:	FAIL
Test Error Code:	09-Sector #0-1::Write Zeros error!
Test Time:	12:02:54, October 14, 2012

I also tried the Quick Formatter for Windows from WD, but it also gave me an error, "The version of firmware on your drive does not support changing the block size of your WD External Drive"

I should ask this to WD Experts, but I was just thinking if you guys have some sort of software that can Hard Format this drive, I don't know how USB works so, I don't know.

Ideas?

 

[patcooke]

The disk appears to be beyond recovery by normal formatting. The "hard formatting" to which you refer is normally known as "low level formatting" which is a bit of a specialised process, very dependent on the specifics of the drive and not easily tackled. Drives are so inexpensive today that it is unlikely that any attempts to recover your drive could be economically justified so, unless it contains critical data which would be worth the time and cost of attempting recovery, I'd just replace it.

 

[Johzen]

Thanks for the idea!

320GB in our place isn't really cheap, nor inexpensive. I think it would be worth the time, and I don't need a recovery.

Can you give me a link where you think a Beginner like me would understand how to "low level format"

Google isn't being nice today.

Thanks in advance.

 

[patcooke]

The section on low level formatting in this wikipedia article will give you some useful background information to low level formatting:

Disk formatting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

More information here and links to disk utility programs (with a few warnings):

Low-Level Format, Zero-Fill and Diagnostic Utilities

 

[Joe S]

If the drive is still under warranty contact WD they will replace it if you have the proper documentation.
Joe