Formatting hard drive -- stupid question

Gustavus

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I have an older IDE harddrive, formatted NTFS, that was used as a backup data store in a computer I've retired. It has never had an OS installed on it -- strictly files and data. I want to format it and give it to a friend whose harddrive has started making noises. I jumpered it for Master, attached it to the secondary IDE connector on an old machine running Windows XP here in the lab -- I did say it was IDE. I can explore the folders and files on it just fine, even saved to the main harddrive some files I thought I might want again.

When I try to format it I get an error message Windows cannot format this drive. Close any programs that might be using it etc. I even tried in safe mode with the same error box. Nothing is using the drive, it's contents are not being displayed. I have done similar reformats on old drives more times than I can remember, but this one I cannot format. I've rebooted several times, written files to the drive just to make sure it is working -- reading and writing files that is. But the Damn thing won't format -- fast or full format.

Any ideas?
 

lakedude

Platinum Member
Mar 14, 2009
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I like to use external enclosures for this type of thing. That way you are 100% sure which drive you booted from and which drive was plugged in after the system was up and running.

Since the drive you are talking about never had an OS this is most likely not your issue.

I'd be tempted to use a live Linux disto like Puppy Linux or Fat Dog 64.

A format does not really erase everything BTW. If security is an issue use the live CD and the "DD" command to write random bits to everywhere on the HD. This will kill any personal info as well as any virus, etc.
 

Gustavus

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
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lakedude

Thanks for the reply. It would be impossible for the system to "think" this was the boot drive and you can be Damn sure I know which hard drive I am attempting to format.

There are lots of posts on net from people getting the same error message, but most of them were trying to format the main drive etc.

I never get around to putting covers back on my computer cases so it is easy to just cable in components. Have three here in the lab now, all with the sides off.

By the way the drive is all in one big partition which is how I plan to give it to my friend. I may reconnect it later and see if I can reset the partition etc. Never had to go to that trouble in reformatting a drive before. I'll have to look and see if I have any old software around that may avoid having to use Windows
 

Fardringle

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2000
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Delete and recreate the partition(s) on the drive and then try to format it again.
 

lakedude

Platinum Member
Mar 14, 2009
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GParted (Edit: Whoops, I had called this Parted Magic but the program is actually GParted) is a great tool for this sort of thing. It is basically the Linux version of Partition Magic and comes as part of Puppy Linux.

There is also a Linux disto called Parted Magic but it is no longer a free distro so you might as well just grab a copy of Puppy or FatDog.
 
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Gustavus

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
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John

Thanks. I didn't know about DBAN but will add it to my toolkit. I would like to be sure nothing survives on hard disks I get rid of. No real concerns there, but just common sense to clean them beforehand. I have a rule I have followed ever since I began working on the internet -- don't say anything on net you wouldn't write on a postcard. Even so --
 

xSneak

Member
Jan 14, 2013
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you could try ccleaner to destroy the data, or just manually transfer a lot of files to it and delete them.

If you really want to format it try using gparted.
 

DrGreen2007

Senior member
Jan 30, 2007
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unhook the primary IDE drive leaving just this one in the PC, then boot off a XP,Vista, W7, W8 install disk and delete the partitions at the point where it asks ya, then shut down and plug the Primary IDE back in and boot up?
 

hextet

Member
Dec 30, 2013
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Download DBAN and do the most basic wiping method, this is superior to formatting IMO as even if you format there can be traces of data left behind.
 

Gustavus

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Thanks to all who answered my "stupid" question. I learned about DBAN and used it. Problem solved. I still have no idea of why I couldn't just format as I have done so many times in the past, but the problem is solved. Tomorrow will replace my friends harddrive which is clearly screeching it's last.
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
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Thanks to all who answered my "stupid" question. I learned about DBAN and used it. Problem solved. I still have no idea of why I couldn't just format as I have done so many times in the past, but the problem is solved. Tomorrow will replace my friends harddrive which is clearly screeching it's last.

Congrats. And, there are NO stupid questions. Only insecure humans who feel they have to prove they know everything to other humans. That, is a veritable prison.
 

PliotronX

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 1999
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Congrats. And, there are NO stupid questions. Only insecure humans who feel they have to prove they know everything to other humans. That, is a veritable prison.
Yup, a closed mind cannot learn anything which by definition is stupid.