External drive and Windows 10??
Jan 9, 2017 07:26:59 #
Windows 10 says I need to reformat my external drive before I can use it. I was using it for some time without any problems after going to Win 10, but now it's prompting to reformat! The only problem is when I start to reformat it says that all data will be lost??? I read somewhere that if I use a quick reformat that my data will remain long enough to recapture. Has anyone had this problem and if so can you help?
Jan 9, 2017 07:34:43 #
Try checking it for errors first. On a quick format, you MAY be able to recover most of what's there. Right click on the drive. Click properties. Then tools. Then check for errors.
Jan 9, 2017 07:35:00 #
Sirsnapalot wrote:
Windows 10 says I need to reformat my external drive before I can use it. I was using it for some time without any problems after going to Win 10, but now it's prompting to reformat! The only problem is when I start to reformat it says that all data will be lost??? I read somewhere that if I use a quick reformat that my data will remain long enough to recapture. Has anyone had this problem and if so can you help?
Reformatting overwrites the indexes of all the files on the drive, making them invisible (gone). They can be recovered with the right software, but only if you do a quick format.
Jan 9, 2017 07:40:20 #
Sirsnapalot wrote:
Windows 10 says I need to reformat my external drive before I can use it. I was using it for some time without any problems after going to Win 10, but now it's prompting to reformat! The only problem is when I start to reformat it says that all data will be lost??? I read somewhere that if I use a quick reformat that my data will remain long enough to recapture. Has anyone had this problem and if so can you help?
It always say all data will be lost, even with a new drive. Can you try it on a different computer?
Might help -
https://www.icare-recovery.com/howto/windows-10-says-not-formatted-error-do-you-want-to-format-it-now.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/264375-hard-drive-wants-me-format-but-there-data.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1947114/fix-external-hard-drive-formatted.html
https://www.wintips.org/fix-you-need-to-format-the-disk-before-you-can-use-it-problem-after-improper-usb-unplug/
Jan 9, 2017 08:14:56 #
This is just one reason I ALWAYS back up all my images onto THREE external USB drives. They are cheap and redundancy = security.
Try the drive on another computer. If that computer will accept the drive, copy all files onto a second drive. Now take the problem drive back to your Windows 10 computer and do a full reformat, not just the quick one. Once it is formated, you can copy your images back onto it.
Try the drive on another computer. If that computer will accept the drive, copy all files onto a second drive. Now take the problem drive back to your Windows 10 computer and do a full reformat, not just the quick one. Once it is formated, you can copy your images back onto it.
Jan 9, 2017 08:55:41 #
Sirsnapalot wrote:
Windows 10 says I need to reformat my external drive before I can use it. I was using it for some time without any problems after going to Win 10, but now it's prompting to reformat! The only problem is when I start to reformat it says that all data will be lost??? I read somewhere that if I use a quick reformat that my data will remain long enough to recapture. Has anyone had this problem and if so can you help?
============================
I have installed a Seagate external 5 TB. & a 4 TB on my Asus with Win. 10.
I just plugged them in and the both have preformed fine.
Can't imagine what your problem might be.
Jan 9, 2017 09:18:07 #
charles tabb wrote:
============================
I have installed a Seagate external 5 TB. & a 4 TB on my Asus with Win. 10.
I just plugged them in and the both have preformed fine.
Can't imagine what your problem might be.
I have installed a Seagate external 5 TB. & a 4 TB on my Asus with Win. 10.
I just plugged them in and the both have preformed fine.
Can't imagine what your problem might be.
I bought a 2TB Seagate external drive and it produced errors. I replaced it and the new one works fine. New or not, drives can be bad or go bad.
Jan 9, 2017 13:00:05 #
Jan 10, 2017 08:04:01 #
Sirsnapalot wrote:
Windows 10 says I need to reformat my external drive before I can use it. I was using it for some time without any problems after going to Win 10, but now it's prompting to reformat! The only problem is when I start to reformat it says that all data will be lost??? I read somewhere that if I use a quick reformat that my data will remain long enough to recapture. Has anyone had this problem and if so can you help?
My external drives are all working fine with Windows 10. I have several WD USB and USB3 drives and a very large external Ethernet cloud cabinet with 4tb & 6tb drives in it. all are reporting correct sizes and all of the data is readable and intact. I would check your externals on another computer and see if they are readable there. I did have one external fail but it is an older IDE Seagate drive. I've (having worked for Seagate) never had any confidence or luck with Seagate drives. My WD, Toshiba and Hitachi drives have all been and still are rock solid (and Seagate hasn't managed to purchase those companies and ruin them or their products).
Jan 10, 2017 08:53:45 #
DONT reformat your drive. I had the same problem with a Seagate external drive a few times. All I did was unplug the drive and plug it back in and let Windows find the drive again. It always found it properly the second time. It only happened a couple of times after Win 10 installed and hasn't happened since. I have 2 different Seagates and happened on both. I have another drive with a different company and didn't happen at all with that one, knock on wood. My guess is that Win 10 had to find the proper driver for the Seagate drives before it would stop not finding the drive. But your data is likely there if you haven't reformatted the drive and will work.
Mike
Mike
Jan 10, 2017 12:00:22 #
DavidPhares wrote:
This is just one reason I ALWAYS back up all my images onto THREE external USB drives. They are cheap and redundancy = security.
Try the drive on another computer. If that computer will accept the drive, copy all files onto a second drive. Now take the problem drive back to your Windows 10 computer and do a full reformat, not just the quick one. Once it is formated, you can copy your images back onto it.
Try the drive on another computer. If that computer will accept the drive, copy all files onto a second drive. Now take the problem drive back to your Windows 10 computer and do a full reformat, not just the quick one. Once it is formated, you can copy your images back onto it.
I concur
Jan 10, 2017 14:21:40 #
charles tabb wrote:
============================
I have installed a Seagate external 5 TB. & a 4 TB on my Asus with Win. 10.
I just plugged them in and the both have preformed fine.
Can't imagine what your problem might be.
I have installed a Seagate external 5 TB. & a 4 TB on my Asus with Win. 10.
I just plugged them in and the both have preformed fine.
Can't imagine what your problem might be.
If enough sectors have bad bytes, any OS will have trouble reading it. After trying many times it may just give up and error out like this. Another computer may have a somewhat different tolerance level or result so it is worth trying that.
Full reformatting will lock out the bad sectors and make the drive usable again.
A really good option though, is to buy a copy of Steve Gibson's program "SpinRite" and apply it. https://www.grc.com/intro.htm
Spinrite has save my butt many times over the years that I've been doing computer work. (I may be incompetent now, but I've owned two computer companies and was an MCSE for years.)
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.