Problems with Initializing Disk?

Illogic wrote:

> I recently acquired another hard drive for the extra storage space. However,
> when I go to initialize in the Disk Manager, instead of showing me a Wizard
> like the help for the Disk says it should, it just lets me select the drive
> and select OK. When I select OK, it computes for a moment and exits, but does
> NOT initialize my disk.
>
> Any pointers? Am I missing something?

What does initializing have to do with formatting? Initializing updates
the partition table along with saving a disk signature (part of the MBR;
see [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record[/URL]) that gets also
saved in the registry (to track the disk regardless of how it gets moved
around rather than use the old BIOS scheme for detection order in
assigning drive letters) along with defining whether you are
adding/extending a basic or dynamic volume using that hard disk.

Initializing takes only a few seconds. Now you'll have to format the
partitions (after you create them) on the newly added hard disk.

[URL="http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/prepare_second_hdd/prepare_second_hdd1.shtml"]http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/prepare_second_hdd/prepare_second_hdd1.shtml[/URL]
To prepare a hard disk drive involves the following...
¡E Initialize
¡E Create A Partition
¡E Format A Partition

Since the disk has already been initialized because it is a used disk
from another Windows host, there isn't much to initialize. At this
point, the only time you'll probably see some initializing is if you
change between using basic and dynamic volumes. Initializing an already
initialized disk does do much (I think the disk signature might be
updated but perhaps only if a conflict is found with another volume that
already has the same signature).

You did not install a new hard disk (that needs initializing). You
installed a *used* hard disk that was already initialized.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk? 

"VanguardLH" wrote:

> Illogic wrote:
>
> > I recently acquired another hard drive for the extra storage space. However,
> > when I go to initialize in the Disk Manager, instead of showing me a Wizard
> > like the help for the Disk says it should, it just lets me select the drive
> > and select OK. When I select OK, it computes for a moment and exits, but does
> > NOT initialize my disk.
> >
> > Any pointers? Am I missing something?
>
> What does initializing have to do with formatting? Initializing updates
> the partition table along with saving a disk signature (part of the MBR;
> see [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record[/URL]) that gets also
> saved in the registry (to track the disk regardless of how it gets moved
> around rather than use the old BIOS scheme for detection order in
> assigning drive letters) along with defining whether you are
> adding/extending a basic or dynamic volume using that hard disk.
>
> Initializing takes only a few seconds. Now you'll have to format the
> partitions (after you create them) on the newly added hard disk.
>
> [URL="http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/prepare_second_hdd/prepare_second_hdd1.shtml"]http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/prepare_second_hdd/prepare_second_hdd1.shtml[/URL]
> To prepare a hard disk drive involves the following...
> ‧ Initialize
> ‧ Create A Partition
> ‧ Format A Partition
>
> Since the disk has already been initialized because it is a used disk
> from another Windows host, there isn't much to initialize. At this
> point, the only time you'll probably see some initializing is if you
> change between using basic and dynamic volumes. Initializing an already
> initialized disk does do much (I think the disk signature might be
> updated but perhaps only if a conflict is found with another volume that
> already has the same signature).
>
> You did not install a new hard disk (that needs initializing). You
> installed a *used* hard disk that was already initialized.
>

It is a new Hard Disk, Western Digital Caviar Blue. Since it is new straight
from the box, I need initialization before it will even let me try
partitioning.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk? 

>> Illogic wrote:
>> > I recently acquired another hard drive for the extra storage space.
>> > However,
>> > when I go to initialize in the Disk Manager, instead of showing me a
>> > Wizard
>> > like the help for the Disk says it should, it just lets me select the
>> > drive
>> > and select OK. When I select OK, it computes for a moment and exits,
>> > but does
>> > NOT initialize my disk.
>> >
>> > Any pointers? Am I missing something?


"Illogic" wrote in message

> It is a new Hard Disk, Western Digital Caviar Blue. Since it is new
> straight
> from the box, I need initialization before it will even let me try
> partitioning.


illogic:
It does happen, from time-to-time, that for unexplained reasons (at least
"unexplained" to me) the XP OS will not trigger the "Initialize and Convert
Disk Wizard" after detecting a brand-new unpartitioned/unformatted disk when
the user has accessed Disk Management. It should, but it doesn't. We've
encountered this anomaly a number of times.

Hopefully Disk Management will reflect the HDD as "Unknown" together with
its capacity in GB ("Unallocated") and "Not Initialized". You should see a
small red-circled icon with a small horizontal white bar in the middle of
this icon. If so, and the "Wizard" hasn't automatically appeared, just
right-click on that red-circled icon and select the "Initialize Disk" option
from the sub-menu.

I assume you're familiar with the simple process to "initialize" the disk as
a prelude to its partitioning & formatting.
Anna
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk? 

Anna wrote:
>>> Illogic wrote:
>>>> I recently acquired another hard drive for the extra storage space.
>>>> However,
>>>> when I go to initialize in the Disk Manager, instead of showing me a
>>>> Wizard
>>>> like the help for the Disk says it should, it just lets me select the
>>>> drive
>>>> and select OK. When I select OK, it computes for a moment and exits,
>>>> but does NOT initialize my disk.
>>>>
>>>> Any pointers? Am I missing something?
>
>
> "Illogic" wrote in message
>
>> It is a new Hard Disk, Western Digital Caviar Blue. Since it is new
>> straight from the box, I need initialization before it will even let me
>> try
>> partitioning.
>
>
> illogic:
> It does happen, from time-to-time, that for unexplained reasons (at least
> "unexplained" to me) the XP OS will not trigger the "Initialize and
> Convert
> Disk Wizard" after detecting a brand-new unpartitioned/unformatted disk
> when
> the user has accessed Disk Management. It should, but it doesn't. We've
> encountered this anomaly a number of times.

Interesting. I've used Western Digital's Data Lifeguard instead - seems
simpler. Not sure what others have used (instead of Disk Manager).

> Hopefully Disk Management will reflect the HDD as "Unknown" together with
> its capacity in GB ("Unallocated") and "Not Initialized". You should see a
> small red-circled icon with a small horizontal white bar in the middle of
> this icon. If so, and the "Wizard" hasn't automatically appeared, just
> right-click on that red-circled icon and select the "Initialize Disk"
> option
> from the sub-menu.
>
> I assume you're familiar with the simple process to "initialize" the disk
> as
> a prelude to its partitioning & formatting.
> Anna

What exactly happens during this "initialize" process, if you or anyone
happens to know?
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk? 

"Illogic" wrote in message

>> Illogic wrote:
>>
>> > I recently acquired another hard drive for the extra storage space. However,
>> > when I go to initialize in the Disk Manager, instead of showing me a Wizard
>> > like the help for the Disk says it should, it just lets me select the drive
>> > and select OK. When I select OK, it computes for a moment and exits, but does
>> > NOT initialize my disk.
>> >

> It is a new Hard Disk, Western Digital Caviar Blue. Since it is new straight
> from the box, I need initialization before it will even let me try
> partitioning.

Even though it's new and there is no initialization option, have you checked
whether or not the partition option is available? It is possible that the disk
was already "initialized" by some other process. GoBack or some other
drive manager, for example. If so, you do not need to be concerned with
that step of the setup.

If no drive managers (or similar) are installed, you could clean the MBR
configuration information using the cmd line tool diskpart. That would allow
the disk to be initialized afterwards.

If you post back with more information, someone will likely be able to figure
out what the problem might be.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk? 

"Bill in Co." wrote in message

> What exactly happens during this "initialize" process, if you or anyone happens to know?

Wondering about that myself some time ago, I checked it out with a
disk editor. Afaict, Windows (disk management) will see a disk as
"initailized" as far as the MBR sector contains a valid ending sector signature
0xaa55. Otherwise, it doesn't matter what else is in the sector, including
the partition tables, or NT disk signature.

If the ending sector sig is missing or invalid, it will appear as not initialized,
no matter what, even if there exists a valid table.

When you do intialize (using diskmgmt), it basically writes new MBR boot
code, zeros out the tables, and writes the sig. I think it also records the sig
in the registry for the drive.
(I'm almost certain on that, but don't recall the associated key/value)

It's basically an "fdisk /mbr" or "fixmbr \device\harddisk#", with the disk
sig recorded inj the reg.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk? 

Bill Blanton wrote:
> "Bill in Co." wrote in message

>> What exactly happens during this "initialize" process, if you or anyone
>> happens to know?
>
> Wondering about that myself some time ago, I checked it out with a
> disk editor. Afaict, Windows (disk management) will see a disk as
> "initialized" as far as the MBR sector contains a valid ending sector
> signature 0xaa55. Otherwise, it doesn't matter what else is in the sector,
> including the partition tables, or NT disk signature.
>
> If the ending sector sig is missing or invalid, it will appear as not
> initialized, no matter what, even if there exists a valid table.
>
> When you do intialize (using diskmgmt), it basically writes new MBR boot
> code, zeros out the tables, and writes the sig. I think it also records
> the
> sig in the registry for the drive.
> (I'm almost certain on that, but don't recall the associated key/value)
>
> It's basically an "fdisk /mbr" or "fixmbr \device\harddisk#", with the
> disk
> sig recorded inj the reg.

Interesting. Thanks.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk? 

On Apr 27, 1:08 am, Illogic wrote:
> "VanguardLH" wrote:
> > Illogic wrote:
>
> > > I recently acquired another hard drive for the extra storage space. However,
> > > when I go to initialize in the Disk Manager, instead of showing me a Wizard
> > > like the help for the Disk says it should, it just lets me select the drive
> > > and select OK. When I select OK, it computes for a moment and exits, but does
> > > NOT initialize my disk.
>
> > > Any pointers? Am I missing something?
>
> > What does initializing have to do with formatting?  Initializing updates
> > the partition table along with saving a disk signature (part of the MBR;
> > see[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record[/URL]) that gets also
> > saved in the registry (to track the disk regardless of how it gets moved
> > around rather than use the old BIOS scheme for detection order in
> > assigning drive letters) along with defining whether you are
> > adding/extending a basic or dynamic volume using that hard disk.  
>
> > Initializing takes only a few seconds.  Now you'll have to format the
> > partitions (after you create them) on the newly added hard disk.
>
> >[URL="http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/prepare_second_hdd/prepare_second_..."]http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/prepare_second_hdd/prepare_second_...[/URL]
> > To prepare a hard disk drive involves the following...
> > ‧ Initialize
> > ‧ Create A Partition
> > ‧ Format A Partition
>
> > Since the disk has already been initialized because it is a used disk
> > from another Windows host, there isn't much to initialize.  At this
> > point, the only time you'll probably see some initializing is if you
> > change between using basic and dynamic volumes.  Initializing an already
> > initialized disk does do much (I think the disk signature might be
> > updated but perhaps only if a conflict is found with another volume that
> > already has the same signature).
>
> > You did not install a new hard disk (that needs initializing).  You
> > installed a *used* hard disk that was already initialized.
>
> It is a new Hard Disk, Western Digital Caviar Blue. Since it is new straight
> from the box, I need initialization before it will even let me try
> partitioning.

You are confusing "initialization" with "set up." The steps to get a
new drive set up in XP are:

1) Install the drive
2) Access the Disk Management "application"
3) Select the new drive (hint: unallocated disk should be about the
same size as the new hard drive specifications (size))
4) Define a "partition"
5) Format the drive and assign a drive letter.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems with Initializing Disk?