(Mar 2, 2012 02:52 PM)Rolex™ Wrote:  See if you can detect the HDD via the device manager. If your on Windows 7/Vista you can just search "Device Manager" and you will see it. If you can't find it there. If you really want to format via command prompt then enter this: **please know, everything will be lost**

Code

Format [HDD Letter Drive] /q

(Mar 2, 2012 03:54 PM)The BackPack Hacker Wrote:  I have previously found it on device manager. But how do I know what letter it is?

*edit: It was named samsung somethin hdd so idk how to extract the drive letter.

(Mar 2, 2012 05:11 PM)The BackPack Hacker Wrote:  Visable drives:
Spoiler (Click to View)[img]http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6619/63687155.jpg[/img]
Device manager (External we are formating):
Spoiler (Click to View)[img]http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/6007/79846250.png[/img]

(Mar 2, 2012 05:21 PM)The BackPack Hacker Wrote:  F:
Spoiler (Click to View)[img]http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/1325/13219535.png[/img]

(Mar 2, 2012 09:55 PM)Polymath 1.0 Wrote:  You can see the drive in Device Manager therefore Windows has identified the hardware as connected. To fix it open the Disk Manager by typing diskmgmt.msc + enter in the Search Dialogue box of the Start Menu. Once the Disk Management Console is open see if the USB drive is listed and its' partition type as Simple Basic and file type is NTFS and if so right click on it and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.... In the dialogue window that results either select Add or Change depending if a drive letter is currently associated with it or not.

If it doesn't have a drive letter then click the Add button and tick the bullet Assign the following drive letter and select a letter such as N: in the drop down box. If a letter is currently assigned do the same but select in the drop down box again a letter such a N:. Selecting and assigning a letter will force Windows to Mount the drive and should then be visible in Windows explorer. An unmounted drive is not visible in Windows Explorer. You want to assign a letter such as N: that hasn't likely been automatically assigned by Windows previously so as to avoid having a conflicting hardware profile for your removable HD as that can be a source of automatic mounting problems with drives.

I realize that you stated you wanted to format as FAT32 but you are better advised to format as NTFS as FAT32 will limit the drive to 32GB and a max file size of 4GB. As well FAT32 lacks the self healing that the NTFS file system employs and is much more prone to file table corruption and cross linking errors. If you insist on FAT32 you will have to create multiple 32GB partitions on a large HD to have any really useful space. Also if you plan on sharing that drive with an XBox (the only conceivable reason to use FAT32) be aware that XBox is legendary for really screwing data on it unrecoverably if you make a mistake while in XBox.

Take care