Format external HDD
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- BronzeLounger
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Format external HDD
I got a good deal on an external 2TB USB2 HDD yesterday. I decided to format the disk after reviewing (and rejecting) the backup software that came pre-installed. It's now been about 12 hours and the job is only halfway finished judging by the progress bar. Is this normal? (Win 7 Home Premium x64)
Regards,
Paul
The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts his sails.
Paul
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
I've never had anything larger than 500 gig, so I don't know about yours. I didn't time it the last time I had to format one but I remember that it DID take a LONG time.PaulB wrote:I got a good deal on an external 2TB USB2 HDD yesterday. I decided to format the disk after reviewing (and rejecting) the backup software that came pre-installed. It's now been about 12 hours and the job is only halfway finished judging by the progress bar. Is this normal? (Win 7 Home Premium x64)
My most recent purchase(s) were already formatted so all I had to do was convert them from FAT32 to NTFS.
Twelve hours DOES seem awfully long, but you might give it some more time before you abandon, especially if the progress bar does look like "something" is happening.
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- Administrator
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Re: Format external HDD
Going by some of the responses in Time to format a 2TB drive? - AnandTech Forums, it seems to depend on your connection - and USB doesn't look fast (#16)
Leif
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- BronzeLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
Thanks, Leif. Based on the information provided in the link. it looks like full formats of terabyte USB2 drives are usually measured in days instead of hours or minutes. I'll let the formatting hum along in the background as it does seem to be working. The lights are blinking and the progress bar is progressing (albeit slowly).
I think that in the future I will be looking at eSATA or USB3 disks instead of USB2. I wonder if the good deals on USB2 HDDs are due to trying to reduce existing inventory prior to the mass release of USB3 devices.
Al, how did you convert from FAT32 to NTFS? Quick format?
(Update: 12 to 15 hours into the format. Looks like it is about 60% complete.)
(Update 2: Now 2:00 PM, 75% complete.)
I think that in the future I will be looking at eSATA or USB3 disks instead of USB2. I wonder if the good deals on USB2 HDDs are due to trying to reduce existing inventory prior to the mass release of USB3 devices.
Al, how did you convert from FAT32 to NTFS? Quick format?
(Update: 12 to 15 hours into the format. Looks like it is about 60% complete.)
(Update 2: Now 2:00 PM, 75% complete.)
Last edited by PaulB on 28 Aug 2010, 18:08, edited 1 time in total.
Regards,
Paul
The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts his sails.
Paul
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
My 2 TB drive (admittedly internal!) seemed to be formatted already, and a quick format took about 30 seconds!
John Gray
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- Administrator
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Re: Format external HDD
You have an internal USB drive?John Gray wrote:My 2 TB drive (admittedly internal!) seemed to be formatted already, and a quick format took about 30 seconds!
Best wishes,
Hans
Hans
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
At a command prompt. But note that I did mine in XP. Not familiar (yet) whether it's the same for Win7.PaulB wrote:... Al, how did you convert from FAT32 to NTFS?
See here: How to convert a FAT16 volume or a FAT32 volume to an NTFS file system in Windows XP
EDITED: Here's the page for Windows 7. Looks the same but for the "Run As Administrator." Convert a hard disk or partition to NTFS format
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
Standard Windows utility that is called CONVERT serves this purposePaulB wrote: how did you convert from FAT32 to NTFS?
Just go to the Command Prompt and execute the command:
C:\> CONVERT C: /fs:ntfs
Where C: is a name of the drive you want to convert.
After machine re-boot conversion process will start and you'll have your FAT32 converted to NTFS without of data loss.
BOB
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If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.
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- BronzeLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
Al, Bob: Now I feel like a dummy... I shoulda known that! Is a convert a lengthy process? Does it depend on how much data is on the disk or partition?
Regards,
Paul
The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts his sails.
Paul
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
Seems to me it didn't take very long to convert? Disk size is a key but for your size, I would start it up before dinner time and it should be done before dessert.PaulB wrote:Al, Bob: Now I feel like a dummy... I shoulda known that! Is a convert a lengthy process? Does it depend on how much data is on the disk or partition?
BOB
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If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.
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If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.
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- BronzeLounger
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Re: Format external HDD
FINALLY! The format that started late yesterday evening has successfully completed at 7:10 PM this evening.
Regards,
Paul
The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts his sails.
Paul