Cant access SamSung HHD

Have a SamSung 10 GB HDD that Iam trying (again) to access and format for later use.BIO detects it and when we run SamSungs diagnostic program it says that harddrive is operable and ok.Currently useing XP OS to attempt formating but no icon appears to show the harddrive and allow access.Had tried formating this harddrive about two years ago useing 98SE OS and had same problem.
In my past research I remember something about the possiability that a partioning program might have been used at some time in its past which could cause these symptoms.Would anyone know in- detail about this?
Thanks in advance for any in put.

 

Have you tried formatting it with a boot disk?

 

I think what you should do in this case, is to try and use an FDISK to partition and format again...

 

Just a thought but is the HDD a Master on it's own IDE cable or a Slave on the Primary IDE. Make sure the jumpers are set right.

You could also do as Chris H and denko777 suggest but make sure it's the only HDD attached to the PC as Master.

 

Thank you.....

THank you for the in-put.Tried a boot disk when I attempted to format using the 98SE OS two years ago....back then as now,jumpers are correct but still unable to access harddrive to format.Have also tried different configurations for installation but still no access is available.Would a partioning program block access?This is a" hand me down " hardrive so I dont know what its true history of programing is other then Win.98 was installed.

 

Have you tried booting with 98 disk and running Fdisk? Fdisk should show the partition, size, if it's active etc.

 

I have had problems with a drive partitioned with Partition Magic. Ran the PM bootdisk and it identified and fixed the problem even before loading the program. May not help you though if you don't have the original partitioning program.

I am wondering if the drive may have the Samsung (Ontrack) Disk Manager (dynamic drive overlay) and it is corrupt. I looked at the Samsung site, but their instructions and faqs are only basic (and not very well written). Since you have nothing to lose, try running "erase mbr" in the Samsung utilities program. I could find no instructions for this, so it looks like you just run Fdisk from a Win 98 boot floppy and partition the drive after (if a boot floppy can "see" the drive?). Edit: I wouldn't hold my breath, but see if there are any help/instructions on the utilities disk.

If worse comes to worst, install the Disk Manager. It should run with that (??), but do not expect it to handle changes in your hardware configuration very well. If it plays up, reinstall it. IBM/Hitachi no longer offer the Ontrack Disk Manager on their site, too many problems I would say.
Edit2: make sure the Disk Manager does not get installed on the wrong drive. Remove your other HDDs if this may be a possibility, same with "erase mbr ".

Matt

 

Expanding on LDTate's advice.

You can't format any new HDD unless you make a partition first.

You format a partition, not the hard drive.

Even if you want to use the whole thing as one drive, you must first make a partition that includes the whole drive.

 

Info on partitioning:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255867&Product=w98

 

And they wonder why I don't like all that HDD mfg third party stuff ..... Been in the same pickle and my approach is usually to pull out the Partiton Magic disks and get rid of whatever ails the drive re: utilities, compression, Raid configuration, hidden garbage, whatever -