I have a Seagate 160 GB External Hard Drive that I've been using for about 2 years or so. Recently, I ran into a problem accessing it. When I turn it on, Windows assigns it a letter and I can see it under My Computer like normal, but then when I click on it, it says the drive is not formatted and asks me if I want to format it. I assume reformating it would erase all of te information I have on it so I didn't do it. I tried plugging it into a different usb port and i tried plugging it into my other computer, which is a Sony with Window XP, and it still didn't work. The computer I'm using is a Hp with Windows XP.
I downloaded a program called Test Disk which is made to find damaged partitions and read the drive. The harddrive has no partitions though, its just one big drive. I had the program display the list on the drive and all the folders and files appear to still be on the hard drive. The TestDisk program also came with a data recovery program. I started using it to recover the files, it estimated about 16 hours to move the files. After about 1 hr 40 min., I stopped it. It had recovered 366 files, all music files except for 2, but when I looked at the folder it was putting the files in, all the file names had been changes to f########. This wouldn't really be that big of a deal for my pictures, but I also have hundreds of cds worth of music on there, and more importantly, I make music in a sequencing program, and I use this hard drive to keep all my audio samples in. Without the folders and filenames, all of my samples are useless.
I think I know what caused the problem. I usually turn off the hard drive when I'm done with it and I didn't know that I'm suposed to click the little button in the bottom right of the screen before turning off the drive. I found the problem at Seagate's help site:
http://seagate.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/seagate.cfg/php/enduser/popup_adp.php?p_faqid=2526
It tells what can cause the problem, and what to do to keep it from happening again, but it does not tell how to fix it. I'm basically looking for a program that will read the hard drive and allow me to copy all the files and folders to a different hard drive without losing the names and folders. I don't really wanna spend a lot of money for this, but I need the files so I'm hoping for something as cheap as possible but whatever will work. Any suggestions?
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Question
1
Vote
External Hard Drive Not Formatted Error
31st Oct 2007
Answers (11)
1
Vote
LINUX!
Boot using a linux live cd... Use Ubuntu. This will autmount the drive then open it and copy all the infomation to your computer HD or another external drive...
31st Oct 2007
Replies
Damaged I'm betting that it is by turning off the drive incorrectly.
What you need is a Application that can rebuild the Partition like On Tracks Recovery Program which is expensive but effective.
If you have enough use for this application I would suggest that you get yourself a copy as you'll be able to rebuild the drive within a few minutes it's available from here
http://tinyurl.com/22dxf9
And you want the Easy Recovery Professional
If you want something cheaper and slower you can use Spin Rite available here
http://tinyurl.com/yvrsl
You really should Read The Manual to prevent this from happening as it's very expensive & time consuming to recover from.
Col
What you need is a Application that can rebuild the Partition like On Tracks Recovery Program which is expensive but effective.
If you have enough use for this application I would suggest that you get yourself a copy as you'll be able to rebuild the drive within a few minutes it's available from here
http://tinyurl.com/22dxf9
And you want the Easy Recovery Professional
If you want something cheaper and slower you can use Spin Rite available here
http://tinyurl.com/yvrsl
You really should Read The Manual to prevent this from happening as it's very expensive & time consuming to recover from.
Col
OH Smeg
31st Oct 2007
1
Vote
same problem
i have the exact same problem done teh exact same thing
but only with a seagate 320gb hardrive. if anyone could
help please let us know
but only with a seagate 320gb hardrive. if anyone could
help please let us know
20th Nov 2007
Replies
A corrupt or missing boot sector will cause such kind of problem.
To fix the boot sector, you may refer to http://www.ptdd.com/partition-table-doctor/help/fixboot.htm
If it still can not be solved, you have to recover all the data out and then format the partition as the system indicates so that you can enter the partition again.
http://www.easeus.com/datarecoverywizard/recover-raw-drive.h?tm
To fix the boot sector, you may refer to http://www.ptdd.com/partition-table-doctor/help/fixboot.htm
If it still can not be solved, you have to recover all the data out and then format the partition as the system indicates so that you can enter the partition again.
http://www.easeus.com/datarecoverywizard/recover-raw-drive.h?tm
Saraline
29th Oct 2009
hi,
did you ever figure out how to solve the problem of your external hard drive crashing?
i have a maxtor 500gb. and after getting the blue screen reboot, i cant access that drive, always getting the message: want to reformat the drive?
thanks much,
did you ever figure out how to solve the problem of your external hard drive crashing?
i have a maxtor 500gb. and after getting the blue screen reboot, i cant access that drive, always getting the message: want to reformat the drive?
thanks much,
empface
24th Feb 2010
1
Vote
answer?
Hi, I also have the same drive and problem. I went away for Thanksgiving and when I returned I can't see any of the files and it says it's not formatted. I have a lot of creative files I can't lose. Did you ever find a way to recover the files?
Thanks
Thanks
28th Nov 2007
1
Vote
I have several of these
a couple of the seagate 300's and a 160g.
the only time they fried is when power outage cause them to go off while still open under windoze. Suggestion: get a cheap UPS ($60) for the hard drive to supplement the one on your PC (two if you don't have one on your PC)
While I could still see (most?) of the files, I was using it as a backup and could see that the disk free space was reporting wrong.
Had to reformat this and re-backup onto it.
Lesson: get 2nd one and use it as backup to 1st if you're not using the 1st as a backup.
They are dirt cheap now and rock solid. I was using one for a long time to actually edit humongo 100 to 500 meg .PPTs.
Worked fine but took quite a while to save (recovery autosave was onto local disk). SO I finally got to putting in a 750g disk - only $250 and use the 300's as backups.
the only time they fried is when power outage cause them to go off while still open under windoze. Suggestion: get a cheap UPS ($60) for the hard drive to supplement the one on your PC (two if you don't have one on your PC)
While I could still see (most?) of the files, I was using it as a backup and could see that the disk free space was reporting wrong.
Had to reformat this and re-backup onto it.
Lesson: get 2nd one and use it as backup to 1st if you're not using the 1st as a backup.
They are dirt cheap now and rock solid. I was using one for a long time to actually edit humongo 100 to 500 meg .PPTs.
Worked fine but took quite a while to save (recovery autosave was onto local disk). SO I finally got to putting in a 750g disk - only $250 and use the 300's as backups.
Updated - 28th Nov 2007
1
Vote
Seagate external drive just crashed!
I had the same exact thing happen to me. Any luck w/ finding a solution?
5th Jan 2008
Replies
But I don't know how! I had the same problem and I used the free program where you can create a partition (even though I didn't know what I was doing going through the various screens), but it didn't immediately fix it and it was still not accessible for a few days. Then, about 2-3 days later I noticed my external drive was accessible again, but I don't know how it happened.
nj908nj@...
6th Jan 2008
1
Vote
Solution to recover photos!!!!
Check out datarescue.com They have a photo rescue program that is incredible. I have tried three. This one not only worked but is cheap!!!!! SO PSYCHED! Good luck.
7th Jan 2008
1
Vote
External Hard Drive Not Formatted Error
I have the same problem so I put the hard drive in the computer as a slave drive and now have access to it.
I still don't know why when I remove a working drive from a computer and put it in a USB external case it says Drive Not Formatted, this never used to happen just recently why ??? and it happens on any computer I have and I have 6.
I still don't know why when I remove a working drive from a computer and put it in a USB external case it says Drive Not Formatted, this never used to happen just recently why ??? and it happens on any computer I have and I have 6.
16th Mar 2008
1
Vote
Fixing the Hard Drive Not formatted problem Easily
Learn how to fix the Hard Drive not formatted error easily ,here
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/82893.aspx
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/82893.aspx
6th Dec 2010
Replies
2007 I very much doubt that your answer will get any sort of response. 
Col
Col
OH Smeg
6th Dec 2010
1
Vote
hi
I have the same problem....im using my external hard disk for maybe about a year...but when i used it yesterday...it tells me that "disk not formated"...i was freak out cause all of my VERY important files are there...please help us...i need all of those files...
16th Mar 2011
-1
Votes
This sounds like a HW interface problem
not a media issue. Have you tried a different USB port? Can you extract the drive from the case and bypass the USB interface? I'm wondering if bits are getting glitched in translation...
8th Oct
Replies
The OP gave up 5 years ago, or has since paid someone to recover
their files. Zombies should not be awakened.
their files. Zombies should not be awakened.
wizard57m-cnet
9th Oct
Thx wiz, I usually check the OP post date but got suckered in by it appearing in the "new and shiny" bar under TR.
Charles Bundy
9th Oct
-1
Votes
Its Easy to Format
Use Hiren Boot CD for Formatting your HDD and Do the Zero Level Formatting for your HDD, better if you do more than 4 Pass.
9th Oct
Replies
The OP gave up 5 years ago, or has since paid someone to recover
their files. Zombies should not be awakened.
Also, the OP did not want to lose their data...
their files. Zombies should not be awakened.
Also, the OP did not want to lose their data...
wizard57m-cnet
9th Oct
