External USB HDD

[Old Mariner]

I'd appreciate some guidance on this problem,running Vista Home Basic and
I've had no problem with this 149Gb external HDD drive except when I tried
to format it.
It did delete everything but then says "Cannot format this drive" when I try
other methods like defragmenting it or checking for error it keeps saying
Windows does not recognise this something about wrong parameters.
I tried Restore but no go,also nothing in the Device manager all is well
with it.
After 3 days I tried to format it again and it worked,loaded some files on
to it but then wanted them deleted so I formatted it and this has started
all over again.
It's just a spare HDD drive but I'd like to know why.
Not very good with computers if you can guide me I'd appreciate it.thanks

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I'd appreciate some guidance on this problem,running Vista Home Basic and
I've had no problem with this 149Gb external HDD drive except when I tried
to format it.
It did delete everything but then says "Cannot format this drive" when I try
other methods like defragmenting it or checking for error it keeps saying
Windows does not recognise this something about wrong parameters.
I tried Restore but no go,also nothing in the Device manager all is well
with it.
After 3 days I tried to format it again and it worked,loaded some files on
to it but then wanted them deleted so I formatted it and this has started
all over again.
It's just a spare HDD drive but I'd like to know why.
Not very good with computers if you can guide me I'd appreciate it.thanks

Consider spending the few dollars for a new drive. I'm guessing that the
drive is failing, but even if not you can always use a new drive.

Others might know of a potential software or system problem; I can't help
there (lack of knowledge).

OTOH - this just occured to me. How are you formatting it? NTFS? FAT12?
FAT16? FAT32? Full? Quick? Maybe you should try NTFS full.

 

[Old Mariner]

Consider spending the few dollars for a new drive. I'm guessing that the
drive is failing, but even if not you can always use a new drive.

Others might know of a potential software or system problem; I can't help
there (lack of knowledge).

OTOH - this just occured to me. How are you formatting it? NTFS? FAT12?
FAT16? FAT32? Full? Quick? Maybe you should try NTFS full.

thanks for the reply,I am on NTFS and it is a new drive,I can see the HDD
light flashing as it formats.
Now to crown it all, it just fired up and formatted again after 3 days no
go!
Guess I'll just keep it for storage and not attempt to format it again.
Thanks again for the help.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

thanks for the reply,I am on NTFS and it is a new drive,I can see the HDD
light flashing as it formats.
Now to crown it all, it just fired up and formatted again after 3 days no
go!
Guess I'll just keep it for storage and not attempt to format it again.
Thanks again for the help.

Seems pretty mysterious to me. I wish I could do better...

 

[Chuck]

Is by chance, the drive powered from the USB port(s)?

 

[Old Mariner]

Yes it is,one of the USB ports from the back of the computer.Had it 9 months
no problem then it died,sent it back new one came and worked fine for a good
while .When tried to format it said the message I wrote.
It's now working but I wanted to know about wht Windows did not recognise it
and what "parameters not correct" means.thanks

 

[Charles W Davis]

Yes it is,one of the USB ports from the back of the computer.Had it 9
months no problem then it died,sent it back new one came and worked fine
for a good while .When tried to format it said the message I wrote.
It's now working but I wanted to know about wht Windows did not recognise
it and what "parameters not correct" means.thanks

Why are you repeatedly formatting? There is no benefit to do this that I am
aware of. If you don't want the files that you have placed there, simply
delete them.