Comments for How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Comment from Chris on 2009-11-19

2009-11-19T08:33:41Z

i followed the steps as listed, but once i selected "delete partition" the entire drive dissapeared. i didn't get an unallocated or healthy message. now my computer won't even recognize my external drive. what do i do now?

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

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Comment from swis cana on 2009-10-23

2009-10-24T00:36:00Z

WinXPh external 500GB USB drive it FAT32. I want to split it into 40% FAT 60% NTSF. Reducing partition size (PM8) offers available values as current=smallest=largest = maximum size 500GB.
There is no choice. Adjusting NEW value to reduce partition size ends up in screen showing values new equal to current values. The disk is not empty. Size reduction is less than existing data amount (lots of space).
PM8 works fine with built-in disk.

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

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Comment from John McVey on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T17:26:17Z

Leo you rock!
I thought I had killed my 250GB LaCie external hard drive but with your excellent and easy to follow tutorial I was able to retrieve full use.
Thanks again,
John McVey

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

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Comment from Gokilavanan Rajagopal on 2009-09-07

2009-09-08T01:26:42Z

Thank you managed to partition 1000Gb EHD 4 partition

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

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Comment from snail on 2009-08-14

2009-08-14T17:30:04Z

A little bit of research and I am still not quite certain:

"C: [PRIMARY PARTITION]is the only bootable one and is where all the DOS system files reside. Regular files can reside wherever you want them to."
.)[PRIMARY PARTITION] added to explain context

.)Then only on a primary can bootable files and OS's reside?
.)I would need a primary partition for EACH OS (unique to each computer) I wish to have, correct?
.)Within a single extended partition can I have more than one partition... or separate space?(I believe it was termed as a "Logical drive"...)

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Comment from snail on 2009-08-14

2009-08-14T17:15:22Z

If I want to load OS's on this from multiple computers (hot-swappable), which partitions should I use and how should I format? My OS's need NTFS.
According to the partition options in Windows, I can have with Primary 1 to 3 primary partitions AND only 1 extended partition OR 4 primary partitions. Whereas with extended, I can have MORE than 4 partitions...
If I use extended, what do I miss out? What does a primary partition have which is missing in an extended partition? What do extended partitions have which primary partitions don't?

How can I do a HARD format(clear entire contents(all data) of HDD? I read this is the only way to erase some viruses and want to know how to do this when/if reusing a hard drive for an OS.

In install mode(XP) from disc which partition type(s) does it use/allow?

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Comment from David on 2009-07-12

2009-07-12T15:34:54Z

When I delete the partition it will only give me the option to create new ones in NTFS format.

I want to create a partition in FAT32 format.

Can anyone tell me how to do that?

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Javed E. Qureshi on 2009-07-07

2009-07-08T06:38:15Z

Please let me know if i can
1) Partition my External Disk
2) Make it Bootable
3) Install Windows & Office Applications
So that it works as a Virtual PC when connected to any another System, where i am not logged in as administrator.

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Vishal on 2009-06-22

2009-06-22T17:33:31Z

Thanks Leo. I have been able to format my 500Gb external HDD which I bought with an enclosure. It happen that the HDD was not preformated and thanks to your guidance I have been able to do it. Many Thanks again.
Vishal from Mauritius

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Jacq on 2009-04-17

2009-04-18T04:11:50Z

Thank you so much! I had just bought my new external hard drive and your well written instructions saved me from heart failure..lol.. when I thought I had messed up with the formatting.

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Arya on 2009-04-14

2009-04-14T16:05:49Z

Hi Leo
Thanks trillion times.For Such clear guiding steps.Your instructions are invery simple english but so precise and accurate.with your help i partitioned my 1TB external hard disk.Keep it up.Thank U

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Muhammad Azam on 2009-04-03

2009-04-03T13:23:58Z

thanks you soo much ... i bought Maxtor 350 external HDD yesterday ..and i forgot to ask the shopkeeper to format it for me .... after searching about it on net i came across your step by step process ... thanks ..

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Saurav Singh on 2009-04-02

2009-04-02T11:40:21Z

Thanks a lot for this really simple guide. this is a very basic and often needed task and even windows help confuses you beautifully.

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Swapna on 2009-03-27

2009-03-27T14:51:41Z

Had just bought a new external HDD and didnt know how to partition it. Your step-by-step process was fantastic! Never had to think about anything just followed your instructions to the T! Thanks a lot...

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from eva on 2009-03-10

2009-03-10T10:16:49Z

Hey! I followed all of the above steps for my LaCie 500G external desktop drive and I continually have the same problem...after being connected for a while, it disconnects and a message appears: usb device not recognized...every single time...it's turning me nuts...Initially I had not formatted so I threw everything out and formatted it as stated here...no luck..after 5 hours of formatting the thing still disconnects...very frustrating...please help

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Robert on 2009-03-04

2009-03-05T01:39:23Z

I bought a hard drive (500g) and a HD enclosure. How do i format this drive from scratch. It shows as Maxtor Grizzle in Device Manager, but does not register when i do manage/ my computer. Only internal drives show.??

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Ray Gonda on 2009-02-16

2009-02-16T15:15:38Z

I have two new Vista Home premiun systems, a Win98SE system, a Win 95 system, and a 3.11 system. I will keep the question simple and expand it later as needed.

Can all of these systems access and read/write an external hard disk through a network. I have a D-Link 825-Dir dual band router with WiFi and gigabit cable (4 ports)capabilities?

I would expect to make a separate partition on that external hard disk for each of the systems backups. Is all of this reasonable?

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Alexov54 on 2008-11-30

2008-12-01T04:12:48Z

Must echo Ajit's comments above. Nice to see this sort of thing explained so well and with such clear english. When I put XP Pro onto a new HDD the other day, it prompted me to create a partition, and I did that, only to now find that most of the hard disk is listed as Unallocated, and I am so far unable to do anything about it. If I try to follow the "wizard" in Disk Manager, it seems to work but then keeps coming up with an error. Must be some way around this....I am sparing you the lengthy details, of course, but hope to use your article to sort out the problem. Thanks again!

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Basma on 2008-10-24

2008-10-24T15:49:03Z

my hard is new i hink it isn't pre-partitioned so removable disk space didn't apper in the list of the drivers.what's your advice??
thanks in advance.

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Ajit Shinde on 2008-09-15

2008-09-15T14:05:14Z

Dear Sir,

I have never seen such a good piece of step-by-step instructions. Being a non IT person I found your above article "to the point and precise". Excellent methodology employed here. Paticularly what I liked most was there was no ambiguity whatsoever and where ever possible, the instructions are backed by logical reasoning. Thanks a million. Keep the goo work going.

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Vinayak on 2008-07-30

2008-07-30T18:49:06Z

Thanks a lot.I have tried the above method but delete partition menu is grayed out.I logged in as administrator.Can you suggest any other solution?
Thanks again for simple yet informative article.

All I can think of is that you likely cannot delete the system partition while it's in use. Thus you may have to boot from another media (much like what it takes to reformat the system drive).

-Leo

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Gurvin on 2008-07-23

2008-07-23T20:32:59Z

I didn't know about this RSS search. You answer all the "BASIC" questions I have been wanting to get answered all the time.
AMAZING. Many times I simply BROWSE actually FINDING questions and then feel "hey! I always wanted to know that. I cant believe I still don't know that after being computer-literate for 12 years."

Thanks.
Your Fan,
Gurvin.

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Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Richard Broberg on 2008-07-22

2008-07-23T01:10:23Z

Try booting with (horrors) the 98SE Emergency Startup Disk and use (gulp) FDISK.

I realize that DOS is beneath contempt, but it has its uses, even now.

NTFS is not all it's cranked up to be. FAT32 works very well and any Microsoft OS can read FAT32, except maybe 3.1.

Slave drives using FAT32 are transportable between or among other Microsoft PCs with, in my experience, no problems.

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from peter on 2008-07-19

2008-07-19T20:04:00Z

Nice lesson leo , thanks for your creativity in articles and explanations.
http://www.fosdir.com

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A comment on: How do I format and partition my new external hard disk?

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