I can't format a new HDD

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FlyingMandarine

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Oct 24, 2013
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UPDATE: I wrote an update as a "solution" further down this thread; if I should post the information here instead, just tell me!

Hi everyone! I have a problem that's driving me crazy; if anyone cares about my sanity, then it's now or never. ;)

My Dad's HDD (for a laptop with Windows 7) just shuts down whenever he tries to copy large files from the HDD to an external hard drive. After several days of searching for a solution, I gave up and bought a new HDD, a Seagate Momentus 7200.4.

However, I can't seem to make that new HDD work; there is always a formatting error. When installing Windows 7 on it, it brings a "0x80070057" error at the start of the install (after selecting the partition). If I try the "Format" option when asking which partition I should install Windows on, it also doesn't work.

Here's some of the things I've tried:

-Installing Windows 7 on that HDD on two different laptops: no luck. Not a laptop problem, then?
-Installing Windows 7 from three different DVDs that I have (one is OEM and won't work, the other two are non-OEM): doesn't work. Not a Windows CD problem then?
-Installing Windows 7 on my Dad's old HDD from all three Windows DVDs, on both computers: doesn't work! So... not an HDD problem either?!

The fact is, I cannot pinpoint why it could go wrong: it cannot be the computer nor a problem with the DVDs, and the HDD is new. And it cannot be the HDD anyway, since I got the same problem with the other HDD.

I tried a memory test (from the Windows DVD) and no errors appeared, predictably (since the problem occurs on two computers). I also checked if both laptops were 64-bits compatible (the two non-OEM Windows 7 are for 64-bits versions), and it seems they are.

I also tried diskpart (using the Command Prompt in the advanced tools of the Windows 7 DVD). Using format fs=ntfs quick quickly results in an error. Using format fs=ntfs goes all the way to 100%, then results in an error. In both cases, the error is: "diskpart has encountered an error: The parameter is incorrect."

If you need more information or more accurate error messages, please let me know.

Does anyone have any, any idea of how to at least be able to install Windows 7 on that new HDD?

Thank you very much for your help.

FlyingMandarine
 
Solution
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After having spent way too much time on this, I finally decided to bring the new HDD to someone who launched SeaTools (used to make "deep" formats and the like). And indeed the HDD is faulty!

My Dad's former HDD was busted, so we buy another one which, as it happens, doesn't work either. That's quite the coincidence, but it explains why using the HDD wouldn't work no matter the Windows DVD or the computer I'd try it on. So I'll just send the new HDD back to get a new one instead.

Thanks everyone for your kind help. It was much appreciated!

FlyingMandarine
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drtweak

drtweak

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Sep 17, 2012
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Installing Windows on a new hard drive isn't the issue.

So your saying no matter what PC you use or DVD you use installing windows 7 to either the new or the old hard drive fail.

Are you use both hard drives are good? His old one could have been failing and the new one could just be bad. Do you have a working PC or Laptop that you can slave those drives to and run a program to check the Smart status of the hard drives?
 
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Xyloriuphon

Xyloriuphon

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Exactly what he said, Try to find a different HDD, It could possibly by the actual system, instead of the hard drive,
 
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Xyloriuphon

Xyloriuphon

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Ah, had problems with that once, Was trying to install Windows XP, and, it wouldnt work, Switched it from AHCI to IDE, Worked... Try that...

EDIT: You could be missing firmware for the HDD, try setting it to this....
 
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FlyingMandarine

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Oct 24, 2013
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I'm not sure if I'm supposed to submit an answer to my post or just update it. If I'm doing it wrong, please tell me.

Thanks for all your answers!

-I tried to switch mode in my BIOS from AHCP to IDE (the only other option available). It didn't work with any HDD; same errors. On the other laptop, I didn't find any such option, so I only tried that on one computer.

-My father only has one other laptop HDD and he'd rather not format it to try if Windows 7 can reinstall fine. I have a desktop computer, but I read that I would need an adapter to plug the laptop HDD in it (to check its SMART status), which I don't currently have.

-I have to maybe correct some of what I said: it seems that some experiments did indeed yield the same error on both HDD.
However, installing Windows 7 on the old HDD gives this error (it seems to format and go a little further than with the new one): Windows cannot install required files. Make sure all files required for installation are available, and restart the installation. Error code: 0x8007045D (not that it matters, because I don't want to solve this old HDD issue).
With the new one, installing Windows (if I don't try to format it in the partitioning window first, since it doesn't work) gives out this error: Windows could not format a partition on disk 0. The error occurred while preparing the partition selected for installation. Error code: 0x80070057.

So it would seem that maybe there is a unique error on that new HDD. In that case, is there anything I could do at this stage to make sure this is really a HDD problem?

I'll be looking into the firmware update too, although it's a little "scary."

Thanks for your help!
 
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Xyloriuphon

Xyloriuphon

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Nah, your doing it fine, Its probably something really simple though.....

EDIT: just finished reading, have you tried a differnet installation disk?
 
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Xyloriuphon

Xyloriuphon

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Hmm, Im out of ideas, so, the harddrives work on different laptops? you shouldn't need an adapter to run a laptop HDD on a desktop,
 
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FlyingMandarine

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Oct 24, 2013
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After having spent way too much time on this, I finally decided to bring the new HDD to someone who launched SeaTools (used to make "deep" formats and the like). And indeed the HDD is faulty!

My Dad's former HDD was busted, so we buy another one which, as it happens, doesn't work either. That's quite the coincidence, but it explains why using the HDD wouldn't work no matter the Windows DVD or the computer I'd try it on. So I'll just send the new HDD back to get a new one instead.

Thanks everyone for your kind help. It was much appreciated!

FlyingMandarine
 
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Solution
Xyloriuphon

Xyloriuphon

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Yeah, no wonder it didn't make sense....

Glad you got it fixed!
 
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FlyingMandarine

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Oct 24, 2013
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As I said in my first post, it actually is a Seagate: Seagate Momentus 7200.4. And my desktop HDD died on me a few months ago from a known issue that could have only been fixed by updating the firmware before the problem happened... So Seagate might be a top brand, but I haven't had much luck with them lately! :)

In any case, thanks again everyone!
 
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