Windows 7: Win 7 Cannot Format Ext HD

I have a Maxtor Sata 250 GB hd that I had in a computer at work that failed (the computer will no longer boot up at all, even into the bios, so I'm assuming it's not the hd). I put the hd in a Calvalry ext case and connected it to my home system via USB. The ext case works fine with other hd's, and Windows can see this drive and give it a partition, but it cannot format it or diagnose it for errors. Is the drive shot? Thanks.

Can you post a screenshot of Disk Management with the drive connected?

What program are you using to diagnose it?

And what program are you using to format it?

I'm just using Win 7 to try to format it. I tried diagnosing it with Seatools for Windows, it will give me info on the drive but the tests fail.

I've attached a ss of Disk Management. Drive "O".

Right click on it (in the lower window) and remove its "active" flag. That should allow you to do what you want with it (format and such).

External HDD cases connected via USB and diagnostic apps can have issues, because you're converting the connection from USB to SATA/IDE. In order to fully access the drive's firmware it's best to connect directly via its native connection rather through a converter.

You can try this:

WD Support / Downloads / SATA & SAS / WD VelociRaptor

When I right-clicked that option was grayed out. I ran the WD tool, they failed, except the extended test said "too many bad sectors". It also deleted the partition, disk is now "unallocated" in Disk Management and isn't even giving me the option to create a partion on right click. Everything is grayed out except Properties and Help.

So, this disk is shot?

Edit: Well, I closed and reopened Disk Management and I was able to partition it again but still can't format it. And it is no longer "active".

Did WD's SMART show PASS, WARN, or FAIL?

Everything on SMART has a green check next to it.

I'll post a ss of the SMART window. I don't know how to read them.

Have you ever used Diskpart before? You can try and see what a clean command with Diskpart can do:

Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

Before you do though, can you post a screenshot of WD's SMART report (so I can see the numbers)?

Here are the SMART shots.

Never used Diskpart before.