how to assign a Drive letter to an Ext HDD

Yardbent

Yardbent

Messages
7,772
Name
John
Edit My Images
Yes
just got a used 160GB Verbatim external HDD

plugged in - got a quick brief message..''device software installed''
[or some such similar wording.] ..although I cannot see where. Blue 'ON' lights

BUT drive is not listed on Computer so cannot write/copy to it......:thinking:

It's listed in Device Manager...Ext Hard Disk USB Device

the Samsung is my 320GB HDD on drive 'E'

------------------------------------------------------------
unplugging the Samsung and plugging the Verbatim into the same USB port doesn't do anything

how do I assign a drive letter.... or get the drive recognised..?..

I 'thought' as devices were plugged in [ like my card reader] they were assigned a drive letter


maybe not correct tech terms but I know little...:bonk:....cheers john
.
Verbatim_drive_letter.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management

Should be able to assign drive letters, create/delete partitions.
 
gramps said:
Sounds like it isn't formatted:-

Admin Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management

Right click on the drive (top list) and format it, should then work.
Click to expand...

BINGO

Tom just came back on line to say

''Try formatting the drive in windows format, it's currently for Mac''

off to try...thanks both............:thumbs:
 
gramps said:
Sounds like it isn't formatted:-

Admin Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management

Right click on the drive (top list) and format it, should then work.
Click to expand...

it doesn't appear in the top list - so cannot format it...:bang:
.
mac_format.jpg
[/IMG]
 
just read this at cnet

''I attached a Mac-formatted LaCie 320GB ruggedized drive to the PC and opened Computer Management to reformat the drive as NTFS.

CM reports it's healthy but it won't mount, has no drive letter, no format information and, worst, all the formatting options are grayed back, especially the "Format..." option.

Bottom line: Computer Management on a PC can't reformat a Mac-formatted drive.''

this is my status

does not look good.......
 
Last edited:
Yardbent said:
sorry ...no idea what you mean..............:shake:
Click to expand...

I'm no expert but wondered if it needed the appropriate drivers to see the drive ?

if you operating system doesnt find them then they're usually downloaded from the manufacturers website.

Sounds like you've found the prob tho ?
 
Have you got access to a mac, you could then format it in FAT format and then access it on the pc to reformat as NTFS.
 
gramps said:
Can you right click on the bottom where the drive is shown as 'unrecognised'?
Click to expand...

no

perhaps i need access to a MAC..?

quick :exit: ............for dinner methinks before the wine goes to me head...:lol:
 
Last edited:
Ploddles said:
Have you got access to a mac, you could then format it in FAT format and then access it on the pc to reformat as NTFS.
Click to expand...

sounds like a plan...the ONLY plan.............:thumbs:
 
thanks ..but see post#13...........post#15

cannot access the drive at all
 
Last edited:
antihero said:
...........think the demo will allow formats (thats if the drive isn't corrupted)
Click to expand...

doesn't appear to be a download trial version

I'll ask Peter if he will format to FAT

thanks all..............john
 
Hi,
Try going into 'disk management' and removing the partition on the external drive, recreate the partition and then format it however you like. Should work.

Paul
 
PaulF said:
Hi,
Try going into 'disk management' and removing the partition on the external drive, recreate the partition and then format it however you like. Should work.

Paul
Click to expand...

see post#6...the drive is not visible therefore unable to format
 
Last edited:
From the screen shots you gave your PC appears to be recognising the disk as being Brand New and before you can format the disk you need to "initialize" it first.

To initialize new disks

Open Computer Management (Local).

In the console tree, click Computer Management (Local), click Storage, and then click Disk Management.

Right-click the disk you want to initialize, and then click Initialize Disk.

In the Initialize Disk dialog box, select the disk(s) to initialize.

Once finished you can then normally format the disk.

Hope that helps you.
 
have you tried plugging it in then go to control panel and select 'add new hardware' ?

The best way to see if the PC has recognised that the drive is plugged in is to look for the icon in the system tray (bottom right on the task bar) which is usually a little green arrow (the one you use to safely remove devices), altho I know it's different for vista and win 7
 
try using DISKPART to erase the drive.

so from a CMD prompt type (where "[return]" is mentioned actually press the return key):

DISKPART [return]
LIST DISK [return]

at this point it should return a list of all attached drives and sizes. make a note of the volume ### for the drive you are trying to fix MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT ONE I HOLD NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR NUKING THE WRONG DRIVE! ;)

SEL DISK # [return] (where # is the vol number from above)
CLEAN [return]

reload disk management and see if you can access it now
 
ok just re-read the original post - have you tried right clicking on the drive in the window where you see it (1st picture shown in original post) - it should have options like 'properties' etc.

I will see if my hubby knows, he is an IT techie after all...


ok we plugged my ext HDD into hubby's laptop which uses win 7 and if you do what I said (right click in device manager) you click on the volume tab and populate, see what response you get

hope it works.
 
lostsoulal2 said:
From the screen shots you gave your PC appears to be recognising the disk as being Brand New and before you can format the disk you need to "initialize" it first. .............................
Click to expand...

thanks .. but another dead-end

clicking 'initialize' gives ''this''.............:thumbsdown:
.
not_ready.jpg
[/IMG]
 
sturisoma said:
have you tried plugging it in then go to control panel and select 'add new hardware' ?

The best way to see if the PC has recognised that the drive is plugged in is to look for the icon in the system tray (bottom right on the task bar) which is usually a little green arrow (the one you use to safely remove devices), altho I know it's different for vista and win 7
Click to expand...

1....not found

2..''Safely Remove hardware'' does recognise it - dead-end though
 
did you try what my hubby said in my last post?
 
neil_g said:
try using DISKPART to erase the drive.

so from a CMD prompt type (where "[return]" is mentioned actually press the return key):

DISKPART [return]
LIST DISK [return]

at this point it should return a list of all attached drives and sizes.

done this so far.[gulp..:D]

the DOS screen says

Disk ###
Disk 0 and 233 GM [ my HDD]
Disk 1 and 0 GB = my external yes..?

doesn't use the word 'volume'


make a note of the volume ### for the drive you are trying to fix MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT ONE I HOLD NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR NUKING THE WRONG DRIVE! ;)

SEL DISK # [return] (where # is the vol number from above)
CLEAN [return]

reload disk management and see if you can access it now
Click to expand...
 
neil_g said:
try using DISKPART to erase the drive.

SEL DISK # [return] (where # is the vol number from above)
CLEAN [return]

reload disk management and see if you can access it now
Click to expand...

selected disk 1

clean

gave me ''DISKPART succeeded in cleaning the disk

BUT unfortunately reload disk management still cannot see the drive

thanks
 
sturisoma said:
ok just re-read the original post - have you tried right clicking on the drive in the window where you see it (1st picture shown in original post) - it should have options like 'properties' etc.

I will see if my hubby knows, he is an IT techie after all...

ok we plugged my ext HDD into hubby's laptop which uses win 7 and if you do what I said (right click in device manager) you click on the volume tab and populate, see what response you get

hope it works.
Click to expand...

in Device Manager - BTW ...the ONLY place that this drive appears

right click > properties > volumes ...lists this

Disk = Disk 1
Type = Unknown
Status = Not Initialised
Partion style = Not applicable
Capacity = 0 MB
Unallocated space = 0 MB
Reserved space = 0 MB

thanks
 
.
BTW

the Seller is willing to format this HDD to FAT32 - i understand i can then reformat to NTFS

why it was sold as a mac format without mentioning it - i dont understand - I'm thinking 'most' people are on Windows

ANYWAY......only if i pay the postage....Signed for both ways is about £14.....:shake:

would i be better off to sell this as a mac HDD for the £25 i paid ,,,,,???
it's a nice condition 160 GB Verbatim unit

and then just buy a new NTFS unit..............thanks
 
did it not give you an option to populate in the volume tab?

it may well be better to see how much it will cost to get pc world to format it for you, unless you know someone with a mac

tomorrow will get hubby to do some more investigating, it may well be that the disk is broken?
 
Yardbent said:
thanks .. but another dead-end

clicking 'initialize' gives ''this''.............:thumbsdown:
.
not_ready.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...

There are two seperate parts to the Disk 1 window, did you right click on each part to initialise?

One part has different actions from the other.
 
Yardbent said:
thanks .. but another dead-end

clicking 'initialize' gives ''this''.............:thumbsdown:
.
not_ready.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...

What I did from Memory when I installed a hard drive that had previously been used on a Mac before was:

Go to the Disk Management section

- The disk should be listed in the lower section; i.e. your Disk 1 that says Not Initialized
- Right click on the GREY portion of that line for Disk 1 (where it has the Disk icon), not the white part (where I had first tried clicking before I realized my error)
- Choose Initalize. It should take a moment for it to mount the drive.
- You can now right-click on the white area (to the right of the grey area you just clicked on) to choose a formatting option and make it ready for use.

If that and all the other suggestions do not work, you may have to consider it is more likely that the hardware really has failed:thumbsdown:
 
TBH

the Seller says it was formatted in the mac file system...

all the above suggestions premise that the drive is 'viewable' through Windows

well it isn't

as per a post by Ploddles ^^^ I'm beginning to think it needs to be formatted to FAT32 on a mac

then to NTFS by me under Windows
 
Last edited:
Yardbent said:
TBH

the Seller says it was formatted in the mac file system...

all the above suggestions premise that the drive is 'viewable' through Windows

well it isn't

as per a post by Ploddles ^^^ I'm beginning to think it needs to be formatted to FAT32 on a mac

then to NTFS by me under Windows
Click to expand...

I really don't understand this, Windows does see it in the disk management, you've even screen printed the thing!

You won't see it under My Computer until it's initialised and formatted to NTFS or FAT.

Have you followed lostsoulal2's instructions, rather more concise than mine;)
 
Last edited:
Yardbent said:
TBH

the Seller says it was formatted in the mac file system...

all the above suggestions premise that the drive is 'viewable' through Windows

well it isn't

as per a post by Ploddles ^^^ I'm beginning to think it needs to be formatted to FAT32 on a mac

then to NTFS by me under Windows
Click to expand...

it's formatted to the hfs or hfs+ file system which windows will not recognise.

there MAY be software that could help you out before you pay to have it sent to the seller (i wouldnt personally, i'd be asking for my money back if he didnt sell it as a mac drive as you can get 1tb external drives for not much more than 50 quid).....the macdisk link i gave you earlier (use the download button on the left, enter your email and then it gives you the downloads) or have a look at this page and see if it helps...
 
try this with disk connected via USB ....

Right click on "my computer"
left click on "manage"
then click on disk management, it should show all your disk drives I reckon you could reformat it from here ????
 
mrgas said:
try this with disk connected via USB ....

Right click on "my computer"
left click on "manage"
then click on disk management, it should show all your disk drives I reckon you could reformat it from here ????
Click to expand...


just seen lostsoul as already posted this idea, sorry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top