Need to wipe/clean/erase...Just restart my F: Drive

Q21

So my F: drive is not working at all. It just had all my music and photoshop stuff on it, but somthing has corrupted it it some way. I get the Mft error message or w/e it is.

Anyways i am wondering if anybody knows how i can completly wipe my F: Drive and start it all over.

Any information would be very helpful.

Just keep in mind all my operationg system and important stuff is on C: drive ... my F: Drive is the one that only has Photoshop and Music stuff.

Pleeease help.

Thank you

nighthawk · 250+ Club Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 415 Location: SFRJ

Is the F: separate physical hard disc? If it is you can easily zero-fill it.

If it is the same hard disc you can not use zero fill, you can only try to format it, but it success is not guarantied. Have you tried to run chkdsk /r from command promt, maybe it will repair it's errors by itself.

If you decide to format, I recommend ntfs (if you are using windows). After formating (if it isn't zero fill) you can restore most of your files by using programs such as restoration (freeware) or filescavanger (better but isn't free), just do not write anything to that drive before you try to restore files because that will destroy them.

btw sorry if there were any typos, I had to many beers

instinct46 · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 39 Location: St Helens, England

Download a live-cd of linux and use the partitiong software on it, i wud recommend using knoppix, or u cud just use the drive partitioning thing windows xp professional has. If you can as well (wudnt recommend doing this unless you know what your doing) use fdisk (comes with windows and linux) of cfdisk.

nighthawk · 250+ Club Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 415 Location: SFRJ

@instinct46

Could any linux format a partiotion in NTFS!?

I don't think so.

Q21

What do you mean by seperate physical hard disk?

My F: Drive I put in manually for more memory, it did not come with the computer it is just a total seperate drive for my music and photoshop.

And what exactly is Zero-Fill?

nighthawk · 250+ Club Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 415 Location: SFRJ

Separate drive - another hard disc, not just a different partition on the same hard drive.

Zero fill is a kind of formatting where you complete disc space is filled with zeroes before it is formatted in particular file system. This process completely erases all information on hard drive including MFTs and partitions. If you decide to zero fill F: all data on that hard drive will be permanently lost, including other partitions.

Firts try running chkdsk f: /r from command prompt, maybe it will fix the promblem, then format f: from windows, and then finally - if everything else fails do a zero fill.

tombothetominator

Definately run chkdsk first. Then go to the manufacturer's website and see if they have a low-level formatter for your model of drive. If not, then just use a generic zero-fill formatter.

Q21

Alright, looks like ima have to do a Zero-Fill

Can you guys explain what i have to do to do this please?

tombothetominator

What manufacturer / model is your drive?

Q21

I have no idea lol

Will have have to take drive out and actually look at it to find that out

or could i do it under it properties or something?

nighthawk · 250+ Club Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 415 Location: SFRJ

You don't need to take it out.

Properties -> hardware, and if you want to get more information download everest (Lavalys Inc.), you should be logged in as administrator to acceess all the properties.

Q21

So i went Properties hardware and i get a list of disks..

IOMEGA ZIP 100
QUANTUM FIREBALL CX13.0A
WDC WD64AA

I only have two hdd, one of witch is my C: and other is F: (incase that helps)

tombothetominator

Okay, is your F: drive 6.4GB (western digital) or 13GB (quantum fireball, which is owned by maxtor, which was bought out by seagate)?

Edit - also want to make sure of what O/S you are using.

Q21

So im assuming the Quantum one is my F: drive because that drive is 12.0 Gigs

O/S? Operating System? Windows Xp

tombothetominator

Yep, if your F: is 12GB, then the fireball is that drive. Unfortunately, the Quantum company has changed hands a few times, and the current owner (seagate) no longer supports the Quantum drives.
I did find the original quantum fireball series hard disk utilities at:
http://www.technotronic-dimensions.com/quantum.htm

At the bottom of the page is the quantum zero fill utility stand alone boot disk. Just download that, run it, insert a blank floppy, and wait for it to say finish.

You will then have to restart your computer with this disk in the drive, and make sure your computer is set to boot from floppy before hard drive (http://compreviews.about.com/cs/pchardwarebasics/a/aaBIOS_2.htm). Then follow through the program. Make sure that it doesn't zero-fill the other drive (it should auto detect, but if it starts giving you choices of drives, make sure to select the one with the model number that you gave us earlier).

Hope that helps. Smile

Edit: you can also use a generic zero-fill program like wd_clear (google is your friend) to clear it out, but they generally dont work as well as one designed for the hard drive itself.