I have just installed a new 400GB (Seagate Ultra IDE, same type as drive 0)
internal hard drive (1). Using XP's Disk Management, I tried to format the
new drive. I selected NTFS file system (same as drive 0) and default
allocation unit size. Even running overnight, the format did not complete
(and the XP user log-on took a long time). I then switched off my PC manually
(no option to cancel given), and restarted. The new drive (D:) showed up as
having a capacity of 372.61GB, Online and Healthy. However Windows Explorer
gives the error message <D:\ is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect>.
I then tried formatting again, with the Perform a quick format option
selected. The error message <The format did not complete successfully.>
appeared immediately.
Help, please!
--
Maurice

Maurice, I would look here for some help
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.js...00dd04090aRCRD

"Maurice IRL" <Maurice IRL@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1E7B9FAA-C6A7-4272-8878-D6D812DDB845@microsoft.com...
>I have just installed a new 400GB (Seagate Ultra IDE, same type as drive 0)
> internal hard drive (1). Using XP's Disk Management, I tried to format the
> new drive. I selected NTFS file system (same as drive 0) and default
> allocation unit size. Even running overnight, the format did not complete
> (and the XP user log-on took a long time). I then switched off my PC
> manually
> (no option to cancel given), and restarted. The new drive (D:) showed up
> as
> having a capacity of 372.61GB, Online and Healthy. However Windows
> Explorer
> gives the error message <D:\ is not accessible. The parameter is
> incorrect>.
> I then tried formatting again, with the Perform a quick format option
> selected. The error message <The format did not complete successfully.>
> appeared immediately.
> Help, please!
> --
> Maurice

"Maurice IRL" <Maurice IRL@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
>I have just installed a new 400GB (Seagate Ultra IDE, same type as drive 0)
> internal hard drive (1). Using XP's Disk Management, I tried to format the
> new drive. I selected NTFS file system (same as drive 0) and default
> allocation unit size. Even running overnight, the format did not complete
> (and the XP user log-on took a long time). I then switched off my PC
> manually
> (no option to cancel given), and restarted. The new drive (D:) showed up
> as
> having a capacity of 372.61GB, Online and Healthy. However Windows
> Explorer
> gives the error message <D:\ is not accessible. The parameter is
> incorrect>.
> I then tried formatting again, with the Perform a quick format option
> selected. The error message <The format did not complete successfully.>
> appeared immediately.

Your post is unclear. You state, "Even running overnight, the format did
not complete..." Doing a full format on a drive that large can take a long
time. Did you let it finish? Run a drive diagnostic on it which you can
download from the Seagate site. You may need to write zero's to the drive
and then reformat and let it complete.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

Many thanks, Rich. I got the help (and education!) I needed from your Seagate
site reference.
--
Maurice


"Rich Barry" wrote:

> Maurice, I would look here for some help
> http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.js...00dd04090aRCRD
>
> "Maurice IRL" <Maurice IRL@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:1E7B9FAA-C6A7-4272-8878-D6D812DDB845@microsoft.com...
> >I have just installed a new 400GB (Seagate Ultra IDE, same type as drive 0)
> > internal hard drive (1). Using XP's Disk Management, I tried to format the
> > new drive. I selected NTFS file system (same as drive 0) and default
> > allocation unit size. Even running overnight, the format did not complete
> > (and the XP user log-on took a long time). I then switched off my PC
> > manually
> > (no option to cancel given), and restarted. The new drive (D:) showed up
> > as
> > having a capacity of 372.61GB, Online and Healthy. However Windows
> > Explorer
> > gives the error message <D:\ is not accessible. The parameter is
> > incorrect>.
> > I then tried formatting again, with the Perform a quick format option
> > selected. The error message <The format did not complete successfully.>
> > appeared immediately.
> > Help, please!
> > --
> > Maurice
>
>
>

Rock: Many thanks. It turned out that the BIOS was not set to AUTO detection
of the new drive. When I corrected this, the drive formatted OK, in about 2
hours.
--
Maurice


"Rock" wrote:

> "Maurice IRL" <Maurice IRL@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> >I have just installed a new 400GB (Seagate Ultra IDE, same type as drive 0)
> > internal hard drive (1). Using XP's Disk Management, I tried to format the
> > new drive. I selected NTFS file system (same as drive 0) and default
> > allocation unit size. Even running overnight, the format did not complete
> > (and the XP user log-on took a long time). I then switched off my PC
> > manually
> > (no option to cancel given), and restarted. The new drive (D:) showed up
> > as
> > having a capacity of 372.61GB, Online and Healthy. However Windows
> > Explorer
> > gives the error message <D:\ is not accessible. The parameter is
> > incorrect>.
> > I then tried formatting again, with the Perform a quick format option
> > selected. The error message <The format did not complete successfully.>
> > appeared immediately.
>
> Your post is unclear. You state, "Even running overnight, the format did
> not complete..." Doing a full format on a drive that large can take a long
> time. Did you let it finish? Run a drive diagnostic on it which you can
> download from the Seagate site. You may need to write zero's to the drive
> and then reformat and let it complete.
>
> --
> Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]
>
>

Great, Maurice, glad you have a resolution and thanks for posting back the
outcome.

"Maurice IRL" <Maurice IRL@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> Rock: Many thanks. It turned out that the BIOS was not set to AUTO
> detection
> of the new drive. When I corrected this, the drive formatted OK, in about
> 2
> hours.
> --
> Maurice
>
>
> "Rock" wrote:
>
>> "Maurice IRL" <Maurice IRL@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
>> >I have just installed a new 400GB (Seagate Ultra IDE, same type as drive
>> >0)
>> > internal hard drive (1). Using XP's Disk Management, I tried to format
>> > the
>> > new drive. I selected NTFS file system (same as drive 0) and default
>> > allocation unit size. Even running overnight, the format did not
>> > complete
>> > (and the XP user log-on took a long time). I then switched off my PC
>> > manually
>> > (no option to cancel given), and restarted. The new drive (D:) showed
>> > up
>> > as
>> > having a capacity of 372.61GB, Online and Healthy. However Windows
>> > Explorer
>> > gives the error message <D:\ is not accessible. The parameter is
>> > incorrect>.
>> > I then tried formatting again, with the Perform a quick format option
>> > selected. The error message <The format did not complete successfully.>
>> > appeared immediately.
>>
>> Your post is unclear. You state, "Even running overnight, the format did
>> not complete..." Doing a full format on a drive that large can take a
>> long
>> time. Did you let it finish? Run a drive diagnostic on it which you can
>> download from the Seagate site. You may need to write zero's to the
>> drive
>> and then reformat and let it complete.
>>
>> --
>> Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]
>>
>>



--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]