finding/formatting a HDD

G

griff-1984

New Member
Hi guys.

Im trying to re-format a seagate 40gb serial ata internal hard drive externally using a sata - usb connector. However I cant seem to find the HDD in my computer etc.

Any help would b great

Regards

Mark
 
Is there data on this drive? If so, then most likely the adapter don't work. Look in disk management to see if the drive even shows up there.
 
If the hard disk drive (HDD) is not formatted and does not contain any partitions then it will not show up in MY COMPUTER / COMPUTER.
Go in the DISK MANAGEMENT and reformat the HDD from there.
If the HDD also does not show up in DISK MANAGEMENT then the problem could be either with the HDD or the adapter or both such as:

-HDD is producing the clicking sound
-HDD doesn't spin at all
-burned HDD circuit/logic board
-burned adapter
-malfunctioned USB entrance in which you are plugging the HDD in
-the power connection between the adapter and HDD is unproperly set
(that is the most common problem since some IDE and SATA wires are badly
designed and sometimes needs to be reconnected or replaced by better ones.Here is an example of worse and better SATA wire connector):

WORSE:
2-IDE-to-Serial-SATA-ATA-Hard-Drive-Adapter-Power-Cable-03.gif


BETTER:
sataindex.jpg


On the worse one if you move the wires,the pins inside also move while on the better one they don't.Moved pins can cause the loss of power and HDD to stop getting power on a single second or more or not at all until the power cable is not reconnected properly again.
Also make sure that the SATA data cable is working properly.





Cheers!
 
Ok the connector definatly works. Now when im in disk management i click on initialise disk and it says i have to initialise it before it can be accessed.

it offers:

Use the following partition style for the selected disks:

MBR - Maste boot record

or

GPT - GUID Partition table

which one should i select. Also this HDD came from a ps3.
 
the drive is listed in disk management and allows me to initialise it. However when when trying to accsess the disc it says its protected and i dont have access. even as an administrator. Im on windows 8 on my laptop, would it be worth trying on my desktop in vista?
 
Apart from what John is suggesting, have you tried taking ownership of the disk in the security settings?
 
i found out why its because i did not create a partition on the drive. The drive now shows as J in my computer however when i try to add any files it just constantly stays on the copying item pop up screen and does not do anything does this mean the drive is screwed??
 
whenever i try to formatt it it just crashes the system and makes programs not responding until i remove the drive then everythings ok on the comp!
 
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