Initializing the hard drive with data. The hard drive does not initialize: what to do? What to do if initialization errors occur

21.09.2023

04.09.2009 05:49

The easiest way to initialize a hard drive is to use the Windows 7 Management Console.

1. Open Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management. (You can also right-click the Computer icon and select Control).

2. In the left menu of the Windows 7 management console, select .

3. Right-click to the left of the hard drive you want to initialize. In the context menu that appears, select .

4. In the window that opens, check the new disk box, select Master Boot Record(MBR), press OK and wait for the initialization process to complete.

Creating a Volume

After initialization is complete, you need to create a volume (partition) on your hard disk so that it appears in the Computer folder and so that you can use this disk.

1. Right-click on the initialized hard drive and select .

2. In the New Simple Volume Wizard window that opens, click Further and specify the volume size in megabytes.

3. In the next window, assign a drive letter so that the drive appears in the Computer folder and click Further.

4. In the next window, select formatting options for the new volume (partition):

File system(we recommend NTFS, because it is more resistant to failures and can store files larger than 4 GB, unlike FAT32);
Cluster size(we recommend the minimum – 512 bytes, as this will allow the system to use disk space more economically);
Volume Label– the name of the hard drive under which it will be displayed in the Computer folder;
Quick formatting(we recommend unchecking this box to perform full formatting at least for the first time);
Apply folder compression– by default the option is disabled (we recommend leaving this function disabled and not using NTFS compression, as it slows down the hard drive, although it saves space).

5. In the next (last) wizard window, check the specified parameters. At this point the volume has not yet been created or formatted, so if you want to change anything, click Back and make changes. If everything is ok, click Ready to begin creating and formatting the volume.

One of the main command line utilities in Windows is Diskpart, which first appeared in Windows XP and replaced Fdisk. This software tool provides the ability to partition, format, initialize and resize disks, as well as create RAID arrays. Moreover, in Windows7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 it allows you to work with virtual disks. Let's see how to use Diskpart to prepare a hard drive, partition it, and format it.

At the command prompt, type diskpart and press Enter. We have our own command environment, Diskpart, a kind of command line interface within the system. Typing "help" (or any other invalid command) and pressing Enter results in about three dozen commands being displayed. It’s unlikely that anyone will explore 37 teams, which may “scare off” Diskpart; in fact, it only takes eight teams to leverage 99% of the product's capabilities.

If you've ever initialized a disk from the graphical Logical Disk Manager, you first need to click the physical disk icon, then partition and format those partitions and give them a name and letter. Diskpart follows the same pattern, requiring you to select a disk before you can partition it, before formatting it, etc. To select a specific disk, you need to type a command like this:

select disk

But what is the disk number you want to work with? Let's find out by typing the command:

List disk

which will produce the result shown in Screen 1. Diskpart numbers the disks starting from zero, not one, and you can see that both disks store partition information in the Master Boot Record (MBR) rather than in the GUID Partition Table (GPT). ), with both disks being basic and not dynamic (since there are no values in the Dyn and Gpt columns).

Now I will complicate the task by saying that the system has two 24 GB disks: one contains the operating system and applications, and the second is just an additional disk for storing data. Obviously, you don't want to accidentally wipe your operating system drive, so how do you know which drive is which? We use select disk together with detail disk. Let's start with disk 0 and see what's on it:

select disk 0

detail disk

The result is shown in Screen 2. Disk 0 turns out to be the data disk, so disk 1 must be the operating system disk. So let's work with the correct disk (disk0).

First, let's clear it by typing clean. This action does not clean up the disk by overwriting all of its data; wiping erases the MBR entry, which is actually the "table of contents" of the disk. The old data is still on the disk, but the operating system can no longer access it, so the data will be deleted through a slow rewrite as soon as we start creating a new disk structure on top of the old one and saving the data into this new structure.

Next, the newly created disk needs at least one partition. The simplest method is to create one large partition on the disk using the create partition primary command. However, if you want to create multiple partitions on the disk, you need to add the size= parameter followed by the size in megabytes. If I wanted to create two partitions—one 10 GB and one 14 GB—I would first create the first partition by typing:

create partition primary size=10240

Remember that there are 1024 MB in a gigabyte, not 1000. I would then create a second partition by simply typing create partition primary, since the create partition command without the size= parameter tells Diskpart to use all the remaining space on the hard drive. I can view the output by typing list partition.

So we have the partitions, but they still need drive letters and formatting. I will show how this is done in the next article.

Mark Minasi(mark@minasi.com) - editor of Windows IT Pro, MCSE and author of the book Mastering Windows Server 2003 (Sybex publishing house)

The problem of loading the operating system occurs quite often. And this is in no way connected specifically with its performance. It also happens that it does not initialize at all (input/output error), or some other problems arise. This material will consider several typical situations and solutions applicable to them. Let us immediately make a reservation that issues related to breakdowns or physical wear and tear of the hard drive will not be considered, as well as viral infection.

Hard drive does not initialize: possible problems

The most common situation is related to breakdowns. They will be discussed a little later. But at the moment, it is possible to determine several options for why the hard drive is initialized incorrectly or is not detected at all.

Among all that is described on the Internet, several situations can be noted separately:

disk failure;
incorrect;
disk errors;
operating system failures.

The hard drive does not initialize: what to do first?

First, let's look at a typical mistake. Let's say there is a situation where a WD hard drive does not initialize. In this case, the system simply “spits”. A message that the hard drive is initializing can only indicate that a failure has occurred in the system partition, and this can in no way be related specifically to the hard drive (or rather, to its condition).

To begin with, when the system displays a message upon boot that the hard drive is not initialized and the OS cannot boot, you should check the startup parameters in the BIOS (primary input/output system). It is very likely that when receiving a message, the user will see text indicating that the OS boot device was not found.

Thus, the simplest solution suggests itself - enable initial boot from the hard drive (Boot Device Priority - Hard Drive) in the BIOS parameters.

System tools

If the download fails, you first need to check the checksums of the CRC records mentioned above. This error is similar to what can sometimes be seen when unpacking incompletely downloaded archives using WinRAR.

In principle, the situation is the same. However, when loading the system, if it is working, initially you just need to perform it with an indication of automatic error correction (it is clear that you cannot format the system partition).

If Windows boots from removable media...

The system can also be started from a removable device (either an installed OS or a bootable device). In this case, immediately, without delaying matters, you need to check. To do this, you can use both built-in commands and third-party programs.

In the simplest case, when, for example, the second system is located on a virtual disk (in a partition), the check can be carried out using the same chkdisk command indicating the disk label. But, as practice shows, this is usually not even the problem.

If the external hard drive does not initialize, not to mention the built-in one, you will have to at least check the cable connections first. But this, as it turns out, is not the main problem. It is possible that the appropriate drivers are simply not installed for the external device, or they are not working correctly. Or maybe the device itself is simply not turned on.

You can check the operation of the external media through the standard “Device Manager”, which is called either from the “Control Panel” or by command devmgmt.msc from the “Run” console, which is available in any Windows system (it can be launched through the regular “Start” menu).

If the system does not boot: checking the status from the command line

To check any type of hard drive, if the system does not want to boot, you can offer the option of booting from circuit media using utilities like LiveCD or even a Windows installation distribution that has a boot sector that allows you to boot from external media instead of the HDD.

If you use a Windows distribution, during the startup process you need to press Alt + F10 or select with the “R” button. Next, you need to enter sfc /scannow on the command line (at least for starters). In the advanced version, it is worth using the boot record recovery commands:

Bootrec.exe /FixMbr.
Bootrec.exe /FixBoot.
Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd.

The last command to use is not mandatory and is used only to overwrite the boot area (sectors).

Recovery programs

As for applications that can restore the operation of Windows systems, it is quite difficult to decide on their use.

At the very least, we can recommend bootstrap utilities and then programs like HDD Regenerator. It is believed that this particular application, running in DOS mode, can perform the so-called disk magnetization reversal, even if the hard disk is not initialized as such.

Data recovery

It is clear that the user does not see the boot sector on the HDD. The section reserved for the start operation, even more so. Maximum - swap file. But this is the main problem. The fact is that this is not even a file, but a reserved space on the hard drive, responsible for loading data when there is not enough RAM. If you have enough RAM, you can turn it off completely, since accessing RAM is many times faster than the same operation applied to a hard drive.

But it is possible to restore information. To do this, it is enough to use any program that allows you to do this. The R.Saver utility is considered one of the most powerful. True, it is advisable to first boot into safe mode or at least try to perform a system rollback, if possible.

In general, this approach allows you to solve quite a lot of problems, including some errors and boot record failures. If this option does not work, you will have to format the disk (hard drive). But rewriting the boot sector via the command line is worth the effort.

In addition, it is the system commands that can correct the MBR entry without the use of third-party tools. As a last resort, you will have to use partition formatting. After this, the necessary information can be restored. But only on the condition that the sector was not rewritten, that is, there were no files saved after the data was deleted. Otherwise, nothing good will come of it. Although... You can try to do something anyway. There won't be anything bad about that.

What's the result?

First, it is believed that you need to check the disk for errors, if it is detected at all. On the other hand, if initialization is impossible, you will need to use special programs that can recover HDD data, and in the boot work area. But even after booting from removable media, you can solve a lot of problems related to starting the system.

When it comes to the effects of viruses, there is nothing that can be recommended except for disk programs with the general name Secure Disk. Both Kaspersky Lab and Doctor Web have them. The point is that they load their own interface before the system starts, while scanning even the RAM, and not just the hard drive (viruses, like any other programs currently running, can load their files there). Thus, the problem that sometimes the hard drive does not initialize when the system boots may be associated with precisely this situation.

One last thing

But as a final tip, it's best to use the check and repair commands from the command line. Although it works in DOS mode, it never fails and allows you to fix even problems that cannot be corrected using conventional system tools, no matter how hard you try. As a last resort, if the disk is in the mounting stage, you can go to the disk management section and use the appropriate initialization command.

The problem of data storage occurs over time for every user, and many solve it by purchasing an additional hard drive. HDDs are inexpensive and are great for storing large amounts of information. You can easily install multiple hard drives into a computer case to increase the available space, but you not only need to insert a new solid-state drive, but also configure it correctly. The computer does not see the hard drive immediately after it is connected by wires to the motherboard, and in the Windows operating system you need to take several steps to correct this situation.

Why doesn't my computer see the new hard drive?

The Windows 10 operating system does not allow you to install a new hard drive into your computer and immediately start working with it. Before you start using a new drive, you need to check whether it works and is detected by the system. There are several reasons why the computer does not see the new hard drive:

The disk is not installed correctly or is incorrectly connected to the motherboard and power supply;
The hard drive does not work due to mechanical damage;
There were problems detecting the device by the operating system.

Making sure that the Windows 10 operating system sees the hard drive and you can start setting it up is quite simple. To do this, right-click on the start button in the lower left corner and select the “Device Manager” line. Next, a menu will open in which you need to double-click with the left mouse button on the “Disk devices” section.

Find the new one that was connected to the computer in the list of available disks and check its status:

If it is not displayed, you should check that the HDD wires are connected correctly to other computer components;
If there is a red or yellow exclamation mark next to it, it means that there are problems with media identification and you should fix them (most often in this situation you will need to download separate drivers for your hard drive model);
If there are no extra icons next to the new hard drive, it means that it is connected normally and no problems have been identified.

When the hard drive is connected normally and information about it is available in Device Manager, you should proceed to setting it up.

How to set up a new hard drive in Windows 10

Setting up a new hard drive in the Windows 10 operating system is quite simple. If it is detected correctly, you must do the following to make the drive available for data storage:

If you plan to regularly use the new hard drive, be sure to do so during operation, otherwise the drive will quickly become unusable. If you wish, after the initial settings, you can always return to the Disk Management menu and create a new volume on your hard drive, format it for a different file system, or change the drive letter.

Hello admin. I bought a new hard drive, or rather an SSD, and connected it to my computer. In the future I want to replace the hard drive on my laptop with this SSD, but that’s not what I’m talking about right now.

I connected the SSD to a high-speed SATA Revision 3.0 port (up to 6 Gbps) and turned on the computer, the system booted, then this window appeared " Initializing disks", "Before the Local Disk Manager can access it, the disk must be initialized.".

So I'm thinking what should I choose:

1. Master Boot Record (MBR)

2. Table with GUID partitions (GPT - GUID Partition Table)

Tell me what the note means: GPT partition style is not recognized by all previous versions of Windows.

I mainly use Windows 8, will it be okay if I convert the SSD to GPT? What previous Windows won't see it?

Initializing the hard drive

Hello! If you initialize a hard drive or SSD to the new GPT partition table style, then Windows XP will not see it and XP Disk Management will display something like this.

But there is a way out, you just need to take the files disk.sys, partmgr.sys from Windows Server 2003 and copy them to the corresponding folders, the first file in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers and the second file in C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache on Windows XP. These files can be found on the Internet.

Another question is, will you need Windows XP? And one more question, why do you need the new style of GPT partition tables on your SSD?

An SSD will work equally fast with an MBR. I once experimented and transferred Windows 8 from a regular hard drive of a new laptop to an SSD solid-state drive, I did not disable UEFI, Windows started working much faster on the SSD. This was not enough for me and I disabled UEFI, then installed the Windows 8 operating system on a laptop with an SSD solid-state drive again on an MBR disk, I want to say that everything also “flyed”!

Note: An operating system installed on a regular hard drive converted to GPT boots and runs somewhat faster than with an MBR, but again it cannot be compared with an SSD. If you want to significantly increase the performance of Windows, then simply transfer the operating system to an SSD solid-state drive or simply install Windows again on the SSD, no matter what you initialize the SSD in, GPT or MBR.
It definitely makes sense to initialize a new 3TB hard drive to a GPT partition table, since if you convert it to MBR, the same Windows 7 will see only 2 TB on it, and sometimes even 700 GB. For those interested in the difference between GPT and MBR styles, read our article.
If necessary, you can convert a hard drive or SSD from GPT to MBR and back without deleting data; there are special utilities for this, although if Windows is installed on the hard drive, this will not work just like that.

Disk initialization process

Let's go to Disk Management. Right-click on the hard drive you want to initialize and select Initialize Disk from the menu that appears.