HD formatting problem

I have purchased a Samsung SATA 160GB HD to be added to an existing
windows 2000 having one SATA 80 GB partitioned disk (2x40GB NTFS). I
have partitioned the new HD in 2x80 NTFS but I can only format one
partition. The other one refuses to be formatted. Then I created a
single partition (1x160) but it refuses the format process too. I have
used Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.0 and also the Windows Format command.
The funny thing is that Format starts formatting but ends with the
"unable to complete the format" error message after what seems to be a
normal formatting time.

Any idea on what´s wrong?

Pegasus
Wed Mar 05 15:39:37 PST 2008


"r2d2" <anymail@anyplace.com> wrote in message
news:e5H8CgxfIHA.2000@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I have purchased a Samsung SATA 160GB HD to be added to an existing windows
>2000 having one SATA 80 GB partitioned disk (2x40GB NTFS). I have
>partitioned the new HD in 2x80 NTFS but I can only format one partition.
>The other one refuses to be formatted. Then I created a single partition
>(1x160) but it refuses the format process too. I have used Paragon Hard
>Disk Manager 8.0 and also the Windows Format command. The funny thing is
>that Format starts formatting but ends with the "unable to complete the
>format" error message after what seems to be a normal formatting time.
>
> Any idea on what´s wrong?

Your system may not have 48-bit LBA enabled - see here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305098

Kevin
Wed Mar 05 15:44:45 PST 2008

Is your BIOS a 48 bit BIOS? If not, the biggest it can see is (IIRC)
137GB. Do you have the latest service pack installed? Does the drive come
with a driver for Windows 2000?


--
#include <standard.disclaimer>
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Kevin D Quitt USA 91387-4454 96.37% of all statistics are made up

DL
Wed Mar 05 15:59:21 PST 2008

Did you try to format via Disk Management?
Forget the third party option

I had three Samsung sata 160gb drives fail in the space of 2 months, all
under warranty, but in retrospect I have a suspicion that the pwr supply was
the cause of the problem

"r2d2" <anymail@anyplace.com> wrote in message
news:e5H8CgxfIHA.2000@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I have purchased a Samsung SATA 160GB HD to be added to an existing windows
>2000 having one SATA 80 GB partitioned disk (2x40GB NTFS). I have
>partitioned the new HD in 2x80 NTFS but I can only format one partition.
>The other one refuses to be formatted. Then I created a single partition
>(1x160) but it refuses the format process too. I have used Paragon Hard
>Disk Manager 8.0 and also the Windows Format command. The funny thing is
>that Format starts formatting but ends with the "unable to complete the
>format" error message after what seems to be a normal formatting time.
>
> Any idea on what´s wrong?

r2d2
Wed Mar 05 16:37:07 PST 2008

Pegasus (MVP) wrote:

> Your system may not have 48-bit LBA enabled - see here:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305098

LBA is enabled
HD is Samsung 160GB SATA HD161JJ
EnableBigLba was already set to 1

r2d2
Wed Mar 05 17:21:28 PST 2008

Kevin D. Quitt wrote:
> Is your BIOS a 48 bit BIOS? If not, the biggest it can see is (IIRC)
> 137GB. Do you have the latest service pack installed? Does the drive come
> with a driver for Windows 2000?

My BIOS is 48 Bit, Intel 865G Chipset, Pentium IV, 3.4 GHZ. Windows
2000 Service Pack 4

In any event, it is supposed that the largest drive is 137GB but I can´t
format that large.

r2d2
Wed Mar 05 18:48:14 PST 2008

DL wrote:
> Did you try to format via Disk Management?

Yes DL, it failed too.




> Forget the third party option
>
> I had three Samsung sata 160gb drives fail in the space of 2 months, all
> under warranty, but in retrospect I have a suspicion that the pwr supply was
> the cause of the problem
>
> "r2d2" <anymail@anyplace.com> wrote in message
> news:e5H8CgxfIHA.2000@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> I have purchased a Samsung SATA 160GB HD to be added to an existing windows
>> 2000 having one SATA 80 GB partitioned disk (2x40GB NTFS). I have
>> partitioned the new HD in 2x80 NTFS but I can only format one partition.
>> The other one refuses to be formatted. Then I created a single partition
>> (1x160) but it refuses the format process too. I have used Paragon Hard
>> Disk Manager 8.0 and also the Windows Format command. The funny thing is
>> that Format starts formatting but ends with the "unable to complete the
>> format" error message after what seems to be a normal formatting time.
>>
>> Any idea on what´s wrong?
>
>

DL
Thu Mar 06 03:30:23 PST 2008

Is the Samsung recognised in the bios, the full size?

"r2d2" <anymail@anyplace.com> wrote in message
news:O6nFGSzfIHA.3400@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> DL wrote:
>> Did you try to format via Disk Management?
>
> Yes DL, it failed too.
>
>
>
>
>> Forget the third party option
>>
>> I had three Samsung sata 160gb drives fail in the space of 2 months, all
>> under warranty, but in retrospect I have a suspicion that the pwr supply
>> was the cause of the problem
>>
>> "r2d2" <anymail@anyplace.com> wrote in message
>> news:e5H8CgxfIHA.2000@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>> I have purchased a Samsung SATA 160GB HD to be added to an existing
>>> windows 2000 having one SATA 80 GB partitioned disk (2x40GB NTFS). I
>>> have partitioned the new HD in 2x80 NTFS but I can only format one
>>> partition. The other one refuses to be formatted. Then I created a
>>> single partition (1x160) but it refuses the format process too. I have
>>> used Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.0 and also the Windows Format command.
>>> The funny thing is that Format starts formatting but ends with the
>>> "unable to complete the format" error message after what seems to be a
>>> normal formatting time.
>>>
>>> Any idea on what´s wrong?
>>

r2d2
Thu Mar 06 04:40:34 PST 2008

DL wrote:
> Is the Samsung recognised in the bios, the full size?

Yes, and after partitioning both are recognized by the explorer.

DL
Thu Mar 06 06:39:32 PST 2008

Use the Samsung drive test utility, located on their site

"r2d2" <anymail@anyplace.com> wrote in message
news:%23kZiFd4fIHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> DL wrote:
>> Is the Samsung recognised in the bios, the full size?
>
> Yes, and after partitioning both are recognized by the explorer.

r2d2
Thu Mar 06 07:31:43 PST 2008

DL wrote:
> Use the Samsung drive test utility, located on their site

I gave up. Tried to install Windows2003 from the original CD and after
formatting the same problem was reported, so my guess is faulty drive.
Back to vendor.

Thank you DL and others for your interest and time.