Set up portable USB hard drive help

[runfox]

Hey all, I have been building and working on my three computers and home network for a while.I read this site often, and decided it was time to register to ask some questions. I have figured out most problems , and I'm learning to be pretty self sufficient so far. I got one problem though that's stumping me.

I bought a new Hitachi Hard Drive IDE 250, and a IDE portable case for it. Im trying to set it up as a portable USB hard drive. I just cant seam to get it initialized yet. I know new hard drive come in RAW form and I have to partition/ format them. I have the drive set to cable select, windows see's new hard ware, I tried to partition the drive in CMD diskpart, but it said it could not partition primary drive, I right clicked My Comp and went into hard ware manager, it see's the drive, went through the Wizard to partition, assign drive letter, format, ( not quick format) then go, it looks like it was formatting, but when hard ware manager was done I get the error , format was unsuccessful!!

I don't know what else to try..........

 

[evongugg]

Go in Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Computer Management->Disk management and work from there. Right click on the drive. It's a lot easier.

 

[evongugg]

Run manufacturer hard disk diagnostics on that drive.

 

[runfox]

evongugg I went there, right click My Computer , Click Manage, click Disk Management, found the drive, went through Wizard, partition, assign drive letter, format, end result, format failed. Where am I getting the manufacturer hard disk diagnostics on that drive? Off the web right?

 

[evongugg]

Here:

Drive Fitness Test

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

 

[evongugg]

The case may be bad. Try hooking the hard drive up directly to a computer and working on it.

 

[runfox]

I first plugged the hard drive into my computer , saw it in BIOS, Windows found new hardware. First time I went to hard ware management, saw it there and it partitioned and formatted ok. I thought I was good, put hard drive in case, now windows doesn't not see anything, no new hardware, no sound when I plug it in USB port , nothing. I know the hard drive is good. The case came with some install CD, I looked at the read me, it said if the hard drive need a driver it will select which one. So Im not sure the case works right. The power light, and fan lights come on , and the HD lights up a second and I feel the drive spin but that's it. I'm wondering if I should send the case back or see if I can contact the case manufacturer and see if I'm doing something wrong.

I have tried setting HD to cable select and master, no luck.

 

[runfox]

OK I RMA the BYTECC external case back to Newegg. I tried to call that company but no one answers the phone, so I have no use for any company you cant even communicate with.
I ordered Rosewill RX35-AT-IU SLV Aluminum 3.5" Silver USB 2.0 External Enclosure.

So let me make sure I know how this should work. I have already partitioned and formatted my HD with disk Management, labeled it drive Z Spare, so I know it works. When I get the case, I should be install the drive, from all I see I should set it to master as it is the only drive, when I power it up and plug into USB, windows XP should make the Ding, sound, found new hardware, install, bang I see my drive in My Computer, Z spare, right???

 

[runfox]

Got to love NewEgg, got my Rosewill external case in no time. 😀 Put my HD in the case, turned it on, plugged into my comp, new hardware found, HD needs to be formatted, went to hardware management, Format wizard, format successful, all good.

I guess that's how it should have gone the first time.
I would have to guess my BYTECC case was or went bad, thus my frustration. Thanks for the help everyone.......I thought this should have been a straight forward easy job and it was when I got a good case.