[Rommel]

Hi all,

I just installed a new Western Digital WD2500JB-00REA0 HDD for a friend. At the moment bios sees it. Device manager sees it.

In control panel, add new hardware sees it and says its working properly. However, my computer only shows C: drive.

When first installed it showed on task bar new device found.

We did a update online search through windows but came up empty.

This HDD was just removed from the unopened static bag 30 minutes ago.

I am not sure whats going on.

Thanks for any and all replies.

Rommel

[smax013]

Is it an OEM drive? If so, did you format it? OEM drives do NOT come formatted.

[Rommel]

THX for the reply smax.

I do not know if it is OEM.

I also do not know how to format it if I can't access it through windows.

Do you think partition magic would help?

Rommel

[tman]

assuming you are in win XP-- right click on 'my computer' icon select 'manage' in dialog box that opens look at 'Disk Management' see if it shows up there---then right click the drive and select format--the disk management dialog usually shows a list of drives in the top right hand pane and a bar with the drives in the lower right hand pane--right click the bar in the lower pane to format, change drive letter, etc note: DO NOT click 'activate' or 'reactivate' or your machine will become unbootable since there is no OS on the drive.



the process for Vista is similar

[smax013]

Rommel said:

THX for the reply smax.


I do not know if it is OEM.


I also do not know how to format it if I can't access it through windows.


Do you think partition magic would help?


Rommel

Where did you buy it? Did it come in a box? Or just in the anti-static bag? Did it come with cables?

I buy my drives from NewEgg...and they are all OEM. They come only in the anti-static bag (usually wrapped in bubble wrap for protection) and do not come with any cables or software.

[Rommel]

A friend gave me the hdd only in the sealed bag. I inturn gave it to my friend who bought my dell 4550 about 2 yrs ago.

I have no clue how the hdd was originally purchased.

Why is it not visible when I click my computer yet it is in device manager, bios, and add new hardware.

It also says in prperties that is working properly.

I should see it as D drive but it is not an icon anywhere.

Does partition magic fix this or what else is needed?

I can't format if I don't have an icon to click.

Rommel

[tman]

did you read post #3 in this string?

[smax013]

Rommel said:

A friend gave me the hdd only in the sealed bag. I inturn gave it to my friend who bought my dell 4550 about 2 yrs ago.


I have no clue how the hdd was originally purchased.


Why is it not visible when I click my computer yet it is in device manager, bios, and add new hardware.


It also says in prperties that is working properly.


I should see it as D drive but it is not an icon anywhere.


Does partition magic fix this or what else is needed?


I can't format if I don't have an icon to click.


Rommel

Follow the instructions to get to Disk Management from a few posts up by [~17129] and you should be able to format it from there. Once that is done, it should mount in Windows.

[Rommel]

Tman,

I am really sorry we somehow missed your post. It would had been interesting to try that.

We did put partition magic disc in and it found the drive but said it was unallocated.

Through PM we allocated as NFTS and drive F.

It is up and running now.

Thank you guys for your quick replies.

Rommel

[rgreen4]

For a while new drives came pre-formatted as FAT32, but now a lot come in an "uninitialized" state.

[Rommel]

I saved tmans post as a future referance.

Being they are becoming uninitialized, I won't be surprised if I see this again.

Rommel

[smax013]

rgreen4 said:

For a while new drives came pre-formatted as FAT32, but now a lot come in an "uninitialized" state.

I believe retail drives still come formatted, but I could be wrong...I have not bought a retail hard drive in a LONG, LONG time.

I can definitely say that OEM drives do NOT come formatted.