New HD "Did not format successfully"

[Muse]

It's a WD 3TB Red 5400 rpm SATA III 3.5" Internal NAS HDD (WD30EFRX) that I bought 12/02/2016 from B&H. I ordered two of these that day and didn't open the shipping box until about a week ago because I hadn't gotten all the other things I needed to rebuild a system.

One of these two HDs is in its unopened smaller box. This one I Quick formatted a few days ago because I needed it quick to test something. Yesterday, I decided to full format it to make sure it is OK. I had a peek after about 75 minutes and it was at 3% complete (was using this Win10 laptop and the HD is in a Rosewill RX-358 V2 USB HD enclosure).

I figured the format would complete about 17 hours from now but taking another peek 1/2 hour ago it said "Did not format successfully."

I just installed crystaldiskinfo on this machine and it sees the HD as Good.

I have been buying a lot of things from this retailer and so far their customer service has been great. It's possible they will RMA the HD if it's bad or problematical.

How should I proceed with this? Is it possible that the HD is really OK? Try a full format with the HD in the Rosewill enclosure using a different (Win10) machine (I have no other means of running the HD)? Run WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic? Which test(s)?

 

[ronbo613]

Full formatting a large hard drive connected by SATA to a computer motherboard takes a long time, pack a lunch using a laptop and USB enclosure. I have a couple of these Rosewill enclosures using eSATA, USB 2.0 is going to be painfully slow. Is your laptop going into hibernation? Are you using AC power with the laptop?

 

[UsandThem]

I'd try it on a different machine for sure, but the problem could be the enclosure itself.

Run the WD utility for sure as well, and if it reports no problems just like Crystal Disk did, I'd also try the other hard drive to see if it does the same thing. If the 2nd disk does the same thing, it's probable the enclosure is the issue.

So, there's no way to install it to a desktop to rule out the enclosure?

 

[Muse]

I did the same procedure with a Western Digital 2TB Red 5400 SATA III HDD (WD20EFRX) in the same enclosure a couple of days before I tried this. That completed successfully. That was using MBR partition structure, this was using GPT (the only available). Formatting the 2TB HD took a long time, around 22 hours. It was using the same Windows 10 32bit laptop.

The laptop doesn't hibernate. It stays on all the time until I close the lid, then it goes into standby. However, for these formatting procedures I left the lid up. The laptop is a Lenovo T60 fitted into a mini-doc that's AC powered (the battery is in the refrigerator).

So, UsandThem, should I run the extended WD utility or just the Quick one. The latter takes less than 5 minutes, the extended is evidently similar to a format, it checks everything and likely maps any bad sectors and would likely require about the same time as a full format (around 33 hours). The length of time does not worry me, I want to do the smart thing here.

Of course, I'm going to take the other 3TB drive and likewise full format it although I intend for the time being to keep it in reserve in case one of the 2 HDs in my NAS fails... they are the same make/model.

 

[VirtualLarry]

It could be either the drive (issues), or the enclosure (maybe the cable wiggled, and the signal dropped out?).

To be sure, I would connect the drive internally in some system that supports GPT, but it seems like that's not an option for you?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I don't use 32-bit Windows "anything" for anything anymore, and probably stopped doing so with VISTA. I understand that the new laptops are 64-bit-capable.

I just wonder if it might be an OS limitation, and candidly, I wouldn't know at this point.

 

[UsandThem]

So, UsandThem, should I run the extended WD utility or just the Quick one. The latter takes less than 5 minutes, the extended is evidently similar to a format, it checks everything and likely maps any bad sectors and would likely require about the same time as a full format (around 33 hours). The length of time does not worry me, I want to do the smart thing here.

Since you are possibly having issues with the drive, I would personally do the extended test so it checks everything.

 

[Muse]

It could be either the drive (issues), or the enclosure (maybe the cable wiggled, and the signal dropped out?).

To be sure, I would connect the drive internally in some system that supports GPT, but it seems like that's not an option for you?

Not presently an option for me.

 

[Muse]

I don't use 32-bit Windows "anything" for anything anymore, and probably stopped doing so with VISTA. I understand that the new laptops are 64-bit-capable.

I just wonder if it might be an OS limitation, and candidly, I wouldn't know at this point.

I do have a 64bit Windows 10 laptop. I will try formatting the drive with it (in the Rosewill enclosure, though) and see what happens. No hurries, it will take 32 hours or so, if that fails, I'll run WDDLG Diagnostics.

 

[Charlie98]

Let us know, I/We are curious...

 

[Muse]

Let us know, I/We are curious...

So, last night at 6:38PM I start a full format of the HD in the Rosewill enclosure connected to my Win10 64bit laptop (the failure had occurred using my Win10 32 bit laptop). I go to disk management and use the default settings. At this point the HD was labeled New Volume and was RAW in spite of my having done a Quick Format several days ago. The failure to full format had eliminated the quick format. Default settings for the new one started last night, NTFS, default block size, gave it a label. Made sure that the machine was configured to "Never" go into suspend when on AC, which it was.

This morning I have a medical appt, but I take a peek and the machine is sitting at the sign on screen, WTF! Disk Management was, of course, not open when I signed in. The machine is not configured to ask for a password when resuming from suspend. I suspect that Windows Update had rebooted the machine. Why would it do that while it was formatting a HD???

Well, I started another full format and went to my appt. It's at 6% now. I created a new power plan before starting the format but it's exactly like the last one!

Edit: At 7% now, gotta leave for 6+ hours. I opened an app that can't be closed, i.e. shutting down Windows throws a message that it doesn't accept closing, must for force-closed. That may help.

 

[ronbo613]

I suspect that Windows Update had rebooted the machine. Why would it do that while it was formatting a HD???

You mentioned Windows 10?

3 TB + USB 2.0 Rosewill enclosure, I bet ten hours, plus or minus an hour

 

[Muse]

You mentioned Windows 10?

3 TB + USB 2.0 Rosewill enclosure, I bet ten hours, plus or minus an hour

At the rate it was going (about 3%/hour) I did a rough estimate of 32 hours.

Edit: It's now around 12 hours since I started the 2nd attempt on the Win10 64bit laptop with Rosewill enclosure to format the dirve (i.e. attempt #3 overall), and it's reporting 23% done. Looks to be a matter of over 2 days, assuming it completes. I'm wondering if there are serious problems with the drive. I recall another instance some years ago when a drive with serious issues (bad sectors, I figure) took way longer than expected to format. I think it failed, ultimately.

Is it OK to run crystaldiskinfo while the drive is formatting? Might that give a meaningful result?

 

[Elixer]

Yeah, it is fine to run Crystaldiskinfo, that just polls the SMART data, it won't interfere with the formatting.

 

[Muse]

Yeah, it is fine to run Crystaldiskinfo, that just polls the SMART data, it won't interfere with the formatting.

Crystaldiskinfo says "Good." This 3rd attempt to full format the drive is one day on and at 42% completion. Seems excessively slow. That makes me "nervous" for the drive. In fact, I will not be the slightest bit surprised if this "attempt" fails.

 

[Charlie98]

I run CrystalDisk when doing any disk maintenance so I can keep an eye on the drive temp. Now that I think about it, I had issues with overheating when using an enclosure (Seagate OEM) and even my cradle, you might want to consider that.

 

[Muse]

I run CrystalDisk when doing any disk maintenance so I can keep an eye on the drive temp. Now that I think about it, I had issues with overheating when using an enclosure (Seagate OEM) and even my cradle, you might want to consider that.

The Rosewill enclosure has a fan, the first HD enclosure I've had that has a fan. At the moment, I have the drive inserted in this enclosure without the top plate or side plates or screws holding it in place. It's a temporary arrangement that affords quite a bit more ventilation than otherwise... plus the fan. It should stay cool enough at least for the formatting. At 47% right now, after about 27 hours. "So far so good..."

 

[ronbo613]

The Rosewill enclosure has a fan, the first HD enclosure I've had that has a fan. At the moment, I have the drive inserted in this enclosure without the top plate or side plates or screws holding it in place. It's a temporary arrangement that affords quite a bit more ventilation than otherwise... plus the fan. It should stay cool enough at least for the formatting. At 47% right now, after about 27 hours. "So far so good..."

I mentioned I use a couple of these Rosewill enclosures with eSATA. The reason I do that is because if I used USB 2.0, I would not be able to get my work done because it would take longer than my estimated lifespan. These enclosures are not high performance devices by any measure, especially with USB 2.0. The PCB looks like it came out of a toaster. Transferring large files is not going to be fast either. That's why the enclosures are $20.

 

[Charlie98]

...if I used USB 2.0, I would not be able to get my work done because it would take longer than my estimated lifespan.

USB2.0 and HDDs vs USB3.x and SSDs... ah, these are the good 'ole days!

 

[VirtualLarry]

USB2.0 tops out at around 30MB/sec for continuous sequential operations.
27.7 hours is what I come out with, for total elapsed time to fully read or write a 3TB drive.

 

[UsandThem]

USB2.0 tops out at around 30MB/sec for continuous sequential operations.
27.7 hours is what I come out with, for total elapsed time to fully read or write a 3TB drive.

I couldn't even imagine waiting 28 hours. Gotta at least be USB 3.0, and I can't wait for USB 3.1 to become a lot more common in all the devices. I finally retired a nice Antec USB 2.0 enclosure two years ago because I just couldn't deal with the slowness anymore. SSDs have spoiled me.

 

[WilliamM2]

I mentioned I use a couple of these Rosewill enclosures with eSATA. The reason I do that is because if I used USB 2.0, I would not be able to get my work done because it would take longer than my estimated lifespan. These enclosures are not high performance devices by any measure, especially with USB 2.0. The PCB looks like it came out of a toaster. Transferring large files is not going to be fast either. That's why the enclosures are $20.

I have 3 of the RX358's. All of them are just as fast using eSata as a they are with drives directly connected to a motherboard sata port.

He's using USB 2.0, so of course it's going to be very slow.

 

[Muse]

eSATA? Yeah, I know, it's a standard, a port on my newly installed Gigabyte mobo. I suppose I could run a cable from the enclosure to the mobo. Guess I gotta order that eSATA cable.

The formatting of the 3TB HD is now at 87% after 49 hours. Fingers crossed it doesn't fail at the end, that would be another computer cruel joke. Should know by late this afternoon. I suppose if the format completes "successfully" I can assume that the previous failure was some peculiar anomaly. I'm worried, though. It shouldn't be taking so long, right? I think that may very well indicate that there's a serious problem with the HD, right?

 

[ronbo613]

eSATA? Yeah, I know, it's a standard, a port on my newly installed Gigabyte mobo. I suppose I could run a cable from the enclosure to the mobo. Guess I gotta order that eSATA cable.

That would be much faster than USB, for sure. If I remember correctly, I got eSATA cables with the enclosure.

I'm worried, though. It shouldn't be taking so long, right? I think that may very well indicate that there's a serious problem with the HD, right?

I would blame the enclosure before the hard drive. If you have a Gigabyte motherboard, plug the drive directly into an SATA port with one of the mobo power connectors(just take the side off the case, don't have to bolt the drive in), format the drive, then stick it in the enclosure. If it takes 49 hours that way, then it might be the drive.

 

[Muse]

That would be much faster than USB, for sure. If I remember correctly, I got eSATA cables with the enclosure.



I would blame the enclosure before the hard drive. If you have a Gigabyte motherboard, plug the drive directly into an SATA port with one of the mobo power connectors(just take the side off the case, don't have to bolt the drive in), format the drive, then stick it in the enclosure. If it takes 49 hours that way, then it might be the drive.

Yeah, I have an eSATA cable that came with the case, just realized that (only opened the Rosewill box last week after having it a few years and never getting around to having a use for it).

However, formatting the HD with the Gigabyte mobo is a nogo right now because I have XP on the machine. it's going to be my HDTV machine, figure to not use it for browsing or email, just keep it clean and simple. If I install Win7 (a possibility, but a ~$160 expense), then I could use a GPT partitioned HD.

So, right now I figure to use the 3TB drive in the Rosewill enclosure attached to one of my Win10 laptops. Occasionally I will bring it to my Synology DS214play NAS to copy files to the NAS. That will be slow, I suppose, but shouldn't hang me up.