Hello,
I have a hard drive that I pulled from a hard-disk recorder (recording
studio gear), and I wanted to format it and reinstall the OS because it was
behaving badly.
I have a windows ME boot disk floppy (I guess it's a floppy). I ran fdisk
and deleted the existing partition, restarted, and ran a format. When the
format completed, it said "unable to write boot", or something to that
effect. I assume there's a good chance that the HD is dead, but I wanted to
be sure.
Is there any kind of free software that I could use to test the drive?
In case it's not obvious, I am NOT an expert in doing this kind of thing (at
all!!!), but I sure can follow instructions!
Thanks,
Fred

"Fred Mann" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:zQLEg.61155$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
> I have a hard drive that I pulled from a hard-disk recorder (recording
> studio gear), and I wanted to format it and reinstall the OS because it
was
> behaving badly.
> I have a windows ME boot disk floppy (I guess it's a floppy). I ran fdisk
> and deleted the existing partition, restarted, and ran a format. When the
> format completed, it said "unable to write boot", or something to that
> effect. I assume there's a good chance that the HD is dead, but I wanted
to
>

go to the website of the HD's mfg...
they should have a free diagnostic you can run from a boot floppy

Fred Mann wrote:
> Hello,
> I have a hard drive that I pulled from a hard-disk recorder (recording
> studio gear), and I wanted to format it and reinstall the OS because it was
> behaving badly.
> I have a windows ME boot disk floppy (I guess it's a floppy). I ran fdisk
> and deleted the existing partition, restarted, and ran a format. When the
> format completed, it said "unable to write boot", or something to that
> effect. I assume there's a good chance that the HD is dead, but I wanted to
> be sure.
> Is there any kind of free software that I could use to test the drive?
> In case it's not obvious, I am NOT an expert in doing this kind of thing (at
> all!!!), but I sure can follow instructions!
> Thanks,
> Fred

MHDD is the most powerful freeware utility i've yet encountered. With
power, comes vast potential for harm, so stick to the non-destructive
stuff. I use this utility in the form of a bootable CD.

Read the manual before using this.

http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/

On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:09:21 -0400, "Fred Mann"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hello,
>I have a hard drive that I pulled from a hard-disk recorder (recording
>studio gear), and I wanted to format it and reinstall the OS because it was
>behaving badly.
>I have a windows ME boot disk floppy (I guess it's a floppy). I ran fdisk
>and deleted the existing partition, restarted, and ran a format. When the

oops, deleteing a partition is ok, but the first thing AFTER that is
making (a) new partition(s), NOT format the disk.
After making (a) new partition(s), you THEN format the partitions,
each partition separately..

After formatting the partition(s), you can run test software...


>format completed, it said "unable to write boot", or something to that
>effect. I assume there's a good chance that the HD is dead, but I wanted to
>be sure.
>Is there any kind of free software that I could use to test the drive?
>In case it's not obvious, I am NOT an expert in doing this kind of thing (at
>all!!!), but I sure can follow instructions!
>Thanks,
>Fred
>

Osiris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
> Fred Mann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>> I have a hard drive that I pulled from a hard-disk recorder
>> (recording studio gear), and I wanted to format it and
>> reinstall the OS because it was behaving badly.

>> I have a windows ME boot disk floppy (I guess it's a floppy). I ran
>> fdisk and deleted the existing partition, restarted, and ran a format.

> oops, deleteing a partition is ok, but the first thing AFTER
> that is making (a) new partition(s), NOT format the disk.

He restarted the system before formatting.

> After making (a) new partition(s), you THEN
> format the partitions, each partition separately..

There aint any other way to format.

> After formatting the partition(s), you can run test software...

You dont need to format the partition(s) to run a diag.

>> When the format completed, it said "unable to write boot",
>> or something to that effect. I assume there's a good chance
>> that the HD is dead, but I wanted to be sure.

>> Is there any kind of free software that I could use to test the drive?
>> In case it's not obvious, I am NOT an expert in doing this kind of
>> thing (at all!!!), but I sure can follow instructions!

On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 20:01:21 +1000, "Rod Speed"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Osiris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>> Fred Mann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>
>>> I have a hard drive that I pulled from a hard-disk recorder
>>> (recording studio gear), and I wanted to format it and
>>> reinstall the OS because it was behaving badly.
>
>>> I have a windows ME boot disk floppy (I guess it's a floppy). I ran
>>> fdisk and deleted the existing partition, restarted, and ran a format.
>
>> oops, deleteing a partition is ok, but the first thing AFTER
>> that is making (a) new partition(s), NOT format the disk.
>
>He restarted the system before formatting.

from floppy.

The guy has to guess he's holding a floppy in his hand, idiot !
Anything could have phappened.

Get back into your brown paper bag and join your family.

Osiris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
> Rod Speed <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>> Osiris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>>> Fred Mann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>>>> I have a hard drive that I pulled from a hard-disk recorder
>>>> (recording studio gear), and I wanted to format it and
>>>> reinstall the OS because it was behaving badly.

>>>> I have a windows ME boot disk floppy (I guess it's a floppy). I ran
>>>> fdisk and deleted the existing partition, restarted, and ran a format.

>>> oops, deleteing a partition is ok, but the first thing AFTER
>>> that is making (a) new partition(s), NOT format the disk.

>> He restarted the system before formatting.

> from floppy.

Thats fine.

> The guy has to guess he's holding a floppy in his hand, idiot !
> Anything could have phappened.

Never ever could bullshit its way out of a wet paper
bag or even work out what mp3s are about either.