I have a WD 200GB internal hard drive that I put in an external case. Recently, it lost its partition information. I used TestDisk to recover my files but when I used the tool to check the MBR and Boot Sectors, I found that the Boot Sector was fine, but the Backup Boot Sector was bad. I wiped the drive by writing 0s to it using the WD Diagnostic Tool. Now I’m trying to get it reformatted. I was thinking that it would find a different sector to make the boot sector. (I’m competent with computers, but I’m not an expert at this.)
I use Vista and am in the Computer Management Console. I have initialized the drive, but am unable to get it formatted. I’m trying to create a simple volume. The Format Wizard goes all the way through the process which takes a couple of hours. After getting through 99%, it says Format Failed. I tried a format from the DOS Command Prompt and that failed too.
I then used TestDisk to see if there was any kind of partition, but there wasn’t one. Is the drive toast at this point? What should I do, I’ve spent way too much time on this and it’s time I ask for help, so here I am. :manfrustrated:
This is not my boot drive. It is a drive I had from a former computer that I put in an external case just for the added storage space.
Well if the drive is not allowing you to format it you need to replace it, there is not a lot more you can do aside from connecting it directly to the computer motherboard and try again.
Someone over at the forum that makes TestDisk suggested that I use a powered USB Hub, but I don’t see how more power will let the software write to the disk any better. You think installing it into the computer would give it a better chance? Is a power problem going to let Windows get all the way through the format process and then fail at the end?
When I was trying to copy the Boot Sector onto the Backup Boot Sector, it was unable to write to the Backup Boot Sector. I thought that wiping the disk and starting with a new partition would allow the drive to find a new backup boot sector that didn’t have a problem. Does the file system work like that? Chkdsk, when it will run, can mark bad sectors. Doesn’t the format process do the same thing?
Okay, so I installed the hard disk into the computer and it formatted. Then I put it back into its external case and it appears to be working. Power stabilization did the trick.
I had already put the HDD back into its external case. Apparently SMART Status cannot be detected via USB. I have just now started the Extended Test with WDC Data Lifeguard Diagnostics.
Extended Test just says passed. It doesn’t specify how many bad sectors there are, if there are any. HD Tune at least showed sector by sector and didn’t find a single bad sector.
