Can't format hard drive. It won't get beyond 2 per cent before a message says that it is not ready to format. I have tried running scan disk and it encounters "bad clusters" and stops after 900 files, also about 2 per cent. Unable to call up Windows 98 in any mode. Do get the message that VMM32.VXD is required to run windows. I do have a boot disk ready, but that will get me only into help.

Your hard drive is toasted. If the drive is fairly new (less than 2-5 years old, depending on the maker.), you should be able to have it replaced on warranty

Howdy, I would agree with Doofus on this one. Sounds like your hard drive went to hard drive heaven. Even if you could repair the bad clusters I wouldn't suggest it. Hard drives are cheap enough these days to just go out and buy a new one.

Laters,

Kevin The Tech Dude.

Kevin, once again I must disagree with you. I think that the harddrive is buring in hell right now. Another thing, ya know what? I hope the harddrive is in hell. Is the so wrong?? IS THAT SO WRONG?? DAMN IT TELL ME!!

Lazarus

I'll have it if you are chucking it.
Unless you are aware of a reason it should suddenly pack up, the chances are you have mixed fat32 and fat up, that's all.
I'm repeating myself too much, so let me know if you are interested in the details and the fix......or give the drive to me.

Have you tried to low level format. Use a manufacture disk for the harddrrive and wright the drive to zero`s.

If you use the mfg's utility to test the drive, write down the final error code, if it's under warranty, the company will ask for it.

Good point, Bruce. However, the retailer should do that, themselves, as part of the RMA process.

If your HD is a Western Digital, they have a toll-free number and if the date on the Hd is less then three years ago, they will replace it. They did have me try their Western Digital Diag program first, but replaced it for me when it tested bad and it was almost 3 years old.

Try partitioning and then formatting again, sounds like there's nothing to lose.

I had to join the party on this one.

If it's a Western Digital HD and it's out of warranty, they'll offer to upgrade it to another one, but their cost plus shipping is more than you can but one for in a store.

I just had a WD 6.4 Gig go on me less that 1 year and 1 month. The head stepper motor went--talk about "infant mortality". Currently the drive is somewhere between New York and California that WD is going to replace. Definitely run the utility that came with the drive. It will determine if the drive has bellied up.

Well if your old hard drive works still I will agree that there may be a problem with the new one. However, I had that problem with my old 486 and it turned out that the mother board was toast. check it by putting your old HD back in and seeing if you have the same trouble....if not...try the low level format idea

I have run into this problem before working on some used computers I had bought a long time ago....Well now I forget what I had to do to fix this problem I have some hard drives that are partitioned C:\ and D:\ so I thought! I could access C:\ but not D:\
So I desided I will fdisk and redo the partition. these are 4gig scsi ultra wides
I get into fdisk,I see primary dos and extened dos (no logical defined) So I can't delete extened dos:need to delete logical first: can't becase it is not defined can't get to it so you can't delete anything Can't
create because it is there not defined!!!
I have fixed this with out low level formating before any Ideas??
thanks Bobby

I just want to know the basic proceedure for formatting my hard drive

running win95-all ok want to install win98,have 580mb can i host it and use 1.2gig as slave for the other bits.

bobby, i wish you could remember, cause i have the same prob. i've got a wd 6.0gig hd that somehow got an extended dos partition that i cannot remove (playing with linux, i think) and now reads as less than 4 gig. whata pain.win98 128mb ram, athlon700 asus k7m, any tips will be welcome.