USB Hard drive re-format challenge

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Guyzngalz

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Jul 10, 2014
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I have a 500gb Seagate Maxtor external USB hard drive which I cannot see under Computer (using Win7 64-bit OS) but can under Device Manager, although I can only see basic information under "properties" with no options under Properties to format or change settings etc.

I think the problem is that I wanted to use this hard-drive to record programmes off my TV so had to format it through there in order to do so. I instead bought a DVD to record to and had forgotten about doing this, but now want to use it to store data to make room on my C: drive.

Under Disk Management it shows 2 healthy partitions - one of 1 GB and one of 464.76 GB with a thick blue line above.

It is labelled Disk 1 (My main C: drive is one of the three healty partions on Disk 0)

I have trawled the internet and advice to give the disk a drive label simply doesn't work as I cannot seem to activate any selection which gives me that option.

I am wondering if anyone knows a programme to somehow provide access to clean and reformat the drive so it can be used for normal storage of documents, videos, photos etc.??



 
Solution
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FIXED NOW! Thanks for all the advice ...

So ... basically I used the SeaTools for Windows to do some basic tests.
- The first "long generic" option in the Basic Tests told me the drive had failed.

- I then ran it again and selected to allow it to repair any problems - it now told me it had passed, but I still could not do any more than I could before in terms of formatting etc.

- I then decided (against all warnings about what could go wrong) to run Advanced Tests

- The menu started with firmware update, so I ran that, which Seagate based on the SN of my device - none available, although there was a possible optional one to format a bootable drive, which I thought could be a last resort.

- The other option was USB Erase...
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Guyzngalz

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Jul 10, 2014
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Thanks for prompt response.

Sorry ... I should have given more details under "I have trawled the internet ... I cannot seem to activate any selection which gives me that option." i.e. nothing I found works - that was one of the first things I did. Driver is up to date, uninstalled device, rebooted and allowed system to "find" it as new hardware and re-install etc. (more than once ...)

After I posted I was thinking back to when I formatted it for use with the TV and recall being told that once it was formatted it would only be for use with the TV - I suspect this is some security thing about content piracy ??

Anyway, I am wondering if this is some security blockage locking out the usual options for use with a computer, including simply re-formatting. More or less resigned that I might have lost this device somehow but thought it was worth seeing if there was some way of rescuing it!
 
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Guyzngalz

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Jul 10, 2014
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LOL - that is how I trawl the internet! Tried all suggestions. As I said, I think the TV formatting has somehow locked out some normal functions you would expect to be able to do. The Drivers etc. all come up as current and functioning correctly. It is just the ACCESS to modify the drive via cleaning and/or reformatting I cannot find any help on so far.
 
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Guyzngalz

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Jul 10, 2014
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Yes to all -just not on COMPUTER as a drive.

But I think I may have fixed it - fingers and toes are crossed ATM as I am testing it out. Will post the solution if it works.
 
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Guyzngalz

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Jul 10, 2014
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Unfortunately there was no solution I tried that would allow me to even do that BUT I think I may have fixed it (with a little help from a download from SEAGATE and a decision to proceed even if it doesn't work and I lose the drive - I couldn't use it anyway, so deep breath and .....)

I have managed to get the drive options accessible so I could do exactly what you say for the first time and have done just that.

Am now running some tests re data transfer and recovery etc. to make sure it is actually working as I want it to for real. Fingers and toes are crossed ATM as I am testing it out. Will post the solution if it works.
 
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Guyzngalz

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Jul 10, 2014
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4,520
FIXED NOW! Thanks for all the advice ...

So ... basically I used the SeaTools for Windows to do some basic tests.
- The first "long generic" option in the Basic Tests told me the drive had failed.

- I then ran it again and selected to allow it to repair any problems - it now told me it had passed, but I still could not do any more than I could before in terms of formatting etc.

- I then decided (against all warnings about what could go wrong) to run Advanced Tests

- The menu started with firmware update, so I ran that, which Seagate based on the SN of my device - none available, although there was a possible optional one to format a bootable drive, which I thought could be a last resort.

- The other option was USB Erase Tracks, and I chose the "Basic"option rather than the "Full Disk Erase", figuring if less works then thats OK, and if not, still the full option to try.

- There was nothing to show that anything was happening, and I went off and did other stuff for a while, and when I checked back under Disk Management I was able to click into the space & get a response - can't remember exactly but told me I had to make a Simple partition (as advised by trekzone above), give it a Drive letter, and give it a name - basically what I had been trying to do every which way for weeks, but never was allowed!

- When I clicked on COMPUTER I then "saw" the drive, and have just copied some files across, checked that they are working, and so can post this as A SOLUTION!!!

Thanks for all your help ... ironically it was because no-one had any other solution other than what I had already tried that I felt brave enough to go into the scary "Advanced Tests" selection as I realised I had nothing to lose, so great work all around.

Don't you LOVE the internet and help Forums? What did they do before ...? Oh wait, we are using technology now to fix technology that didn't really exist before the internet so .....

 
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