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formatting extra drive

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  • 02-07-2007 4:06pm
    #1
    Maccattack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭


    im about toi format an external drive for my laptop. should it be FAT32 or NTFS?


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    #2
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    Depends what you use it for, if for large files then probably NTFS as FAT32 has file transfer limits. NTFS is probably best in the long run.


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    #3
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,086 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    Ntfs - 99.9% likely you should use that since you don't know the difference. :)


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    #4
    Maccattack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭Maccattack


    Tar.Aldarion wrote:
    Ntfs - 99.9% likely you should use that since you don't know the difference. :)


    :D ok. thanks!


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    #5
    Maccattack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭Maccattack


    me make stake.

    i formatted it as FAT32. ive tried to reformat it but i get an error message saying 'the operation did not complete because the partition volume is not enabled. to enable the partition or volume restart computer'

    so i restarted but the same error message is appearing.

    any ideas?

    the drive isnt appearing in 'my computer' either..


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    #6
    8k2q1gfcz9s5d4
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,616 ✭✭✭8k2q1gfcz9s5d4


    FAT32 has a max file size of 4bg (4bg - 2bytes to be exact!)


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    #7
    Blackhorse Slim
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 1,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blackhorse Slim


    Maccattack wrote:
    me make stake.

    i formatted it as FAT32. ive tried to reformat it but i get an error message saying 'the operation did not complete because the partition volume is not enabled. to enable the partition or volume restart computer'

    so i restarted but the same error message is appearing.

    any ideas?

    the drive isnt appearing in 'my computer' either..

    Go to control panel, admin tools, computer management and click on 'disk management'. You should be able to see your existing (C) drive, and the new one (presumably D). You should be able to see here what's wrong with the new drive, and correct it. My guess is that the drive needs to be initialized - right-click on the drive and choose 'initialize'. You can also reformat from here.


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    #8
    Maccattack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭Maccattack


    Blackhorse Slim wrote:
    Go to control panel, admin tools, computer management and click on 'disk management'. You should be able to see your existing (C) drive, and the new one (presumably D). You should be able to see here what's wrong with the new drive, and correct it. My guess is that the drive needs to be initialized - right-click on the drive and choose 'initialize'. You can also reformat from here.


    i can see it there alright but it doesnt have a drive letter

    im also not getting an option to initialize when i right click.

    Heres a screen print...



    http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=6hft5ld


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    #9
    Blackhorse Slim
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 1,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blackhorse Slim


    Looks like it's already initialized, but no drive letter has been assigned. The drive looks fine. Can you assign a drive letter? Use 'change drive letter and paths'. Then format with NTFS.


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    #10
    Maccattack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭Maccattack


    yes. did that. drive letter E.

    but when i go to my computer its not showing up...


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    #11
    Blackhorse Slim
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 1,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blackhorse Slim


    Hmm, that's very strange. There is no drive letter assigned in the screenshot, so you have successfully assigned it since then?

    Assuming you have nothing on the drive yet, you could delete the partition and re-partition it. Have you any idea why the current partition is marked active? Although I don't see how that could be a problem.

    How is the hard drive connected to your laptop? Is this a brand new hard drive, or was it taken from an old laptop?


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    #12
    Maccattack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭Maccattack


    Blackhorse Slim wrote:
    Hmm, that's very strange. There is no drive letter assigned in the screenshot, so you have successfully assigned it since then?

    Assuming you have nothing on the drive yet, you could delete the partition and re-partition it. Have you any idea why the current partition is marked active? Although I don't see how that could be a problem.

    How is the hard drive connected to your laptop? Is this a brand new hard drive, or was it taken from an old laptop?


    yes i assigned it to the e drive. thats the drive that was showing yesterday so i just assigned E.

    its not a new drive. yes its an IBM drive from a laptop which i have put into an Integral (brand) caddy.

    the drive was formatted to use in a Roland recording system. i deleted everything off it.

    i tried deleting the partition and re partitioning but that hasnt helped.

    there was an option when i right clicked to make it active so i did. dont know what that means but thought it was worth a try...


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    #13
    Blackhorse Slim
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 1,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blackhorse Slim


    Then I'm afraid we're approaching the limits of my knowledge on this subject. Check in Device Manager that Windows has installed it correctly.

    And I'm sure you've done this, but I often find that Windows will not fully recognise a drive in a caddy until the system has been rebooted.

    Can you remove your main hard drive,install this as the primary drive (rather than the caddy), and boot from a Windows cd? This will bypass any possible caddy problems. You could then partition, format and install windows on the new drive, then when you're finished put your original drive back in, put the new one back in the caddy and if it's recognised delete the new windows installation.

    Or can you test the caddy and the new hard drive on another laptop? Good luck.


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