I Cannot create a primary DOS partition with FDISK....

[nexialist]

on a new WD 40 hard drive.

When it starts "verifying drive integrity" the counter stays at "0% complete". The only thing I can do is reboot. I suspect the hard drive.

Kinda wierd. I upgraded this PC from 98SE to ME for a nephew, then could not download the updates from microsoft or Mcfee Viruscan.......just hung....other wierd things happened.

I decided to FDISK and start all over....now I can't create the new primary DOS partition.


Any ideas?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Xtremetechie]

Try using the Data life gaurd tools disk that came with the drive, excellent set of diagnostic tools, it should tell you whats going on.

 

[nexialist]

That's gonna tell me that I have no primary DOS partition.

 

[DimZiE]

RMA the drive....

the only time i cannot create a primary partition on a WD drive was when i got a defective drive with scratched magnetic plates inside

 

[SpideyCU]

That's not true. I was unable to create a primary partition once in fdisk in my dad's laptop, but I solved it with a bit of ol' fashioned assembler. Here's what you do: go to http://www.fdisk.com/fdisk/HardDrive.htm

There you'll find instructions for wiping out the partition tables completely - you'll be able to start from scratch, which is usually the best way to be sure. I highly, highly recommend you try this before RMAing the drive. After you clear the drive of all partition info, go back into fdisk and try to create the primary.

Good luck.

 

[Xtremetechie]

Originally posted by: nexialist
That's gonna tell me that I have no primary DOS partition.

Dude,

Correct me if Im wrong, you fdisked the drive because of poor performance, and when you attempt to partition the drive it wont verify, Correct? Assuming the drive isnt Physically broken ,which I doubt it is, My point was to use data life guard tools to actually create partitions and format. The western Dig tools work great and you can write zeros to the drive which will fix almost any software related problems, bad sectors, etc. Try it you might like it.

 

[nexialist]

xtremetechie,

I did try the WD tools....The only thing that might have helped is the writing zeros....I started but quit because but that would have taken over 8 hours! Also, it usessa diferent DOS (Caldera DOS)....I wanted to stic with MS DOS.

I was about to use spidyCU's fix, but tried to FDISK from my WIN98SE boot disk again and it worked this time!

Thanks dudes

Dan