External Hard Drive will not let me reformat it any way I try

Slartybart · 24 Oct 2012

The only way to be 100% sure is to run a scan. A fresh install 1-2 weeks ago doesn't mean a whole lot. You re-installed Win7 and you've attached a suspect drive. So who knows what's on the drive or on your system.

Viruses don't say "Gee, this is a fresh install, only 1-2 weeks ago. I won't infect this system just yet." - lol.

Better to be sure with a current scan. I'm not sure if I want to fight a virus at the same time as trying to solve the issue. Let me know what AV you're running and run the suggested scans. Thanks

Please post other actions you've taken or not taken. Is DEAMON tools still on your system?

Trouble shooting a problem is frustrating, you should try it blind from this side.

It is useful information about the ext HD not working before the install, your use of table doctor, and Win7 updates. Thanks.

displayname2 said:

Yes I am a 100% sure that I have no viruses or malware because I'm running on a recently (1-2 weeks ago) clean install of windows 7. The external hard drive didn't work even before I did the clean install. (actually, I had to do the clean install b/c of the external HDD not working and me being stupid using partition table doctor to solve the problem but then ended up screwing up my internal HDD...anyway, that's all fixed now.)

After the clean install, I also made all the major updates needed to Windows 7.

displayname2 · 26 Oct 2012

Diskpart hangs after I tried entering list vol. I've attached a screenshot of this.

And yes, I did uninstall Daemon Tools.

displayname2 · 26 Oct 2012

Here's result for Malwarebytes, nothing detected.

Code:

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.65.1.1000
www.malwarebytes.org

Database version: v2012.10.26.13

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 x64 NTFS
Internet Explorer 9.0.8112.16421
PARTH :: PARTH-PC [administrator]

10/26/2012 6:44:27 PM
mbam-log-2012-10-26 (18-44-27).txt

Scan type: Quick scan
Scan options enabled: Memory | Startup | Registry | File System | Heuristics/Extra | Heuristics/Shuriken | PUP | PUM
Scan options disabled: P2P
Objects scanned: 195598
Time elapsed: 2 minute(s), 8 second(s)

Memory Processes Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Files Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

(end)

Slartybart · 26 Oct 2012

Thanks, give me a few to think.

Good that DT-tools is gone and Malwarebytes found nothing.

Try the following - they don't require a volume. It might still hang - we'll see soon enough. If you can copy the output and post the results - that would help.

diskpart

list disk
select disk # (make sure it's the correct disk)
list disk (selected disk identified with *)

detail disk

list part
select part # (make sure it's the correct partition)
list part (selected partition identified with *)

automount scrub (clean up mount information for the disk)
remove all
remove dismount

assign letter=S

list disk (selected disk identified with *)
list part (selected partition identified with *)
list vol (selected volume identified with *)

exit (exit diskpart)
exit (exit cmd prompt)

displayname2 · 26 Oct 2012

diskpart hung after detail disk.

here's a screen...

Slartybart · 26 Oct 2012

Ok, I'll need to research. It might be a while. The location path is UNAVAILABLE in your screenshot. The commands should provide a path - we just have to get past the hangs. Thanks for being patient.

Try the same commands, except no detail disk. The commands that follow the select and the list part are volume centric, but you can't list or select a volume. If there is only one volume of the drive, you should gain focus to the volume by selecting the part.

I also added the detail part command. Maybe that will give us something. If it hags, run through it again without the detail part.

diskpart

list disk
select disk # (make sure it's the correct disk)
list disk (selected disk identified with *)

list part
select part # (make sure it's the correct partition)
list part (selected partition identified with *)

detail part

automount scrub (clean up mount information for the disk)
remove all
remove dismount

assign letter=S

list disk (selected disk identified with *)
list part (selected partition identified with *)

exit (exit diskpart)
exit (exit cmd prompt)

Slartybart · 26 Oct 2012

I don't think UNAVAILBLE has anything to do with the issue - sorry about that. Drive attached to USB don't get this assignment.

How was this disk originally partitioned? It wasn't a raid disk / mirrored was it?

I'm hoping that it was your plain vanilla one partition, primary volume disk.

What we're trying to do is to tell Windows to forget everything it currently knows about the disk (scrub & remove), but we can't seem to get the disk to co-operate. We might have to uninstall the USB controller(s) - not sure yet if that's the way to go.

This is a different set of commands that tell windows to set the partition inactive, forget the default letter for your drive, and then scrubs information and removes all drive letters (system, boot, page, efi, and OEM are not affected).

diskpart

list disk
select disk # (make sure it's the correct disk)
list disk (selected disk identified with *)

list part
select part # (make sure it's the correct partition)
list part (selected partition identified with *)

inactive
attributes nodefaultdriveletter
exit

~~Elect~~ Eject the drive
Safely remove the drive
physically disconnect the drive

reboot

diskpart
automount scrub
remove all
exit

reboot
reconnect drive

diskpart
list disk
list vol
exit

and I'll pick up tomorrow.

Roderunner · 26 Oct 2012

Hi dn2,
My images show how its done, click them to enlarge images.

External Hard Drive will not let me reformat it any way I try-.jpg

External Hard Drive will not let me reformat it any way I try-b.jpg

Slartybart · 27 Oct 2012

If the diskpart sequence I posted didn't clean up what Windows knows about the drive, follow this tutorial to allow you to see objects in Device Manager that are no longer there. Maybe a different tact is required for your system.

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/165554-usb-driver-general-fix-problems.html

In step 2: search - make sure you include system directories in your search options or INFCACHE.1 will not be found.

Bill
.

displayname2 · 27 Oct 2012

So I think that diskpart hangs after some time has past. Up until then, all the commands will work fine (like right after I enter the usb), but after some point it'll stop. I think this point is when windows 7 actually tries to read what's on the hard drive.I've also noticed that the results diskpart gives me are not instant. For example, Disk 0 will show up instantly, then it'll take like 10 sec before Disk 1 shows up.

I also wanted to mention that the green loading bar that comes up (you can see it at the top in the last picture I uploaded) stops after some time. It load pretty fast up until that point, then it just stops.

I haven't tried another cord (since I dont have another one) but a cord could be a possibility as something wrong.

I also just looked up whether I still have warranty on it and yes I do. If all fails, I'm just going to go with that.