hard drive reformat???

[maanico1]

how can i go about reformatting an external hard drive... i have a maxtor 80g but theres no reset... it detects on my comp but when i try to access my computer locks up

 

[Dishdog]

Does it show up in my computer, if so right click it on it and click Format

 

[maanico1]

yea it shows up, but as soon as i click it, it locks up my computer for like 2-3 minutes, and it starts clicking

 

[Dishdog]

even when you right click on it. go into device manager and see if it's installed right.

 

[maanico1]

its installed properly

 

[maanico1]

the error that comes up is that it doesnt function because of an i/o error, dont know what means

 

[maanico1]

is there anyway to just reformat the drive by itself

 

[lurkswithin]

No you can't format the drive by itself. Is it solely powered by the USB connection. If it is...that is what your problem is. try this.... Remove all USB connections from your computer except the mouse/keyboard ( if they are USB) if they are wireless you will have to find a compatable wired set to plug into the PS2 connections on the back of the computer. Now with all usb devices removed plug the Hdd in to the rear USB top port and see if it will work then. If not then try it in the bottom port (1 port is always a bit more powerful than the next adjacent port). If this doesn't work then there is one of two possibilities left
1) the drive has a conflict with another piece of hardware such as a printer or optic drive.
2) the HDD id fixing to dye completely.