Reformatting non-Windows HDD

esuhl

googler wrote: »

That's the trouble. I couldn't get anything to recognise existing partitions, never mind delete them.

Even GParted? Maybe you needed to write a new partition table first.

Or I guess you could try using DBAN to overwrite the drive...?

Fair enough if you've given up, though.

spud17

esuhl wrote: »

Even GParted? Maybe you needed to write a new partition table first.

Or I guess you could try using DBAN to overwrite the drive...?

Fair enough if you've given up, though.

The thing is googler, hasn't even tried GParted, yet states, 'nothing works'.
IIRC there is a warning when writing a new MSDOS partition table that everything will be removed, so killing 2 birds with one action.

How does he think the sellers on ebay sell those disks reclaimed from PVRs ready to go and formatted NTFS?

I can't recall Gparted ever letting me down, only if the disk was severely bad, and I mean a lot worse than a few bad sectors.
I've used DBan on dodgy disks and ended up with a usable disk, I think it may reallocate sectors if there are spares still available.

spud17

GunJack wrote: »

Hiya!! :wave:
TBH I've always used MiniTool Partition Wizard, however I'm now off to d/l GParted to have a play

I've got GParted on XBoot. :j(Someone had to mention it).
Also a cd for ancient stuff that won't boot from usb.

esuhl

spud17 wrote: »

The thing is googler, hasn't even tried GParted, yet states, 'nothing works'.
IIRC there is a warning when writing a new MSDOS partition table that everything will be removed, so killing 2 birds with one action.

How does he think the sellers on ebay sell those disks reclaimed from PVRs ready to go and formatted NTFS?

I can't recall Gparted ever letting me down, only if the disk was severely bad, and I mean a lot worse than a few bad sectors.
I've used DBan on dodgy disks and ended up with a usable disk, I think it may reallocate sectors if there are spares still available.

Ah, right. Yeah -- GParted is my go-to partitioning program. It's never failed.

googler

spud17 wrote: »

The thing is googler, hasn't even tried GParted, yet states, 'nothing works'.

OK, I'll rephrase that. I said "I couldn't get anything to recognise existing partitions"

By 'anything', I meant Windows and its Disk Management, and a tool which was recommended, called (get this) "Partition Wizard". The next thing I tried was the Western Digital tool, which did what I wanted it to do.

There's a limit to the number of tools I'm willing to experiment with to see if there's a chance they'll do what they say they will.

I'm afraid I'm not going to download Gparted now that I've got the WD tool which has done the job that I expected of Partition Wizard. Thanks.

almillar

Thanks, but no more suggestions or contributions required.

Ha, good luck with that on here!

a factory reset on the PVR, so that IT can wipe the (potentially corrupted) Linux/proprietary format, THEN connect to a computer?

Surely a factory reset would leave the PVR ready to be used, with its file system in place, just no data?

You missed the (potentially corrupted) part of my post. If it's bugerred at the mo, and the PVR can wipe it, then maybe you can get one of these other progams to recognise it.

Ainsley1

Hey folks googler says he's content and has done the job.....suppose I was too late to suggest ext2fsd file driver (works well for me to access Panasonic PVR disk) direct from windows (possibly ext2fsd is linux based driver?) .....but you never know somebody else might want to do the same

debitcardmayhem

almillar wrote: »

Ha, good luck with that on here!




You missed the (potentially corrupted) part of my post. If it's bugerred at the mo, and the PVR can wipe it, then maybe you can get one of these other progams to recognise it.

Ainsley1 wrote: »

Hey folks googler says he's content and has done the job.....suppose I was too late to suggest ext2fsd file driver (works well for me to access Panasonic PVR disk) direct from windows (possibly ext2fsd is linux based driver?) .....but you never know somebody else might want to do the same

Just a last post from me since the OP doesn't wish to go further , but it is more than a fifty-fifty chance that it was XFS
Guessing of course since googler didn't say which PVR it came from, but it is moot, post #2 would have allowed him to use it with Windows after using gparted to format it

GunJack

spud17 wrote: »

I've got GParted on XBoot. :j(Someone had to mention it).
Also a cd for ancient stuff that won't boot from usb.

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

you do realise now I'm going to have to build a fresh XBoot USB and update the avira rescueCD for it, and add GParted, and.......

debitcardmayhem

GunJack wrote: »

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

you do realise now I'm going to have to build a fresh XBoot USB and update the avira rescueCD for it, and add GParted, and.......

Forget it put, systemrecuecd on it, it includes gparted and other tools gunny .... Spud started this not me....:eek: :cool: