[SOLVED] How long should I wait for 2TB HDD format?

[sonofpern]

I have a WD 2TB HDD that was empty, but not showing up in explorer but DID show up in BIOS, so I thought I could quick format it in Disk Management in windows 10 (hold for laughter) I know, I know, but of course, the quick format failed of course so I did the long format. I didn't do anything else like checking for error as the drive seemed to be blank. So here I am 36 hours later (no exaggeration) with Disk Management claiming it is still formatting and Task Manager showing 100% disk usage

I am wondering how I can know for sure if the process is still running or if it gave up already, and if I do need to restart the process, what is the correct/safe way to do it?

I opened Task Manager beforehand to watch disk usage. Was this a mistake? It shows a constant 100% usage and the only change is occasionally the "average response time" blips from zero to some number over 2000ms and then back to zero.

I've read a lot of articles about this and, as usual, 99% of the ones suggested by google are incomplete, selling something, are written by people who understand less than I do, or are flat out clickbait (thanks google). Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.

For reference, this the process is running on the following system
FX 6300
M5A97 EVO
GTX 460
4x8GB RAM
Kingston A400 (OS installation)
EVGA 450BT

 

[Jogibearson]

Does the HDD have a partition? Could be that windows tries to delete stuff when there is nothing.

Edit: Resulting in a constant loop; explaining your extremely long waiting time. My 1TB HDD was wiped within seconds.

 

[USAFRet]

Quick Format should only take a few seconds.

Can you show us a screenap of the Disk Management window, with this drive identified?

 

[Jogibearson]

Quick Format should only take a few seconds.

True but I thought he just wanted to wipe it and see if it somehow pops up in the explorer then. Hence why im asking if its partitioned.

 

[sonofpern]

I tried quick format, it failed, I don't remember the message for that. I will try to get a screenshot. Disk management shows only 2 chunks, a 1862GB and a 20MB unallocated chunk at the end.

 

[Jogibearson]

I tried quick format, it failed, I don't remember the message for that. I will try to get a screenshot. Disk management shows only 2 chunks, a 1862GB and a 20MB unallocated chunk at the end.

So it is partitioned. Does it say which file system?

 

[SkyNetRising]

so I did the long format. I didn't do anything else like checking for error as the drive seemed to be blank. So here I am 36 hours later (no exaggeration) with Disk Management claiming it is still formatting and Task Manager showing 100% disk usage

2TB in 36h - that's about 16MB/s. Rather slow.

Can you show screenshot from HDtune health?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

 

[sonofpern]

 

[USAFRet]

Quick format should only take a few seconds
Full format of that 2TB space should only take a few hours.

Not 36 hours and counting.

 

[sonofpern]

I don't even see how to stop the p[rocess, let alone do so safely. As in the picture, it says it is still formatting, and disk usage is 100%. How should I proceed here?

 

[USAFRet]

I don't even see how to stop the p[rocess, let alone do so safely. As in the picture, it says it is still formatting, and disk usage is 100%. How should I proceed here?

That looks like a dead drive.
Read/write/response....all 0.

 

[SkyNetRising]

As in the picture, it says it is still formatting, and disk usage is 100%. How should I proceed here?

Reboot.
Then do quick format.