Solved Win7 Pro, new internal HDD won't format (see pic)

[JormaV]

Hi guys,

seems that I can't format my new internal 3TB drive and I couldn't find a similar thread, so please help me out :huh:

It's a custom-built system, key parts like this:
OS: Win7 Pro SP1 64bit
Mobo: Asus M4A87TD/USB3
SSD: Kingston 120 GB (boot drive)
HDD #1: WD (something) 1,5 Gb
HDD #2: WD Green 3TB (WD30EZRX)

So, the issue is with the new internal HDD #2, which would be only used for data. Windows recognizes the drive and Disk Management lets me choose between MBR and GPT, resulting in a single online unallocated drive. Then I right-click it, choose "New Simple Volume..." and go through the wizard. After a while it stops, complaining "disk structure is corrupt and unreadable" (pic below)

I'm not exactly sure whether the mobo supports larger than 2GB disks or not. BIOS shows full size, though.
I tried to get the latest SATA drivers for mobo, but I think there were none.

Could it be a cable issue? I only had one spare SATA cable, it's about 3 years old.

Because this HDD would be for data and I would backup it to external HDD, I could live with 2 partitions (2 + 1 TB). I'm just curious to see what I have been missing.

Thanks for the help, and merry christmas,
-j

 

[BigAlC]

Check my post out and please let me know what happens!

http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...rtitioned-ntfs-mbr-out-there.html#post2632093

 

[JormaV]

Hi,

thanks for the suggestion, but it seems that I was able to solve this.

First, I created 2 MBR partitions (2,2 TB + 750 GB) and formatted the larger one with Disk Management (DM). However, DM was not able to create a new partition on the remaining 750 GB.

Then, I updated the mobo BIOS. After that, DM still could not do anything with the 750 GB.

I figured it might be a Windows issue and searched for a different partition manager. Found this:
EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition

Though the free edition can install a lot of bloatware (but you can opt not to), it did the trick: it could remove the MBR partition, create a new GPT partition and after that format it quite quickly. The format was done outside Windows during reboot sequence, it took less than 10 minutes.

Now it's smooth sailing; at least some of the files I tested run as they should from the new HDD.

 

[BigAlC]

Windows Would Have Done It For You

Check out How To Fully Use Your 3TB Hard Drive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHAIDprjmYo

 

[JormaV]

Hi BigAlC,

I watched that youtube link you posted and it shows "the way it should go". It is very useful if you can do it the normal way

For some reason "my" Windows just would not format the GPT disk w/ Simple Volume wizard. It only gave me the error that was shown in the first post.

I remember using that EaseUS software a few times earlier to change partition sizes and it has never failed me this far (knock-on-wood & no paid ad here

br,
-j

 

[BigAlC]

Join the club, I LOVE EaseUS and have used it to pre-partition ALL my HDD's. Good luck.

Big Al