(HDD) WD20EARS Formatting Issues

[Lerch_13]

I recently bought 2 WD20EARS 2TB HDD's for my PC. I have searched the net for days/hours at a time trying to figure out why is it that my HDD's aren't formatting. I have gone through the disk management route with no success and the usual "error" message stating that it's unable to format. I have tried to update my nvidia driver with no success or rather no change in the situation. The Format stops at about 54%, disk management reads it as a 1.8TB raw HDD but never exceeds the 54% mark during the format process, I have also tried using Easeus partition master, did a diagnostics scan on the HDD's and found sector errors all over the place so opted not to proceed with that route. I use windows vista service pack1 64-bit, if anyone can help me with this, then please let me know, I'm dying trying to figure out a solution to this problem. If need any more info about my PC, let me know what I'm missing and I will state it asap.

 

[fzabkar]

It still looks like you need to update the SATA driver for your Nvidia chipset:

http://www.computing.net/answers/hardware/cannot-partition-2tb-hard-drive-above-1tb/58503.html

If that fails, then you can confirm that it's not a drive issue by formatting the drives in an external USB enclosure. This will rule out the SATA drivers and SATA ports.

Another thing to try is to temporarily configure the SATA controller for legacy or IDE compatibility mode in the BIOS setup. This will force Windows to use standard IDE drivers. If the drives format to completion, then it will be a SATA driver issue.

 

[Lerch_13]

I'll check this out in the morning and let you know how it works out, hope it works out though...

 

[sub mesa]

(nvm)

 

[Lerch_13]

Updating driver seems to not work again still. In bios setup, there's no option for IDE or legacy compatibility(either that or I'm doing something wrong but I really just don't see that option in bios). I'm gonna try for possibly the ext.usb enclosure, but I feel that I shouldn't have to go this far just to format a couple of drives, so if anyone has some clue's for me, please let me know.

 

[Canuck1]

I recently bought 2 WD20EARS 2TB HDD's for my PC. I have searched the net for days/hours at a time trying to figure out why is it that my HDD's aren't formatting. I have gone through the disk management route with no success and the usual "error" message stating that it's unable to format. I have tried to update my nvidia driver with no success or rather no change in the situation. The Format stops at about 54%, disk management reads it as a 1.8TB raw HDD but never exceeds the 54% mark during the format process, I have also tried using Easeus partition master, did a diagnostics scan on the HDD's and found sector errors all over the place so opted not to proceed with that route. I use windows vista service pack1 64-bit, if anyone can help me with this, then please let me know, I'm dying trying to figure out a solution to this problem. If need any more info about my PC, let me know what I'm missing and I will state it asap.

What file system are you trying to format them to?

If NTFS and you use Windows 7 (best Windows OS for these drives), then check the bios and make sure you have AHCI enabled instead of IDE.

Format as usual. Don't have anything else running. Reboot the machine before you format so it's a fresh boot up and don't run any apps before the format just to make sure.

 

[Lerch_13]

I'm running on vista, so need something that would/will work with/for vista.

 

[MrLinux]

As it's seeing 1.8TB (RAW) and failing at 54% that would mean it's failing at 1TB.
So in the absence of any Mother Board details (?), I'd say your current BIOS only supports up-to 1TB drives, Have you looked to see if there is a BIOS update to support 2TB drives?

 

[dEAne]

I have help a friend with his Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EARS Hard Disk Drive 2000GB (5400-7200rpm, 64MB Cache, SATA-2 ), when he formatted it via XP it only showed as being 931GB. In the BIOS it showed the drive as being 1000GB (1TB).

I then downloaded and installed "Easeus Partition Master Home Edition 6.0.1" it was able to correctly 'see', partition and format all 2TB's of the drive (1863.01GB after formatting).

I did not install any additional drivers or update my bios.

You may also try this link>
http://www.wdc.com/global/products/features/?id=7

 

[Plumble]

There is a driver issue with windows and certain chipsets. If you have an Nvidia board

."Seagate wrote an article on it.
Large SATA drives (above 1.1 TB) will not completely format.

http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/ [...] NewLang=en

Updating drivers might be the ticket.

Alternative Solution (work around)
http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/ [...] cId=206391 "

Taken from
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareuk.inc&cat=14&post=263707&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=1&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

 

[Canuck1]

Ah, you ARE using Vista! That could be part of the problem! SP1? Maybe you need to update it? I have no idea regarding Vista but the other replies here sound like they're on the right track. I would try a third party program to format and/or update the BIOS on your motherboard.

There are other programs that can do formats than just the ones already mentioned. There's a live CD called System Rescue CD and it can read and write to both Windows and Linux formats. It can also resize and create partitions.

I am inclined to say that a modern day motherboard and OS should be able to detect and utilize HDDs of more than 1TB by now! It's the 3TB variety that are an issue right now. So, I would look at your mobo BIOS, Vista's service packs (not necessarily the culprit here but I don't know if that is the latest) and if none of those help, then a third party software program. However, you should be able to format a 2TB HDD in Vista!

 

[atluri]

Lerch, have u found any solution for this problem? If so pls. do share this with me as I am exactly facing the same issue.