Help! I can't format my new maxtor d740x harddrive!?

[aakerman]

I just got a new 80GB D740X fluid harddrive from maxtor, and I want to format it, so I can install windows 2000 on it...
Normally this would seem as a straight-forward task, but I've run into all sorts of weird problems.

Firstly, the Win2000 version I have doesn't seem to be bootable, so I have to do it the old-fashioned way.
I downloaded a windows98 SE boot disk of the net, with cd-rom support, and booted the computer
with this disk. When it was done loading, I typed "FDISK", but it replied with an error: "error on fixed disk".
I tried making several copies of this bootdisk, and all with the same result, couldn't enter FDISK.

Then I downloaded Maxtor MaxBlast II, wanting to format my drive that way.
When I loaded up the programme, I also got an error: "Critical error: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?"
Same thing here, I tried making other copies on other diskettes, and always the same result.

Now I said to myself, there's probably a malfunction on my new HD, it's been known to happen.
So I downloaded the diagnostics program from maxtors support-page and ran it.
It completed the 90-sec basic test without a problem, and I decided to run a full-test, at which
point the program told med, that if my harddrive was to pass this test, it would be certified error free.
So I ran the test, took about an hour, and it completed without any errors..

Arg? Can anybody now tell me what the problem is.. I can't return the harddrive, because they'll just
run a test on it and return it again, saying it passed all tests...

Help please ;(

PS: I already have to working harddrives, one with win2000 on it, and the other with storage space...
- i took them out and plugged the new maxtor in as master, when I did these tests.

 

[Wolfsraider]

why not put it in as slave then format it within win2000?

 

[bozo1]

Does your system support bootable CD's? your CD set as the first boot device in your BIOS, and is your W2K a legal copy? If so, you should be abel to boot off of the CD.
If not, you can make W2K boot disks that will let you run setup from there - look on the CD in the i386\bootdisk directory or something like that - I'm not in the mood to pull mine out and find the exact path.

If not, you can always boot with a bootable Win98 disk with CD support, change to your W2K CD and run winnt.exe from the \i386 directory to start the process.

 

[aakerman]

wolfsraider: I tried that, at the point where win2000 was supposed to load, it said something like: "Missing operating system" !!?

bozo1: hmm I've actually tried making the four bootdisks from the "bootdisk" directory on the cd, but they didn't work either - and
I've also booted with the 98 bootdisk, changed to the win2000 drive, but when I wanted to run the install, it said it needed at least
194 mb of harddisk space to run, and I had to quit ;(

 

[bozo1]

aakerman - to me that sounds like something is wrong with the drive. Not physically, just something there that W2K doesn't like - the MaxBlast program (bad, never use it unless you are running a really old system that doesn't support the size drive you are using) should not be installed. Or maybe your drive settings aren't right - master/slave, etc.

Another thing to try would be to remove your existing drive, put your new one in by itself setup primary/master, run the W2K install and see if it works.

 

[aakerman]

that's what I've been trying all along.. the maxtor is the only drived plugged in, and it's set and recognized as master (checked with the maxtor HP)...
my system isn't that old, its an xp1800 on an epox 8KHA+, with 512DDR ram

the problem is I can't return it to the vendor, when the diagnostics program can't find anything wrong!

 

[bozo1]

Try running the portion of MaxBlast that totally wipes the drive - destructive format or whatever they call it.

Boot off your W2K disks and go from there. (Or Win98 w/CD support and run winnt.exe from the \i386 directory)

 

[aakerman]

maxblast still generates that darned "critical error", which only happens with the new drive in place.. when its
my regular setup, it runs fine!

I tried low-level formatting the whole drive (whatever that is), it doesn't look like
it has made any difference..

 

[bozo1]

If Maxblast is giving you a 'critical error', either your drive is bad, you have a cable that is bad, or your drive jumpers are set incorrectly.

I assume you -don't- have the drive connected to one of your RAID ports on your motherboard? or do you? (don't do it unless you are going to use RAID and if so, that's another topic entirely)

 

[aakerman]

i don't, as my board hasn't got raid support

how can the cables be bad, when they're the same cables I use for my regular drives?

 

[ROJAS]

Alot of new hard drives come jumpered cable select, but some older BIOS do not support this. I would jumper the new Maxtor as a master or slave and see if this clears your problem.

Just a thought


ROJAS

 

[ROJAS]

I have the same hard drive and its outstanding. Very quiet and fast.

ROJAS

 

[PHiuR]

hmph... make sure your jumper settings are correct and your useing the 'C' one from the manual

 

[GregMal]

Did you try both IDE channels????
Greg

 

[de8212]

You trying to run it off one of the iDE's on the mobo or a controller card?

I already have to working harddrives, one with win2000 on it,

Maybe I missed this, but can you hook this hard drive up to your mobo on the primary IDE channel and boot into windows without the Maxtor?

at the point where win2000 was supposed to load, it said something like: "Missing operating system" !!?

It says this about the "working" hard drive you have? If so, then it might be a mobo problem.
If it lets you into windows with the other hard drive then shutdown, hook up the maxtor, go into windows and format the maxtor.

Or borrow a bootable win2k disc from someone and install win2k that way. Just enter your product key.


de

 

[jmitchell]

This is a bit off but, related... just got a new d740x (80gb) yesterday for my GF, OEM... Believe it or not, after 2 hours of trying to get just the bios to recognize the freakin thing, (multiple Mobo's, cables, etc tried) it turned out the JUMPER was bad... Yes, that's right, that simplistic piece of crap little jumper.