HDD refusing to format

[phantasmagoria]

Right, I think this deserves a new thread as it's a different problem to the old thread.. (http://www.quake3world.com/forum/viewto ... 788#179788)

I'm now in the process of formatting this HDD. I've popped my windoze CD in and I've deleted the old partition and created a new one, the problem is that now if I do a full NTFS format, it sits on 0% and does fuck all, and if i do a quick partition it gets to 20% and tells me to check my HDD connectors as it appears to be faulty.

The HDD still works, still spins up and still allows data to be read and deleted from it, so why won't it format? is it fucked?

Stupid Western Digital, I bought this because of a lifetime guarantee which appears to have run out in 2004 because I didn't extend it. Bloody false advertising.

[shiv4]

I never needed it, so I can't say if it works, but WD offers this Data lifeguard HDD checking whatever tool on their site. But the HDD isn't slaved in your parents machine anymore, right?

As you mentioned Ontrack in the other post, some time ago they also offered a HDD checking tool (DataAdvisor) that ran from a floppy. (but thats really old methinks)

[ilumos]

Not much help I know, but Western Digital are pretty shit these days. Back in the day they were the best, but they've really gone down hill recently. I've gone through 2 WD HDs that failed on me, and it wasnt as if I was abusing them or anything, they just died on me.

You can pick up some really cheap 80GB Seagate PATA drives these days;

UK Link:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products ... _uid=36369

[glossy]

Sounds like the drive is fucked, mate. Try hooking it up as slave, then reformatting the entire thing then (get it to check bad sectors if presented the choice), and installing windows after that.

Otherwise, when drives just *die* and i almost lose my shit, I don't expect them to jump back up and work 100% after that. Think, dude.

[phantasmagoria]

well, the disks from the HDD are now coasters and the magnets (which were rather dissapointingly crap) are holding postcards on my parents fridge. Needless to say I've ordered one of those Seagate drives, never had a Seagate one before. Both Maxtor and WD have failed me now.

More money

Thanks T&T *wubs*