Disk Utility can't erase Seagate ST2000DM001

[Poppins]

Hi,

I installed succesfully OS X El Capitan, but whenever i start/restart the computer I get the message "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer", with three options: Initialize, Ignore and Eject.

If I click on Initialize, the Disk Utility opens and shows that my secondary drive, Seagate ST2000DM001, is not initialized. But every time I try to erase it, I get an error "Unable to write to the last block of the device". It's a new drive and I connected it to the motherboard just after unboxing it. As is.

What am i missing or doing wrong? Thanks in advance.

 

[doctorpangloss]

Your drive may just be DOA. Try https://www.smartmontools.org

 

[P1LGRIM]

Hi,

I installed succesfully OS X El Capitan, but whenever i start/restart the computer I get the message "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer", with three options: Initialize, Ignore and Eject.

If I click on Initialize, the Disk Utility opens and shows that my secondary drive, Seagate ST2000DM001, is not initialized. But every time I try to erase it, I get an error "Unable to write to the last block of the device". It's a new drive and I connected it to the motherboard just after unboxing it. As is.

What am i missing or doing wrong? Thanks in advance.

See :
http://www.iphonetopics.com/unable-to-write-to-the-last-block-of-the-device/

 

[Poppins]

Thanks for both replies

Your drive may just be DOA. Try https://www.smartmontools.org

I installed smartmoxntools but i couldn't run it (I could only read the manual), but anyway I don't think it could solve the problem as this drive is shipped with the SMART features disabled.

See :
http://www.iphonetopics.com/unable-to-write-to-the-last-block-of-the-device/

I have tried Partition Magic Mac Tool (free trial) but without luck. Now I'm trying a GParted Live bootable usb, but also without luck because I can't make linux work. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

I've had this in the past too. I think (but am not 100% sure) it was because of dual-booting with Windows.

For me - with a disk I was sure wasn't DOA - the best solution was to use the Windows command utility: diskpart

Obviously you need to be able to boot a recent Windows version.

It's very powerful and can rescue as well as destroy disk contents. Be careful with it, but it will help erase a partition.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766465(v=ws.10).aspx

Then use the Disk Management facility in "This PC" to reformat the Disk as required. Not HFS+ though.

OS X will then recognise it and should allow reformatting if you want HFS+. For data I left mine as exfat so Windows could read/write too.

Hope you get it fixed

 

[Poppins]

Thanks UtterDisbelief. In my case is not a problem of dual-booting.

I have attached the unit as second drive to an old PC running Windows XP but still doesn't work. I think it's not DOA because Seagate's SeaTools detect it and pass some tests, but neither diskpart or disk utilities can detect it to add a partition or format it. Neither with GParted Live.

I have sent a question to Seagate's support.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Thanks UtterDisbelief. In my case is not a problem of dual-booting.

I have attached the unit as second drive to an old PC running Windows XP but still doesn't work. I think it's not DOA because Seagate's SeaTools detect it and pass some tests, but neither diskpart or disk utilities can detect it to add a partition or format it. Neither with GParted Live.

I have sent a question to Seagate's support.

Ok. Hope Seagate can help.

Incidentally I also discovered that connecting my HD by USB caddy didn't allow low-level recovery. Had to actually attach to the SATA tree. Just a thought.

 

[kiiroaka]

You may want to download and burn a Linux LiveCD, like Mint Mate 17.2 or 17.3, or Ubuntu 14.04LTS - 64 or 32bit, depending on the mobo. If either don't have GParted on there you can download it and run it from memory. Both should have " Disks," a Disc Utuility, which works with GParted. Sometimes GParted can't do certain things which Disks can, and sometimes GParted can do somethings that Disks can't. I've used both at the same time to bring dead drives back to life. Or when I need to delete EFI partitions because our imaging don't allow an image to be downloaded to the disk.

First question to ask is whether or not you installed OSX with UEFI. Since you added it to an old PC running XP the BIOS probably isn't UEFI, and as such you will need to format it as MBR, which can do up to a 2TB drive, max. But even then you may need to create two 1TB partitions...

You may want to disconnect the drive that contains OSX and/or XP, connect the 2TB Seagate, power on the PC and boot off the Linux LiveCD, start "Disks" and then delete the partition, create a new partition, and format it. Or just delete it if you are going to be using it as a Time Machine drive since OSX will be able to format it under the Disc Utility. You will have to delete whatever partition is in there then format it, HFS Journalled.

As far as OSX not recognizing it - that is normal, especially if they contain Windows and Linux. There's a fix elsewhere, here, to disable the message from popping up in OSX.

 

[Poppins]

Thanks kiiroaka.

I'm not sure to understand your first question to ask, but maybe I didn't explain it properly. The disk where I installed OSX and the disk I'm having problems with are different. That's why I can't see the relationship with UEFI.

I was thinking to leave this disk alone in the PC and start to install Windows XP on it, just to see if it detcts it and is able to partition and format it. I have a live CD with Ubuntu too. But first I'm giving some time to Seagate's support to give me other options.

Thanks again.

 

[Poppins]

News update: Seagate's support will replace the unit.