Comments on: How to Format an External Hard Drive http://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=formatting-an-external-hard-drive TheLightroomLab.com is for professional and amateur photographers who use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom as part of their digital workflow. We have tips, tricks, tutorials, videos, news, and more. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:47:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Pamhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-402464 Pam Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:59:49 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-402464 I did a quick formatting and then I run the driver error scan with the both option tick for fixing error and recovery the bad sector and it work. I don`t know if its fixed on 100% now but I`m definitely gone by a new better one. Thanks David I did a quick formatting and then I run the driver error scan with the both option tick for fixing error and recovery the bad sector and it work. I don`t know if its fixed on 100% now but I`m definitely gone by a new better one.

Thanks David

]]> By: David Marxhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-402390 David Marx Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:49:26 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-402390 Dear Pam, I don't think I would trust that hard drive for anything critical anymore. This article on <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Check-your-hard-disk-for-errors" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">how to deal with bad sectors in Windows 7</a> might help but that disk sounds like it is on the way out. -- David Marx Dear Pam,

I don’t think I would trust that hard drive for anything critical anymore. This article on how to deal with bad sectors in Windows 7 might help but that disk sounds like it is on the way out.

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David Marx

]]> By: David Marxhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-402386 David Marx Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:44:01 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-402386 Dear Laura, If you are not afraid of loosing the data that the disk contains then you can go ahead and format it again. Formatting it using the NTFS file structure is probably the easiest and will make it the most PC compatible. Formatting it exFAT, or installing additional software like MacDrive on your PC, might be a good option too. With an exFAT drive or with MacDrive the disk could be usable on both platforms. -- David Marx Dear Laura,

If you are not afraid of loosing the data that the disk contains then you can go ahead and format it again. Formatting it using the NTFS file structure is probably the easiest and will make it the most PC compatible. Formatting it exFAT, or installing additional software like MacDrive on your PC, might be a good option too. With an exFAT drive or with MacDrive the disk could be usable on both platforms.

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David Marx

]]> By: Pamhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-398575 Pam Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:40:51 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-398575 Hello, I have an Apacer AC202 500GB external HD. As in one point of time my drive stop working properly I decided to reformatted. I follow up the steps on the tutorial but not along after the formatting process start its seems that the HD follow asleep and a message " formatting cannot be complete " pop up. If I do a quick format there isn`t any problem and the HD is ready for a use in a seconds but I`m sure that I`ve got some bad sectors and I`m afraid that the quick format will not fix them. I hope that someone could give me an advise of what to do. By the way my laptop is using windows 7 as OS. Thanks Pam Hello,

I have an Apacer AC202 500GB external HD. As in one point of time my drive stop working properly I decided to reformatted. I follow up the steps on the tutorial but not along after the formatting process start its seems that the HD follow asleep and a message ” formatting cannot be complete ” pop up. If I do a quick format there isn`t any problem and the HD is ready for a use in a seconds but I`m sure that I`ve got some bad sectors and I`m afraid that the quick format will not fix them. I hope that someone could give me an advise of what to do. By the way my laptop is using windows 7 as OS.

Thanks Pam

]]> By: Laurahttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-397751 Laura Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:20:27 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-397751 Hi David, So I had my hard drive formatted for my PC and then I needed if for a class and formatted it to a Mac. But now I want to re-format it to for my PC. How do I go about doing this? Is it possible to reformat it so it works for my PC again? I know I might loose everything that is currently on my hard drive but that is not a problem. Any kind of direction would be helpful! Thanks Laura Hi David,
So I had my hard drive formatted for my PC and then I needed if for a class and formatted it to a Mac. But now I want to re-format it to for my PC. How do I go about doing this? Is it possible to reformat it so it works for my PC again? I know I might loose everything that is currently on my hard drive but that is not a problem. Any kind of direction would be helpful! Thanks
Laura

]]> By: David Marxhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-392498 David Marx Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:39:41 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-392498 Dear Zanty, I am afraid that I can only guess at your hardware issues. I would try reformatting the drive one more time using the quick format options. If it doesn't respond promptly I think I would give it up for dead. It might be just fine but I tend to be very cautious. At the first sign of trouble I usually move on. Replacing an external hard drive is relatively inexpensive. Replacing all the files that a failed disk used to hold might be very costly! See <a href="http://thelightroomlab.com/2012/01/professional-grade-backup-plans/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Professional-Grade Backup Plans</a> for more advice on how I protect my files from total loss if a disk fails. -- David Marx Dear Zanty,

I am afraid that I can only guess at your hardware issues. I would try reformatting the drive one more time using the quick format options. If it doesn’t respond promptly I think I would give it up for dead. It might be just fine but I tend to be very cautious. At the first sign of trouble I usually move on. Replacing an external hard drive is relatively inexpensive. Replacing all the files that a failed disk used to hold might be very costly! See Professional-Grade Backup Plans for more advice on how I protect my files from total loss if a disk fails.

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David Marx

]]> By: Victoria Morganhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-392304 Victoria Morgan Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:30:11 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-392304 Hey, I just needed some simple formatting instructions, and it your tuition was great! Thanks heaps. Hey, I just needed some simple formatting instructions, and it your tuition was great! Thanks heaps.

]]> By: Zantyhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-389719 Zanty Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:28:33 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-389719 David, I just watched your video how to format a drive on windows because I just wanted to make sure I was doing everything right and my external hard drive will not format. I have a 2 TB seagate that I used a few time in the past 8 months. About a month ago I plugged it in and one of my computer hardly recognize the drive. After all the attempts to open the drive I gave up and decided to format it. when I try to format it, nothing happens. I go through all the steps you went through on your video but it doesnt do any thing. I've tried windows XP, windows vista and windows 7. I've left it hooked up "formatting" for up to 10 hrs and nothing changes on the computer management window. Can you help me or is my external hard drive completely dead? I hear something moving inside and it gets a little warm, but I have noticed that there is a bump on one of the big flat surfaced (my external hard drive lays flat, does not sit up tall). Don't know what that means. HELP!! thanks for your help in advance, Zanty David,
I just watched your video how to format a drive on windows because I just wanted to make sure I was doing everything right and my external hard drive will not format. I have a 2 TB seagate that I used a few time in the past 8 months. About a month ago I plugged it in and one of my computer hardly recognize the drive. After all the attempts to open the drive I gave up and decided to format it. when I try to format it, nothing happens. I go through all the steps you went through on your video but it doesnt do any thing. I’ve tried windows XP, windows vista and windows 7. I’ve left it hooked up “formatting” for up to 10 hrs and nothing changes on the computer management window.
Can you help me or is my external hard drive completely dead?
I hear something moving inside and it gets a little warm, but I have noticed that there is a bump on one of the big flat surfaced (my external hard drive lays flat, does not sit up tall). Don’t know what that means.

HELP!!

thanks for your help in advance,

Zanty

]]> By: David Marxhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-386689 David Marx Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:42:14 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-386689 Dear RayR, The mysteries of the Windows operating system are beyond me. Glad it's working now. -- David Marx Dear RayR,

The mysteries of the Windows operating system are beyond me. Glad it’s working now.

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David Marx

]]> By: RayRhttp://thelightroomlab.com/2009/01/formatting-an-external-hard-drive/comment-page-3/#comment-385863 RayR Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:16:30 +0000 http://thelightroomlab.com/?p=1612#comment-385863 I was dieing trying to format my new WD Green 1T in an external shell on my Dell XPS. It would say read error, or st stop seeing it even in Manager. Then I realized it wasn't loading the drivers correctly...no matter how many times I tried! This article reassured me that I wasn't missing anything. It's great. Thanks. BTW, I put the drive on a Gateway desktop (both running Windows 7 4x) and it immediately said Drivers Installed Correctly. Would you like to Initialize? And Would You like to Format this drive? Easy as 1,2,3. Any thoughts on what would block the Dell from loading the drivers? Antivirus or Malware program? The Microsoft USP mouse in a different port I am stumped! I was dieing trying to format my new WD Green 1T in an external shell on my Dell XPS. It would say read error, or st stop seeing it even in Manager. Then I realized it wasn’t loading the drivers correctly…no matter how many times I tried! This article reassured me that I wasn’t missing anything. It’s great. Thanks.

BTW, I put the drive on a Gateway desktop (both running Windows 7 4x) and it immediately said Drivers Installed Correctly. Would you like to Initialize? And Would You like to Format this drive? Easy as 1,2,3.
Any thoughts on what would block the Dell from loading the drivers? Antivirus or Malware program? The Microsoft USP mouse in a different port I am stumped!

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