HD formatting problem

[r2d2]

I have purchased a Samsung SATA 160GB HD to be added to an existing
windows 2000 having one SATA 80 GB partitioned disk (2x40GB NTFS). I
have partitioned the new HD in 2x80 NTFS but I can only format one
partition. The other one refuses to be formatted. Then I created a
single partition (1x160) but it refuses the format process too. I have
used Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.0 and also the Windows Format command.
The funny thing is that Format starts formatting but ends with the
"unable to complete the format" error message after what seems to be a
normal formatting time.

Any idea on what´s wrong?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I have purchased a Samsung SATA 160GB HD to be added to an existing windows
2000 having one SATA 80 GB partitioned disk (2x40GB NTFS). I have
partitioned the new HD in 2x80 NTFS but I can only format one partition.
The other one refuses to be formatted. Then I created a single partition
(1x160) but it refuses the format process too. I have used Paragon Hard
Disk Manager 8.0 and also the Windows Format command. The funny thing is
that Format starts formatting but ends with the "unable to complete the
format" error message after what seems to be a normal formatting time.

Any idea on what´s wrong?

Your system may not have 48-bit LBA enabled - see here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305098

 

[Kevin D. Quitt]

Is your BIOS a 48 bit BIOS? If not, the biggest it can see is (IIRC)
137GB. Do you have the latest service pack installed? Does the drive come
with a driver for Windows 2000?

 

[DL]

Did you try to format via Disk Management?
Forget the third party option

I had three Samsung sata 160gb drives fail in the space of 2 months, all
under warranty, but in retrospect I have a suspicion that the pwr supply was
the cause of the problem

 

[r2d2]

Your system may not have 48-bit LBA enabled - see here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305098

LBA is enabled
HD is Samsung 160GB SATA HD161JJ
EnableBigLba was already set to 1

 

[r2d2]

Is your BIOS a 48 bit BIOS? If not, the biggest it can see is (IIRC)
137GB. Do you have the latest service pack installed? Does the drive come
with a driver for Windows 2000?

My BIOS is 48 Bit, Intel 865G Chipset, Pentium IV, 3.4 GHZ. Windows
2000 Service Pack 4

In any event, it is supposed that the largest drive is 137GB but I can´t
format that large.

 

[r2d2]

Did you try to format via Disk Management?

Yes DL, it failed too.

 

[DL]

Is the Samsung recognised in the bios, the full size?

 

[r2d2]

Is the Samsung recognised in the bios, the full size?

Yes, and after partitioning both are recognized by the explorer.

 

[DL]

Use the Samsung drive test utility, located on their site

 

[r2d2]

Use the Samsung drive test utility, located on their site

I gave up. Tried to install Windows2003 from the original CD and after
formatting the same problem was reported, so my guess is faulty drive.
Back to vendor.

Thank you DL and others for your interest and time.