AAAUGGH HDD HEadACHE

Aridmoose · 07-08-2002, 02:19 AM

I must have bad luck but I always seem to get stuff that doesn't work. I just got my new WD 8mb Cache 80 gig drive, and i was so stoked, then i put it in, started W2k setup... it starts doing the usual stuff, I make a partition, and then during the formatting it gets to 12%, and then NOTHING... errrrrrrrr... So then i did it again that night, let it go for about 12 hours, it got to 63% but 2 hours later it hadn't done a thing. It really SHOULDN'T take that long should it. My old hdd is 2 gigs so i have no experience with large drives yet, but this seems wrong... I think i'll RMA it and get another from newegg. Probably the best idea right? It was just a bad drive, that's what i'm thinking. Someone tell me if there's anything I can do before i have to hassle with sending it back though, that'd be cool. Thanks!!

Cyco-Dude · 07-08-2002, 04:26 AM

are you doing this in DOS, or...? it could have a bad sector on it. you can try a full surface scan to check / fix it. it will take *ages* (days sometimes) to do in DOS tho.
how are you partitioning it? what size, is it FAT32, etc etc. it would probably best to break it down to a couple smaller partitoins instead of one 80gig one. that would make formatting faster (at least yould be able to do 1 and get an OS installed on it).

Aridmoose · 07-08-2002, 11:17 AM

thanks cyco, that's pretty much what i wanted to know, but it did seem like something was wrong with the drive, i did one of those quick formats and got win2k on it but it had lots of problems, i'm gonna go ahead and RMA it and then if the exact same thing happens i'll just let it take it's sweet time. oh, and what would be a faster way than DOS to format it, one of my friends says to use Partition magic, any other ideas?

Boltz · 07-08-2002, 04:18 PM

You can format it in another working machine in windows, it will be faster since the HDD is not working in real mode it is using the windows DMA drivers.

but a large drive can take usually 20+ min to format, but not longer than an hour at most. It is in my opinion unusual to be formatting that long. Over night it should have finished.

Partition magic is good, but it is easier to use the format process in W2K or win XP install (Boot CD)

You cant do a quick format on a drive that has not been formatted before in the FAT filesystem, IE. it is brand new, or you just re-partitioned it.

If I were you just RMA It.

and one thing I dont and probably wont do, is buy stuff on-line that i can easily get locally for this reason.... Easy to RMA. Even if it is cheaper On-Line who cares, because the shipping will bring the price up a bit.

Aridmoose · 07-08-2002, 09:04 PM

well, i gots no good computer stores nearby, and there was free shipping, so... yeah, i'm gonna try one more thing and if it don't work it's rma time

toddalaska · 07-09-2002, 02:03 AM

Id just send it back to newegg there so easy to deal with.

Usually most parts i really try to work out problems but with hds i dont bother, jsut rma them until you get one thats works like it should (first rule out user error though)

fresno12 · 07-09-2002, 05:17 AM

Western Digital has a quirk with the jumper settings
If it is the only drive(single on the channel remove all jumpers)if it is sharing the channel with any type of drive (cdrom,dvd or another hard drive set accordingly slave or master)
This might be worth a try. I had the same problem with a WD40 7200 until I remembered that I had it as a single.

fresno12

Hallis · 07-09-2002, 06:02 AM

RMA RMA RMA,, does a little dance.

Aridmoose · 07-16-2002, 09:50 AM

Ok, I sent the hdd back a week ago today and I haven't heard anything since... something wrong with this picture? AAAH!! I can't take 2 gigs much longer!!!!

Boltz · 07-16-2002, 03:45 PM

well i hope you shipped with insurance HEH

but sometimes it can take a while as they might not ship you a drive until they get the drive back from the manufactuer which they will be doing.

I feel that for good customer service, especially with an on line business like that is to ship a replacement out immediately and then they can have the RMA drive back when it is fixed.

bigben2k · 07-16-2002, 03:58 PM

Yeah but then they're stuck with a used drive, so they can't sell it as new, so they take a hit on the price for what? For the manufacturer's fault/problem? No thanks. Been there.

07-08-2002, 02:19 AM	#1
Aridmoose Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2002 Location: In the shadows Posts: 55	AAAUGGH HDD HEadACHE I must have bad luck but I always seem to get stuff that doesn't work. I just got my new WD 8mb Cache 80 gig drive, and i was so stoked, then i put it in, started W2k setup... it starts doing the usual stuff, I make a partition, and then during the formatting it gets to 12%, and then NOTHING... errrrrrrrr... So then i did it again that night, let it go for about 12 hours, it got to 63% but 2 hours later it hadn't done a thing. It really SHOULDN'T take that long should it. My old hdd is 2 gigs so i have no experience with large drives yet, but this seems wrong... I think i'll RMA it and get another from newegg. Probably the best idea right? It was just a bad drive, that's what i'm thinking. Someone tell me if there's anything I can do before i have to hassle with sending it back though, that'd be cool. Thanks!! __________________ Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb. Batman? BATMAN? NOOOO!!! Over here, Robin. HOLY HEART FAILURE BATMAN!! Luckily I was able to hide behind these heavy iron bars.

07-08-2002, 11:17 AM	#3
Aridmoose Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2002 Location: In the shadows Posts: 55	thanks cyco, that's pretty much what i wanted to know, but it did seem like something was wrong with the drive, i did one of those quick formats and got win2k on it but it had lots of problems, i'm gonna go ahead and RMA it and then if the exact same thing happens i'll just let it take it's sweet time. oh, and what would be a faster way than DOS to format it, one of my friends says to use Partition magic, any other ideas? __________________ Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb. Batman? BATMAN? NOOOO!!! Over here, Robin. HOLY HEART FAILURE BATMAN!! Luckily I was able to hide behind these heavy iron bars.

07-08-2002, 04:18 PM	#4
Boltz Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 23	You can format it in another working machine in windows, it will be faster since the HDD is not working in real mode it is using the windows DMA drivers. but a large drive can take usually 20+ min to format, but not longer than an hour at most. It is in my opinion unusual to be formatting that long. Over night it should have finished. Partition magic is good, but it is easier to use the format process in W2K or win XP install (Boot CD) You cant do a quick format on a drive that has not been formatted before in the FAT filesystem, IE. it is brand new, or you just re-partitioned it. If I were you just RMA It. and one thing I dont and probably wont do, is buy stuff on-line that i can easily get locally for this reason.... Easy to RMA. Even if it is cheaper On-Line who cares, because the shipping will bring the price up a bit. Last edited by Boltz; 07-08-2002 at 04:21 PM.

07-08-2002, 09:04 PM	#5
Aridmoose Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2002 Location: In the shadows Posts: 55	well, i gots no good computer stores nearby, and there was free shipping, so... yeah, i'm gonna try one more thing and if it don't work it's rma time __________________ Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb. Batman? BATMAN? NOOOO!!! Over here, Robin. HOLY HEART FAILURE BATMAN!! Luckily I was able to hide behind these heavy iron bars.

07-09-2002, 02:03 AM	#6
toddalaska Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: ALASKA Posts: 66	Id just send it back to newegg there so easy to deal with. Usually most parts i really try to work out problems but with hds i dont bother, jsut rma them until you get one thats works like it should (first rule out user error though) __________________ Epox 8k5a3+ 2400+ @ 2340 (213*11.5) 512 corsair 3200 213 fsb turbo settings geforce 4 ti4200 -13619 3dmarks 2 ibm 120gxp raid 0 400 watts WINXP PRO BIG BLACK ANTEC CASE Water cooled tc4 - custom res and shroud by webmedic

07-08-2002, 04:26 AM	#2
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	are you doing this in DOS, or...? it could have a bad sector on it. you can try a full surface scan to check / fix it. it will take ages (days sometimes) to do in DOS tho. how are you partitioning it? what size, is it FAT32, etc etc. it would probably best to break it down to a couple smaller partitoins instead of one 80gig one. that would make formatting faster (at least yould be able to do 1 and get an OS installed on it).

07-09-2002, 05:17 AM	#7
fresno12 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 22	Western Digital has a quirk with the jumper settings If it is the only drive(single on the channel remove all jumpers)if it is sharing the channel with any type of drive (cdrom,dvd or another hard drive set accordingly slave or master) This might be worth a try. I had the same problem with a WD40 7200 until I remembered that I had it as a single. fresno12

07-09-2002, 06:02 AM	#8
Hallis Cooling Savant Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 469	RMA RMA RMA,, does a little dance.

07-16-2002, 09:50 AM	#9
Aridmoose Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2002 Location: In the shadows Posts: 55	Ok, I sent the hdd back a week ago today and I haven't heard anything since... something wrong with this picture? AAAH!! I can't take 2 gigs much longer!!!! __________________ Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb. Batman? BATMAN? NOOOO!!! Over here, Robin. HOLY HEART FAILURE BATMAN!! Luckily I was able to hide behind these heavy iron bars.

07-16-2002, 03:45 PM	#10
Boltz Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 23	well i hope you shipped with insurance HEH but sometimes it can take a while as they might not ship you a drive until they get the drive back from the manufactuer which they will be doing. I feel that for good customer service, especially with an on line business like that is to ship a replacement out immediately and then they can have the RMA drive back when it is fixed.

07-16-2002, 03:58 PM	#11
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	Yeah but then they're stuck with a used drive, so they can't sell it as new, so they take a hit on the price for what? For the manufacturer's fault/problem? No thanks. Been there. __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

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