Windows was able to complete the format.

[Helltech]

I get this error when trying to re-format my Maxtor external HDD. What can I do about it?

[caperjack]

Windows was able to complete the format!!
was able is good ,I assume you mean unable to complete ,tell us what you are doing to format the drive !

[Helltech]

Lol yea... sorry about that. My English is not so good.

I plug in it the drive, windows pops up and says "Windows needs to format the drive" I click "ok" run the wizard, after about 10 minutes of running it says "Windows was unable to complete the format".

[caperjack]

type this into start/ run "compmgmt.msc " with out the "quotes.
then in the left pane go to disk management and try formatting it there

[Helltech]

I tired from disk managment, when I did it got to 100 percent complete but then a popup came on and said "windows could not complete the format" (something along those lines, wasn't exactly the same as the previous error, but has the same gist to it)

[caperjack]

I tired from disk managment, when I did it got to 100 percent complete but then a popup came on and said "windows could not complete the format" (something along those lines, wasn't exactly the same as the previous error, but has the same gist to it)

ok, with the drive connected right click on its icon in mycomputer go properties and tools ,and check the disk for errors ,check off to fix any

[FlamingClaw]

press win button+r to get the run window type cmd press enter
If you want to check the disk in drive D and have Windows fix errors,when console is running type:

chkdsk d: /f

If it encounters errors, chkdsk pauses and displays messages. Chkdsk finishes by displaying a report that lists the status of the disk. You cannot open any files on the specified drive until chkdsk finishes.

[Helltech]

ok, with the drive connected right click on its icon in mycomputer go properties and tools ,and check the disk for errors ,check off to fix any

When I tried it it just "closes" out. So I tried my Vista to do the same thing, and instead of closing out it says "the disk needs to be formatted, blah blah". So I can't check it without it being formatted....

[Helltech]

press win button+r to get the run window type cmd press enter
If you want to check the disk in drive D and have Windows fix errors,when console is running type:

chkdsk d: /f

If it encounters errors, chkdsk pauses and displays messages. Chkdsk finishes by displaying a report that lists the status of the disk. You cannot open any files on the specified drive until chkdsk finishes.

CHKDSK doesn't work for RAW file types, if I recall correctly (chkdsk needs to have a normal format, I beileve)... which is what the system became when I tried formatting via disk managment like jack had said earlier. After it got to 100 percent and then couldn't finish formatting, it became RAW.

Either way, it didn't have a format to it to begin with, and I'm sure chkdsk needs a format.

EDIT- for the hell of it, I tired chkdsk it even though its RAW. No dice though.

[caperjack]

my next step would be to remove it from the external case ,and hook it direct to a computer via its sata or ide connection instead of the usb device

[Helltech]

my next step would be to remove it from the external case ,and hook it direct to a computer via its sata or ide connection instead of the usb device

How would that change the formatting? Just curious before i go through all that work...

[caperjack]

How would that change the formatting? Just curious before i go through all that work...

i'm making an assumption that there is something wrong with the external device and not the hard drive ! it may not work ,but i have seen where it did

[Helltech]

Oh ok...I'll try it .. if i can, its not an easy task, there arn't any screws or anything, the last time I tried something similiar to this I ended up not being able to use the external as an external anymore, lol.

[caperjack]

Oh ok...I'll try it .. if i can, its not an easy task, there arn't any screws or anything, the last time I tried something similiar to this I ended up not being able to use the external as an external anymore, lol.

no screws ,what is it welded to gethere ,lol
what is the Make and model # of the device ,

[Helltech]

I mean the case has no screws. Maxtor - Personal Storage 3200

[caperjack]

I mean the case has no screws.

yes ,i kow what you meant,maybe you should leave it fo a bit and someone who ones one or know what really wrong with it comes along ,is it still under guarantee maybe

[Helltech]

I doubt, I don't really even care about the harddrive itself, I just want to get it working well enough to get back some of the lost data. I have a few programs that are good for that Star Pheonix, Active File Recovery (wich can get back data from DOD wipes sometimes), and Ontrack. Then I'll just get a new HDD i need a bigger one anyway.

[Helltech]

This is what I sent to SeaGate, maybe they can help me, maybe it will help you help me.....;

I have a Maxtor Personal Storage 3200. About a week ago it just stopped working correctly. When I would plug it into my computer via USB it would say I needed to reformat the HDD. This is no big deal, as I have the software to restore data prior to a reformat. The problem lies in the fact I cannot reformat. I have tired via XP and Vista the following ways.

1) When I plug in the Hard Drive it says "Windows needs to format the disk to use it." I click yes. When I try it this way it will "run" for about 20 minutes and then say "Windows was unable to complete the format."

2) Formatting via Disk Management, this seemed to worked, after about 2 hours it got to 100 percent complete, after that it finally said "Windows could not complete the format." This left the hard drive with a RAW file structure.

3) Formatting with Maxtor MaxBlast, MaxBlast just sits there; I left my computer on overnight. Even then it shows no progress on the progress bar.

I tried to run POWERMAX which is Maxtor's diagnostic tool, but every floppy drive I try to use to create the media with says I need to close the write protection tab, I try closing it, I try opening it, nothing works. So that’s out of the picture.

Since the hard drive is left with a RAW format, I cannot chkdsk. I ran Zero Assumption Recovery but that just lead to an error about the solver head or something that I can't recall. (It literally takes 7 hours to run, and I don't feel like running it again to get the exact error). I have also tried Ontrack and Stellar Phoenix, all they do is help me recover files AFTER I get it formatted correctly, so they are of no use to me.

[caperjack]

the problem like i said could be between the computer and the external case ,so removing the hdd from the case and hooking hdd drive directly to a computer maybe be what need to be done to fix problem

[Xlphos]

How about trying a completely different operating system?
How about a linux Live CD.

Or maybe format the drive via command prompt. Or try Super Fdisk.

- Hope this helps.

[Helltech]

Well I hooked it up directly to the motherboard..... same problem...

I already said I can't format via cmd.....

Super Fdisk keeps saying i have my write protection tab closed. Even though I've tried 10 different floppies, all open and closed.

[Xlphos]

Did you try the CD version Or just the floppy one?

[Helltech]

Just the floppy it didn't give clear instructions on the cd one, how do I get it?

Also I've tried LLFormatting, and even then it won't "start" just freezes....

[caperjack]

right next to whare you got the floppy on it says ,
Super Fdisk Bootable CD. its a.iso file
I also think you drive is a lost cause !

[Helltech]

Well I got it working, finally foudn the ISO, it was a different DL. Doh!

But I had a couple problems.

1) I found out my computer won't but with that hard drive in. IT won't even get past the first screen. So obviously there is something wrong in POST, and that periphial is too bad.

2) When I have the program running in DOS, I can't "use" it, I can view it but i can't click anything and no keyboard strokes do anything.... to top off the fact even if I could I couldn't use that harddrive with it anyway.

[Jupiter 2]

Make sure the drive you want to format has a drive letter assigned.
Check Explorer. If you have multiple drives, it might be on drive F or G etc

If you are not sure the Driveletter Drive is the external driv, right-click > Properties. Otherwise Take note of the driveletter. Turn off the computer. Remove exteternal drive cable. Restart computer. Open Explorer. Is the driveletter drive still there? No? good. Turn off computer. Connect external HDD turn on computer .
(If yes, let me know.)

Run
Chkdsk /F x:

x represents the drive letter.
Press enter. The system will not need to reboot if it is not the main drive
OR
Start > Administrative Tools > Computer Management
Storage > Disk Management.
Select the drive in the list. Right-Click > Format

[Helltech]

Err, like I've said in other posts.

1) I can't turn on the computer with the HDD plugged in, it won't start.

2) You can't chkdsk a RAW file system.

3) I've tried formatting from Disk Management, it just freezes and doesn't do anything.

Yes it has a drive letter....

Do you even read the thread? Or what.....

[Jupiter 2]

I think the hard drive is faulty. The Read/Write needle inside the harddrive sometimes becomes loose. When this happens the drive will not work ever again. You cannot open the HDD casing. Some External Drives come in an aluminium case. On one end has lights the other end has the cable and power connection.

If you can read the HDD label of the HDD then it is not in a protective aluminium casing. That is the Hard drive itself. You cannot open that.

External Drives require an external power source unless it is a laptop HDD which is powered by the usb.

Does this help?

[Jupiter 2]

I missed page 2 of answers. Sorry. Set the drive to slave.
In bios Boot settings Look for other devices = disabled

You say you want to rrecover files from the drive. You should not have formatted in the first place. Even if you can recover files after a format, you don't get them all and some files may be corrupted.

[Helltech]

I missed page 2 of answers. Sorry. Set the drive to slave.
In bios Boot settings Look for other devices = disabled

You say you want to rrecover files from the drive. You should not have formatted in the first place. Even if you can recover files after a format, you don't get them all and some files may be corrupted.

Acutally thats not true, I finally recovered most of the files (there was only one directory I couldn't acess, and I beilve it was corrupted from the hard drive failing anyway), after trying different software. I just want to format the drive to get it working now, to save some money.