hard disk partitioning ok, format not possible

Thread Starter

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
I have 40Gb IDE 2.5" HDD from a Dell 610 laptop. The laptop is ok.

The harddrive can be partitioned from the windows XP CD console but when trying to format it it stays stuck at 0% for hours.

The BIOS sees it ok.

Question: If it can be partitioned doesn't that mean that it should be ok? Anybody knows what's happening?

It's a Fujitsu MHV2040AH.
 

Thread Starter

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
Partitioning does not state the nature of the HDD.
If you cannot normal format than it is kaput.

Try a low level format.
So the partitioning information is not stored on the HDD itself but on some chip on the PCB, is that what you are saying?
 

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
I believe HDD no is from the PCB + the size.
But if the platter has a physical damage u cannot format it

I am not an expert on HDD but I believe if u cannot format it then it is not good.
 

shteii01

Joined Feb 19, 2010
4,644
Some of the disk information is stored on the disk. For example disk partition table is stored on the disk. Look up MBR (master boot record). It is a section of the disk where some information is stored.

As far as your specific case.
1) Try and see if manufacturer has a diagnostic tool. This tool usually has a boot option so you use it as a boot disk. Boot from it, run diagnostic of the disk.
2) If 1 does not get you anywhere and fdisk did not give me options that I wanted, I used gparted Linux tool to setup my partitions. Here is live cd of gparted: http://gparted.org/livecd.php
Live CD is a cd that act as a boot disk, like your Windows dvd that you were able to boot from.
 
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