External hard drive problem

[Chips]

I have a 40 gig external hard drive I use, and it was getting clustered up and I wanted to clear everything on it. I went to format it, and at 99% done, I got an error "windows could not format." So I tried opening my external, but I received the message "Hard drive is not formatted. Please format" or something like that.

So, I did as Windows told, and went to format it again. Surprise surprise, at 99% I got the same error, "windows could not format." Now I'm stuck with an external hard drive that does nothing. I could care less about the information lost (I was trying to get rid of it anyway) but I just want to get a working external hard drive again (without having to exchange it for a new one/buy a new one). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[SephYuyX]

Its not failing at 99%, its just failing. Try doing a quick format and it will fail just the same. Your doing this by right clicking the drive and clicking 'format' yes? Or via Disk Management?

I assume you are trying to reformat in NTFS? Try it in FAT/32 and see what happens; usually its the other way around, FAT/32 usually fails and NTSF works.

Run a check disk too, go to the properties page of the drive and go to tools and click error check. Then try to format again. More indepth info on how to do a manual check disk http://www.computerhope.com/chkdskh.htm

If none of that works try a free 3rd party program, just google 'hd reformat programs' or the like and youll see a bunch.

Also, if you have a newer computer/copy of windows, boot up the comp to windows setup and just format it that way. If you have a boot disk + drivers able to access your external drive, you can get to a command prompt and do it old dos style. Doing it from their will format it regardless of any errors, so its a last resort because even though it refomated, there may be problems down the road.


Edited a bit.

[Chips]

I try to format by double clicking "Local disk E." And is it not right that I don't have the file system FAT/32?

[SephYuyX]

Double clicking?

Go to My Computer and right click the drive and then click 'Format'.

A dialog will come up, click quick format and then start. If that doesnt work, go to the file system drop down and select FAT32 and quick format, then start.

If that doesnt work d/l a free program.