Reformatting non-Windows HDD

googler

I have a 2.5" HDD, removed from a working PVR.

I want to reformat it to use it with Windows PCs. I've put it in a USB caddy and connected to my desktop. The Desktop doesn't see it. Doesn't show up in My Computer, Disk Management, or Diskpart through a Command Prompt.

I installed it as the primary (only) drive in a laptop, and used a Windows install disk to try and at least format it. Gets to the stage where it offers option C to create a partition on the disk, but no response or apparent action when I select C. Try to install OS from the install disk onto the HDD, but the installation aborts with an error screen saying the process has shut down to 'protect my computer'

All help pages, forums, etc offer advice which is predicated on the disk that isn't recognised already being a Windows disk, which it isn't

I know what the problem is, but lack the method to overcome it.

Any ideas, anyone?

debitcardmayhem

use a linux live cd/usb or gparted http://gparted.org/livecd.php or systemrescuecd https://www.system-rescue-cd.org/

pappa_golf

can I suggest MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition , available here http://download.cnet.com/MiniTool-Partition-Wizard-Free-Edition/3000-2094_4-10962200.html


nice and simple windows based proggy that will do everything you need


no messing about with linux and boot CDs , you can work in an environment you understand (windows)

GunJack

pappa_golf wrote: »

can I suggest MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition , available here http://download.cnet.com/MiniTool-Partition-Wizard-Free-Edition/3000-2094_4-10962200.html


nice and simple windows based proggy that will do everything you need


no messing about with linux and boot CDs , you can work in an environment you understand (windows)

another vote for this, used from a Hiren's BootCD, MiniXP environment

esuhl

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

use a linux live cd/usb or gparted http://gparted.org/livecd.php

And another vote for GPartEd here... It always works for me.

googler

OK, powered up the disc caddy, and Minitool Partition Wizard sees it straight away, recording it as an MBR, Bad Disk.

So ... why doesn't Windows do this? Why won't it actually report on all the disks connected to the system, even though one appears to be 'bad' ....??

GunJack

googler wrote: »

OK, powered up the disc caddy, and Minitool Partition Wizard sees it straight away, recording it as an MBR, Bad Disk.

So ... why doesn't Windows do this? Why won't it actually report on all the disks connected to the system, even though one appears to be 'bad' ....??

windows is just comparatively poor at seeing hdds, especially if they're not formatted in one of a very restricted number of ways..... linux-based systems recognise more

googler

pappa_golf wrote: »

can I suggest MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition , available here http://download.cnet.com/MiniTool-Partition-Wizard-Free-Edition/3000-2094_4-10962200.html


nice and simple windows based proggy that will do everything you need


no messing about with linux and boot CDs , you can work in an environment you understand (windows)

FWIW, it recognises the disc, shows it as a 'Bad Disk', but doesn't allow any operations upon it.

Select any other partition/volume on the machine, and the available options show up at top of screen - Copy, Delete, etc. Select the disk I want to work with, and they disappear. They're all greyed out in the Menu options, too......

pappa_golf

ok , was and is this disk still usable in a PVR?


have you tried another disk in that caddy to see if it can be seen?


have you tried swopping the cd/dvd on your machine for the drive and attempted to work on it?

debitcardmayhem

Use systemrescued(includes gparted)/gparted post#2

googler

pappa_golf wrote: »

ok , was and is this disk still usable in a PVR?

Yes. The PVR had interference/reception problems, but would record and play back to/from the drive without other issues. Seriously, I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't confident it was a working drive.....

pappa_golf wrote: »

have you tried another disk in that caddy to see if it can be seen?

Not since starting this exercise, but the caddy worked fine the last time I used it with another drive, so currently presuming that to be OK.

pappa_golf wrote: »

have you tried swopping the cd/dvd on your machine for the drive and attempted to work on it?

Not yet, I would have mounted it as an internal secondary in the first place if any of the internal SATA ports were free, but I already have four HDDs and the optical drive therein. Every port on the MB is used, and one drive is working off a PCI card.

That sounds like a plan, but I'll have to rummage in the odds and ends bin to see if I have a 5.25 - 2.5 adaptor..... later

Thanks