External Hardrive

[microchick]

Re: External Hardrive

I wonder why you guys use third party software to format a hard drive. Just so easy to right click on the Hard Drive icon in the windows explorer and click format. It gives you a selection of options FAT, FAT32, exFat or NTFS. It also gives you an option of quick format. No need for any 3rd Party freeware softies.

[pan1300]

Re: External Hardrive

I wonder why you guys use third party software to format a hard drive. Just so easy to right click on the Hard Drive icon in the windows explorer and click format. It gives you a selection of options FAT, FAT32, exFat or NTFS. It also gives you an option of quick format. No need for any 3rd Party freeware softies.

hi microchick

As mentioned: I only can choose NTFS or exFAT, but I really need FAT32 (laptop with XP on it) - will try this evening or tomorrow with pc (Vista 64 business on it). The box has also a format option (into FAT32) but that doesn't work neither.
With other formats (NTFS) I never had problems.

[mahrkpat]

Re: External Hardrive

I wonder why you guys use third party software to format a hard drive. Just so easy to right click on the Hard Drive icon in the windows explorer and click format. It gives you a selection of options FAT, FAT32, exFat or NTFS. It also gives you an option of quick format. No need for any 3rd Party freeware softies.

When I have used the windows to format hard drives in the past I have had problems when connecting the hard drive to non windows based systems like WII or linux based system an error occurs while installing or hard drive format not recognised error I do not Know why this happens.

[microchick]

Re: External Hardrive

@mahrkpat: which format you used to format your Hard Drive.
1) First of all you need to know which file system your wii and Linux based system need. FAT, FAT16,FAT32 or NTFS.
2) There will be less possibility of a non windows or linux based system to recognise a drive formatted with a windows system.
All the big business do things like this and then introduce 3rd party softwares to just confuse the public.
Usually a windows formatted drive would work with many systems.

[mahrkpat]

Re: External Hardrive

It was FAT32 one of the linux distro refused to recognize the hard drive at all until it was formatted using a 3rd party software and on the WII kept on coming up with fail to load errors.

[pan1300]

Re: External Hardrive

I wonder why you guys use third party software to format a hard drive. Just so easy to right click on the Hard Drive icon in the windows explorer and click format. It gives you a selection of options FAT, FAT32, exFat or NTFS. It also gives you an option of quick format. No need for any 3rd Party freeware softies.

hi microchick

the HDD is formatting right now on the other pc (will take the whole night I believe, I have time ...).
As said: right click didn't work - EaseUS Partition Master Home as mahrkpat suggested didn't work either - normal format infto NTFS didn't work either, nor did a Fast format.

Now I've tried with the following: cmd -> format /FS:FAT32 X: (X: = drive you want to format), so no third party software as microchick suggested ; fingers crossed ...

[microchick]

Re: External Hardrive

This is very strange. There is another utility in Windows Vista for formatting the hard drive. Its in the Administrative tools > Disk Management?> If Nothing worked then try this one.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you here, and toes. I will stay awake as long as I can tonight, may be til your next post or a PM. Good luck with it

[pan1300]

Re: External Hardrive

hi

the cmd -> format /FS:FAT32 X: command didn't work either, it was stopped with an error after about an hour and I think not even 10%. Now I'm trying with the vista and the Disk management, but doesn't seem to work either (doesn't start, HDD doens't 'flicker')

thanks again, but you can go to sleep now , I will too and try again later on.

[microchick]

Re: External Hardrive

Sorry about all the trouble you are having. I think its time to take the Hard Drive back to the shop where you bought it from and insist for a refund. Hopefully its still in warranty. consider buying a NAS. Any other good quality Hard Drive would do. Before you connect it to your Box, format it in NTFS and then let the box decide what to do with it

[pan1300]

Re: External Hardrive

little update:
- managed to format into NTFS yesterday evening with the disc management function, after that it was recognised by my pc (so HDD works, and therefore can't send it back or claim warranty...)
- was not recognised in box ('need FAT32 format') - that I knew but tried it anyway
- did not work to format into FAT32 with the disc management
- did not work to format into FAT32 with the EaseUS Partition Master
- started to format into FAT32 with (my good old) FAT32Formatter ; this morning I saw it stopped after about 10% and got some partition errors, clicked 'ok', and now it seems it's continuing again ... - I'll let it run and we'll see what happened when I come back this evening ...

Wow, what a history for just a little HDD which costed me less than 100EUR I think - but there's still hope

[microchick]

Re: External Hardrive

Good morning, another idea! Windows 98 used to had a utility Scan Disk and Check Desk. These two utilities Scan and Check the hard drive for the errors first and then try to repair it. You can do this with windows XP too. Type Command FDISK before the windows starts. It will take you to a DOS style screen. Follow the instructios there.

[bokkie]

Re: External Hardrive

It seems to me like your stb is corrupting the hard drive if it keeps throwing up errors. Is it an external hdd or internal?

[microchick]

Re: External Hardrive

pan has an external hard drive. Yes the drive is fine til its used with the box. pan has a cheap box like myself. I have never recorded anything on my box so far but all my Hard drives, 2 X 1TB, 1 X 500GB and 1 X 250GB, are fine with my box as media player. Will wait to hear back from pan about his last attempt.

[bokkie]

Re: External Hardrive

Is it connected by usb or sata connection?
I would try connect the stb and the hdd in a different way, or with a different connection.

[microchick]

Re: External Hardrive

I think as pan has a cheapo box so the hard drive would connect via USB. As far as I know its an external mains powered Hard drive. What other connection do you suggest?