Network Storage Device back to USB device

I have an IDE drive that I was using in a USB external drive case. I
used to plug it in only to do backups.

I then bought a Linksys xxxxx because I thought about making the USB
external drive into a file server for my music files. I ran through
the install procedure and after much confusion I got it working as a
network drive. This required reformating the drive.

I am now considering going back to using the drive the way I
originally was using it. So I unplugged the drive from the Linksys
device and plugged it into the USB port of my computer running XPpro
But the computer doesn't see it. It didn't acknowledge it being
plugged in when I connected it while it was on, and rebooting XP and
restarting the USB external drive doesn't show any indication of the
drive in My Computer.

I suspect that I wll have to reformat the drive to convert it back to
what it originally was but I don't know how to do it if I can't see
the drive in My Computer.

\Samson

Previously Samson wrote:
I have an IDE drive that I was using in a USB external drive case. I
used to plug it in only to do backups.

I then bought a Linksys xxxxx because I thought about making the USB
external drive into a file server for my music files. I ran through
the install procedure and after much confusion I got it working as a
network drive. This required reformating the drive.

I am now considering going back to using the drive the way I
originally was using it. So I unplugged the drive from the Linksys
device and plugged it into the USB port of my computer running XPpro
But the computer doesn't see it. It didn't acknowledge it being
plugged in when I connected it while it was on, and rebooting XP and
restarting the USB external drive doesn't show any indication of the
drive in My Computer.

I suspect that I wll have to reformat the drive to convert it back to
what it originally was but I don't know how to do it if I can't see
the drive in My Computer.

You can blank the drive with Knoppix or tomsrtbt (or any other
floppy or CD linux that odes not require installation). Linux does not
have this "can't see the drive" issue Windows seems to be having
at any little problem.

The procedure is as follows:

1. For safety make the drive to be planked the only connected drive.
Preferrably the master on the first channel. Of course with
Knoppix the CDROM also has to be connected to some IDE channel,
with most BIOSes it does not matter where. Remember to activate
boot from floppy/CD in the BIOS if it is deactivated.

2. Boot Linux (tomsrtbt is a one-floppy Linux, Knoppix is a
CD-Linux that does not require installation).

3. Go to a shell (text-mode screen. In tomsrtbt, just log in
according to the on-screen instructions, in Knoppix, let
the GUI come up and then do a ctrl-alt-F1).

4. Blank the drive. Blanking the start is allmost allways
enough. Use the following command:

cat /dev/zero /dev/hda

This overwrites the whole drive from the start with
zeros. Wit Knoppix you can also use the following to
get progress information:

dd_rescue -w /dev/zero /dev/hda

5. Interrupt (ctrl-c) after a minute or so.

6. Shut down comoputer, re-create original disk configuration
and format under Windows as usual.

Arno

You can blank the drive with Knoppix or tomsrtbt (or any other
floppy or CD linux that odes not require installation). Linux does not
have this "can't see the drive" issue Windows seems to be having
at any little problem.

The procedure is as follows:

1. For safety make the drive to be planked the only connected drive.
Preferrably the master on the first channel. Of course with
Knoppix the CDROM also has to be connected to some IDE channel,
with most BIOSes it does not matter where. Remember to activate
boot from floppy/CD in the BIOS if it is deactivated.

Are you saying that I should:

1) take the drive that I want to reformat out of the external drive
case,
2) open the PC case and disconnect my internal hard drive.
3) connect the one I want to reformat to the Primary IDE set as
master.
????

Also I have to get a hold of Knoppix, downloading an .iso and burning
the .iso to a CD-ROM.

And changing the BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM first.

I can do all that stuff I guess but ain't there a simpler way?

/Samson





2. Boot Linux (tomsrtbt is a one-floppy Linux, Knoppix is a
CD-Linux that does not require installation).

3. Go to a shell (text-mode screen. In tomsrtbt, just log in
according to the on-screen instructions, in Knoppix, let
the GUI come up and then do a ctrl-alt-F1).

4. Blank the drive. Blanking the start is allmost allways
enough. Use the following command:

cat /dev/zero /dev/hda

This overwrites the whole drive from the start with
zeros. Wit Knoppix you can also use the following to
get progress information:

dd_rescue -w /dev/zero /dev/hda

5. Interrupt (ctrl-c) after a minute or so.

6. Shut down comoputer, re-create original disk configuration
and format under Windows as usual.

Arno

Try Disk Management first. You can also zero the MBR with diskpart in XP.

"Samson" wrote in message
...

Are you saying that I should:

1) take the drive that I want to reformat out of the external drive
case,
2) open the PC case and disconnect my internal hard drive.
3) connect the one I want to reformat to the Primary IDE set as
master.
????

Also I have to get a hold of Knoppix, downloading an .iso and burning
the .iso to a CD-ROM.

And changing the BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM first.

I can do all that stuff I guess but ain't there a simpler way?

Previously Samson wrote:


You can blank the drive with Knoppix or tomsrtbt (or any other
floppy or CD linux that odes not require installation). Linux does not
have this "can't see the drive" issue Windows seems to be having
at any little problem.

The procedure is as follows:

1. For safety make the drive to be planked the only connected drive.
Preferrably the master on the first channel. Of course with
Knoppix the CDROM also has to be connected to some IDE channel,
with most BIOSes it does not matter where. Remember to activate
boot from floppy/CD in the BIOS if it is deactivated.

Are you saying that I should:

1) take the drive that I want to reformat out of the external drive
case,
2) open the PC case and disconnect my internal hard drive.
3) connect the one I want to reformat to the Primary IDE set as
master.
????

Yes, exactly.

Also I have to get a hold of Knoppix, downloading an .iso and burning
the .iso to a CD-ROM.

Yes.

And changing the BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM first.

Only if the HDD is bootable. Otherwise the BIOS will get to
the CD eventually, if it is selected as a boot device.

I can do all that stuff I guess but ain't there a simpler way?

With Knoppix, you might be able to do that with the drive still
in the USB enclosure. But you have to find it and you have
to be sure to do it to the right drive. What I gave you were
the save instructions.

Also tomsrtbt is just 1.7MB and fits on a floppy, if you don't
want to get Knoppix. Tomsrtbt will get the job done as well.

Personally I would do the blanking in the external enclosure,
but I have been using Linux since '94 and have made all the
beginners mistakes. Having the drive to be blanked as the only
HDD in the PC is the only sure way for not accidentally blanking
the wrong drive, regardless what kind of software you use.

Arno

"Eric Gisin" wrote:

Try Disk Management first. You can also zero the MBR with diskpart in XP.

I had four entries in the top right window of disk management

One entry is the C: drive and it says the File System is NFTS.

The other three entries come and go when I remove the external hard
drive but they have blank fields for File Stystem. (I think, I am
writing this after the fact). So I took the only option I could see
available as a choice on those three entries: I Deleted Partition on
those three entries.

But I still had an entry left for that drive in the bottom right
window for that Disk. I think I double clicked on it and it brought
up a formatting wizard and I am currently formatting the drive as NFTS
with a volume name and I'm 15% through it as I type this.

Thanks for the tip.

\Samson