Usb exteral hard drive needs formating

[john-the-plotter]

This is a fresh post to the same problem that I posted earlier in the year that remained unsloved and I now have more information about the fault.

 

I have a Samsung m3 500gb usb external hard drive that I cannot access. What I have done is incorrectly just unplugged the drive without going into the safely remove hardware mode therebye corrupting the file system I think.

 

The file system should be ntfs but although the disc drive shows up in device manager it does not show in my computer nor can I access it from the software. I am not bothered about the files that were saved on it, I just want to see if I can get it usable again.

How can I reformat the drive ? I am almost certain that the drive is ok, it lights up and you can hear the disc spinning.

My pc is running on xp home 32 bit with sp3.

 

There is no format facillity available on right click and the samsung software wont read the disc.

 

Any Ideas would be most helpfull

 

John

[DSTM]

Hi John. Follow these instructions and see how you go.

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_4768949_format-hard-drive-windows-xp.html

[KenB]

It may be of interest to those helping here to read through the previous posts on this problem:

 

click here

[DSTM]

Thanks Ken. The link puts a different slant on the problem. From that link the last post by Synapse suggests taking the drive out of it's enclosure and installing internally.

That's an option in the link I gave above. Worth a try.

[john-the-plotter]

Hi DSTM

I tried the format link you gave me. when I go into device manager it sees the drive and says it is working.

When I go in my computer or administrative tools it doesn't show up, so nothing to format.

I don't think the option of installing the drive internally will solve the problem, it is external as a back up drive only.

[DSTM]

Hi John. Have you assigned the external Drive a drive letter?

May show in Device Manager but Your computer needs to recognize.

 

We ask you to try different things for a reason, not always immediately understood. It's a process of elimination.

You said you tried the format link I gave you. What did you try?

 

Try these steps:

 

• Open Command Prompt. (CMD)
  
• Type: diskpart
  
• At the DISKPART prompt, type: list volume
  Make note of the number of the simple volume whose drive letter you want to assign, change, or remove.
  
• At the DISKPART prompt, type: select volume n
  Select the volume, where n is the volume's number, whose drive letter you want to assign, change, or remove.
  
• At the DISKPART prompt, type one of the following: assign letter=L
  Where L is the drive letter you want to assign or change.
  

 

 

 

You can make L any letter as long as it is not already assigned to a drive.

Edited October 23, 2014 by DSTM

[DSTM]

Can you post a screenshot of Disk Management please, John.

 

Path.....Start > Right Click on Computer > Select "Manage" > Click on "Disk Management" from the tree.

[john-the-plotter]

I have attached a copy of disk management screen and also tried the diskpart list volumes.

Both these give the same result Volume 0 drive D dvd-rom

Volume 1 drive E cd-rom

Volume 2 drive C internal main hard drive

Volume 3 drive F This is the card reader on my printer

 

The external drive does not show up[ATTACH=CONFIG]2336[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]2335[/ATTACH]

 

Having now seen both those prints I notice that dvd drive and external drive are both shown as volume 0 could this be the problem ?

And if so do I need to re-consign dvd drive to another number, say 4

 

 

Thanks

John

[john-the-plotter]

Can you post a screenshot of Disk Management please, John.

 

Path.....Start > Right Click on Computer > Select "Manage" > Click on "Disk Management" from the tree.

 

I have attached a copy of disk management screen and also tried the diskpart list volumes.

Both these give the same result Volume 0 drive D dvd-rom

Volume 1 drive E cd-rom

Volume 2 drive C internal main hard drive

Volume 3 drive F This is the card reader on my printer

 

The external drive does not show uphttp://extremetechsupport.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2336&d=1390005894&thumb=1http://extremetechsupport.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2335&d=1390941764&thumb=1

 

Having now seen both those prints I notice that dvd drive and external drive are both shown as volume 0 could this be the problem ?

And if so do I need to re-consign dvd drive to another number, say 4

 

 

Thanks

[Plastic Nev]

Hi John, those pictures aren't the page we wanted, you are running XP? If so try this, :- click start, then click "Run", in the box either copy and paste this or type it in.

 

diskmgmt.msc

 

Then click OK.

You may have to drag the box fully open so we can see all that is shown please.

It is in that window where we can then advise what to do next.

 

Nev.

[DSTM]

Here is an example of what we need, John. You may have to take 2 seperate screen grabs.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2355[/ATTACH]

[KenB]

John

 

You deleted an image of Disk Management - was this intentional ?

This image shows Disk 0 = The Main Hard drive

The CDROM is listed there as it should be.

 

Do you want me to reproduce this screenshot ?

[john-the-plotter]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2357[/ATTACH]

[john-the-plotter]

Hi Ken

Unsure why I deleted the image, maybe it wasn't the right image but I have uploaded the correct one.

Main drive as you will see is partitioned into c & d and the cd rom and dvd drives also show, but the external doesn't.

[DSTM]

Try this, John.

 

Plug in your USB extenal drive.

Open the command prompt (Click Start -> Run -> type cmd.exe and press Enter)

 

Type in the following:

diskpart and press enter

Next type

list disk and press enter

see if your extenal hard drive is listed

[KenB]

Hi John

 

Thanks for the Device Manager image.

 

This shows you main Hard Drive having 2 partitions - 97 GB and 368 GB

 

If you take a look at the diskpart image you posted in post #9 ...

It shows a 76 GB partition with no allocated letter.

 

You are not getting the full information from diskpart > list volume

 

Mine looks like this :

 

Microsoft DiskPart version 6.3.9600

 

 

Copyright © 1999-2013 Microsoft Corporation.

On computer: KENSLAPTOP

 

 

DISKPART> list volume

 

 

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info

---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------

Volume 0 D DVD-ROM 0 B No Media

Volume 1 C Acer NTFS Partition 445 GB Healthy Boot

Volume 2 Recovery NTFS Partition 400 MB Healthy Hidden

Volume 3 ESP FAT32 Partition 300 MB Healthy System

Volume 4 NTFS Partition 450 MB Healthy Hidden

Volume 5 NTFS Partition 350 MB Healthy Hidden

Volume 6 Push Button NTFS Partition 18 GB Healthy Hidden

 

 

DISKPART> list volume

 

 

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info

---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------

Volume 0 D DVD-ROM 0 B No Media

Volume 1 C Acer NTFS Partition 445 GB Healthy Boot

Volume 2 Recovery NTFS Partition 400 MB Healthy Hidden

Volume 3 ESP FAT32 Partition 300 MB Healthy System

Volume 4 NTFS Partition 450 MB Healthy Hidden

Volume 5 NTFS Partition 350 MB Healthy Hidden

Volume 6 Push Button NTFS Partition 18 GB Healthy Hidden

Volume 7 E USB DISK FAT Partition 1911 MB Healthy

 

 

DISKPART>

 

The top one is without a USB Memory Stick - the second set of data is with the Memory Stick.

 

Your image does not show C: ............which is your main hard drive.

 

Can you have another go at this please ( diskpart > list volume ) and see if you get the same results ?

Obviously - make sure that the external drive is in place.

 

==========

By the way ....

Does this drive use 2 USB connections

or

1 USB and a mains adapter ?

[john-the-plotter]

Sorry Ken, what I forgot to mention is that I was operating on a 80gb hard drive unpartioned, but I have swapped that for a 500gb drive that is partitioned.

Hope that explains the difference. the reason for the swap is that I am trying to run 2 x 500gb drives on raid, to replace the 80gb drive but that is another story.

[john-the-plotter]

Hi DSTM

Tried that, and the hard drive is not listed, only the main hard drive showing 466gb.

[DSTM]

Hi John.

We have suggested all the normal checks and nothing is working it seems.

You have an aging OS/Motherboard. Could even be a motheboard/USB/PSU issue.

Would be interested what your 12v rail readings are as well.

 

I it were me I would remove the Drive out of it's enclosure as carefully as possible not to bump the drive and hook it up directly to a SATA port on the Motheboard bypassing the USB all together. You only have one Drive internally so you have a spare Power plug from your PSU.

All you need is a Sata cable from the motherboard Sata port to the hard drive.Reboot and If the Hard Drive still can't be read then It looks like it can be used for a doorstop.

[KenB]

DSTM has a valid point.

 

If you need a SATA cable take one from the DVD or CDROM if they are SATA.

 

You didn't answer this ...

By the way ....

Does this drive use 2 USB connections

or

1 USB and a mains adapter ?

[john-the-plotter]

http://samsunghdd.seagate.com/gb/en/

My drive is Samsung M3 500gb It just has 1 usb connector and runs off the pc.

I know the drive is usb3 and I am on usb2 but it will work with usb2 just slower.

I am pretty sure it is not a PSU issue, this was replaced a few years ago with a 500w unit and has never given any problems and the rest of the pc works ok.

As for a USB problem, other phericals work in all the rear usb ports which is where I am plugging this.

And when I plug the drive into a port, Windows sees it and installs it, yet I doesn't show up in my computer as I described earlier. nor does it's software see it.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi John, DSTM does now have the best idea, which is to remove the drive from the case and try it direct to the computer through the SATA on the motherboard. It may well be the electronic hardware inside the case has gone dud. It is all that is left now.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

I still think, as the others do, that you need to try this drive direct using a SATA cable.

 

Also - I can't remember if you have tried this ..... does it work if you plug it into another computer ?

[john-the-plotter]

Looks as though you seem to have exhausted all possibilities, but I am not totally convinced the drive is dead.

It is not all that old and has not had a great deal of use. The unit is sealed so I can't take it apart to try what you suggested.

The fact that some part of windows sees the drive and recognises that it is a Samsung M3, leads me to think that all is not lost.

I must try it in another pc and see what happens. It loots to me as though the drive is no longer NTFS, but I cannot find a way to reformat it.

I have got the Seatools drive tester burned onto a cd and run it as they tell you to. but for some reason it doesn't see any of my drives.

 

If you think you have exhausted all your ideas I will leave it at that , but I will carry on trying thinks in hope that it may someday work again.

 

Thanks for your help so far

John

[KenB]

Hi John

 

I must try it in another pc and see what happens

this will confirm if the fault lies with the drive or not.

If the second computer does not read the drive then there is definitely a problem.

 

If, however, the drive is able to be read on the second machine then the problem obviously lies with your specific machine.

 

Let us know how you get on.