Please help in formatting external hard drive to FAT32

Jumpstart

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I bought a new 150GB external harddrive, but unfornately it's in NTFS, meaning although it works on pc, I cannot connect it to my TV.

Damn!

Anyway, I've tried to format it to FAT32, but only EX-FAT is an option. That's still no good. So I've been on forums, tried countless YouTube videos, and many ways of formatting but NONE HAS WORKED.

Even the top software cannot locate the F drive where the external harddrive is. The only options to format or C and D.

NO GOOD.

can someone help. A word of wanring though. What ever advice you give me, I fear I have already tried it. Here's hoping. Thanks. :D
 

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Have you got an old PC anywhere (and a Win 98 - XP installation disc) ?

You could install it as the primary drive and start a first time installation. Before adding the operating system the set up should offer the options of formatting and partitioning.
 

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I could try but I think that would be my final option. It is an option, so thanks for the idea.

I'm just so frustrated, everything I have tried isn't formatting the stupid blinkin' external hard drive. So annoying. :mad:
 

PaulR

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I have used fat32formatter on external hard drives before. It doesn't have to be installed and you just run it by clicking on the exe file. I'll attach to this thread.

It's not fast though. I think it took overnight to format a 320GB hard drive.
 

Attachments

  • Fat32FormatterEN.zip
    188.3 KB · Views: 110

2cvbloke

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Try using EASEUS Partition Master, you can use that to format HDDs into the required format, aswell as repartition if need be... :)

_http://www.partition-tool.com/

It may be a free program, but it's pretty darned powerful and very useful indeed... :)
 

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Thanks for your replies, fellas, but I fear it's all too late.

I happened to come across some 'free' software just after posting this thread. I installed it and clicked on the drive to be formatted. Drive F.

UNFORTUNATELY, one minute later my laptop screen went blank and the computer switched itself off.

It crashed? No, worse than that. Apprently this software had started formatting Drive C.

Hell no. O-no Now the drive is partly formatted and I have lost everything on it. The only saving grace in a way is that I hardly keep anything valuable on the drive C and everything was backed up. BUT, when I tried reinstalling Windows 7, I get this message:

'Error 0XE0000/00' and I cannot coninue. Apparently this is a partition error. Now I have to figure out, how to fix this. Darn it. :mad:
 

2cvbloke

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That's not good at all, you do have to be careful of some free tools on the web, as not all of them appear to what they're supposed to be... :(

Sounds like you need to fully format the C: partition and then try again with reinstalling Windows, although really, windows should do that for you these days, but then it's not that hard to make windows panic and throw up an error (not even sure what that error code is!! Tried googling it, but no results), fingers crossed you get it fixed though... :)
 

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Have you tried rebooting in safe mode ?

There's a (small) chance the core of the operating system is OK, but some peripherals that work in normal mode have been cut up.
 

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No, it's not good at all. In fact, I bought this hard drive from Amazon. I wanted to return it but the company told me to format the drive first to FAT32.

I did it because I thought they wouldn't give me my money back. Now my laptop is all fooked up, and the bill for the repair - if I cannot do it myself - is heading straight to that company.

If he had just accepted the drive wasn't for me, and let me return it, this wouldn't have happened to my laptop. It's only 14 months old, and I've hardly used it. It's more or less brand new. Good job I have another two computers, because then I really would be up the river without a paddle.

I've done some Google searches as well, and it looks like C drive isn corrupted. Looks like I won't be able to fix it, so it's going to cost a hefty packet to repair the laptop. Like I say, the bill is heading right their way. :mad:
 

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Very few hard drives are formatted in FAT these days, and what you are doing is probably better suited to a USB stickk which is formatted ready to use in the set top box.

They will claim you've used third party software to format, which, to be honest is what's caused the data to be erased..


Isn't there a separate partition on the laptop drive for the recovery system ? If the software targetted the C:/ section then you might have something like E:/ or F:/ that could get you back on track.

What was the software you downloaded by the way, just so anyone else can learn a lesson.
 

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I doubt you'll need to send the laptop for repair, you might even be able to save your Windows Operating System, and files, it might just be the MBR that's damaged. How far did the format go, before you stopped it?
If you were supplied with a Windows 7 disk it's unlikely you have a back up, on a hidden partition, as usually you either get the disk or backup, not both.
Try booting up from the Windows 7 disk and selecting the repair option.
If there's nothing on the hard drive, you want to save, then you can format the hard drive and do a fresh install.
If there is anything on the hard drive, you want to recover, try connecting it to another PC and accessing the drive using your main hard drive, this is easier now using SATA connectors, which I assume this hard drive is.
You can also use recovery software, to try and rescue any important documents stored on the hard drive.
 

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Very few hard drives are formatted in FAT these days, and what you are doing is probably better suited to a USB stickk which is formatted ready to use in the set top box.

They will claim you've used third party software to format, which, to be honest is what's caused the data to be erased..


Isn't there a separate partition on the laptop drive for the recovery system ? If the software targetted the C:/ section then you might have something like E:/ or F:/ that could get you back on track.

What was the software you downloaded by the way, just so anyone else can learn a lesson.

Well the thing is I emailed them via Amazon. I requested a refund on return of the drive which was 'unsuitable'. As far as I concerned that was it. I then ordered a different drive.

However, I had an email from the seller refusing a return. 'You need to format the drive, then it will work. ' He gave a link to the software to use. My point is, if he hadn't been so intent on a 'sale', my laptop would still be okay. It was because of HIS action and his refusal to issue a refund that I am in this position. His fault. Not mine. All I wanted was a refund.

I cannot remember the name of the software.
 

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I doubt you'll need to send the laptop for repair, you might even be able to save your Windows Operating System, and files, it might just be the MBR that's damaged. How far did the format go, before you stopped it?
If you were supplied with a Windows 7 disk it's unlikely you have a back up, on a hidden partition, as usually you either get the disk or backup, not both.
Try booting up from the Windows 7 disk and selecting the repair option.
If there's nothing on the hard drive, you want to save, then you can format the hard drive and do a fresh install.
If there is anything on the hard drive, you want to recover, try connecting it to another PC and accessing the drive using your main hard drive, this is easier now using SATA connectors, which I assume this hard drive is.
You can also use recovery software, to try and rescue any important documents stored on the hard drive.

I used Windows 7 recovery disk and could see my C Drive was only 13GB when it should be 500GB. I've tried to format the drive but it only formats 13GB. Where the remaining 487GB has gone, I don't know.

When re-installing Windows 7, I cannot get passed the 'your language' settings. Basically, just one step in. Then I get the error code 0XE0000100

Here's a link to the problem.

ww.vistaheads.com/forums/microsoft-public-windows-vista-general/195459-error-code-0xe0000100.html

ww.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/10565-windows-7-setup-error-0xe0000100.html
 

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However, I had an email from the seller refusing a return. 'You need to format the drive, then it will work. ' He gave a link to the software to use.

I cannot remember the name of the software.

Was it THAT software that you used ?

It is important you remember regardless.

As you are posting, you have a valid system to access the interent, therefore you should be able to find some result from searching.
 

PaulR

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However, I had an email from the seller ... He gave a link to the software to use.
Then all you need to do is access that email from the computer you are using now and tell us what the link is.
 

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Edit:
Oh crap... sorry got it the wrong way round. Accidentally posted a page about how to convert fat to ntfs, not the other way round.

Try using a bootable utility disc like UBCD or Hirens Boot CD. Even a Linux live cd should do the trick.
Should be relatively easy to do.
 

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Do you need to save anything, or try to recover anything, off the hard drive?
If there is nothing important on it then I would use a utility boot up disk, like Hirens, and re-format the hard drive, it should be quite simple to get it showing up as a 500GB drive again.
You could also connect it to your PC, on one of the spare SATA ports, boot up into your PC's operating system then use software to access the disk and try to repair it, recover information, or just format the disk.
 

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GOOD NEWS, FELLAS. :D :D

I found the solution on YouTube. I was up all night trying to find out how I could fix it.

I went here:

httpwww.youtube.com/watch?v=5AFDDokBJZ8


I downloaded a CD, burned ISO, and great, my full hard drive is back and my computer is brand new again. :D :D

Okay, fair enough I had to reinstall Windows 7, but I don't care. My laptop's fixed. :D

Thanks so much for your interest and support. You're so kind. :)
 

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Good to hear. Now it's just a matter of formatting the external hard drive in FAT32!
 

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Good to hear. Now it's just a matter of formatting the external hard drive in FAT32!

The guy who posted that vid has given me a link to some freeware.

ww.verbatim.com/index/search.php?words=32+fat&lang_id=1&basic_search_form_submit.x=13&basic_search_form_submit.y=5

AND THAT WORKED TOO. :D


Yay! I hope this thread helps others with similar problems.

Two MAJOR problems solved today. Great ain't it. :D
 
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