Why does it take so long?

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I'm formatting my external 280GB hard-drive after I realised that Windows NTFS wasn't helping my Apple to read.



Now that I've wiped it, my PC won't give me the option of FAT32 format.



So I've connected it to my Apple and tried to go through the Erase program.



My Apple tells me it will take 5 hours!!!



I aborted it and decided just to partition.



So I've choosen Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format and hit the Partition.



1.5 hours later, the colour wheel is still spinning. So I abort it and the Apple tells me that my partition failed.



So I'm trying again and it's still spinning another hour later.



I've finished the ironing, made a coffee and vacuumed and it's still running.



Surely this isn't right?



Any ideas?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    Almost sounds like you have it doing a secure erase (where it actually writes zero data on the entire disc... possibly several times over.)



    A simple re-format shouldn't take more than a couple minutes at most.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    justinjustin Posts: 403member
    Thanks King,



    I've been told that it's not that....



    apparently it's called SWOD -



    the spinning wheel of doom. There's something not interfacing

    which is why my Apple isn't reading the external hard drive...looks like I'll have to try and sort it out.



    Thanks for helping still.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    You can use Partition Magic in Windows to format it as FAT32.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    I've had this issue at work trying to repartition Windows drives for Macs and the only way I have got them to work was by doing a secure erase. No idea why it works just set it and go to bed it should be ready in the morning.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    justinjustin Posts: 403member
    Quote:

    \tYou can use Partition Magic in Windows to format it as FAT32.



    I had a look at it - seems like this only does 80GB hard drives.



    I'll try Tekmate's suggestion if nothing else shows up.
    Quote:

    Restarted, tried again, maybe chose a different setting, and my Mac formatted the drive for FAT32 in about 30 seconds.



    Hey Tonton - could you tell me what settings you were using for the Partition/RAID etc?



    Thanks.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    Partition Magic has no problem formatting drives bigger or smaller then 80 GB.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    i don't understand what the problem is with windows?

    format <drive letter> /fs:fat32



    how is that so difficult?
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