-=PCTechTalk=- Re: Formatting External HDD

Destroying stuff is sometimes the best way to learn.  It's heck on the 
device in question, but you'll never forget the lesson.      ;)

If you haven't already done so, save your work, close all open apps and 
reboot.  When the system comes back up, turn on the external and let's see 
if any damage has been done to it.  If you can access it through Windows 
Explorer, do the Right click, Properties and set up CHKDSK again, but make 
sure that the drive is actually showing in the right pane of Explorer.  This 
will force it to ask you if you want to run the scan on the next reboot. 
After clicking Yes to that question, go ahead and reboot a second time and 
let the utility do its thing.  Since there aren't many files on the drive, 
it shouldn't take more than about a half hour to complete.  When it's 
finished, it'll complete the bootup back into Windows and you can test it 
again.  Hopefully, the full scan will repair whatever has been holding up 
the works all this time.

Incidentally, I always turn on my external before I boot up my system.  I 
then shut down the system before turning off the external.  Many folks just 
leave the external on all the time, even when the system is off, but I 
believe that's a waste of electricity and just reduces the life of the 
external drive and the enclosure's electronics.

Peace,
Gman

"The only dumb questions are the ones we fail to ask"


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sandy" <sandy.rick@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "PcTechTalk" <PcTechTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 8:39 PM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: Formatting External HDD


> Well crap!  I actually didn't know you could reboot with an external still
> on......I thought you had to turn them off..........uh oh :-((  I knew the
> usb
> cable could stay in, but..........oh well........I sure as heck know now 
> and
> feel embarrassed that I didn't know it before.
>
> Sandy in Fla. 


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