Windows 10: Format Question, Please (W10, WD External HD)

Hi,


Thanks for all the previous help. Super Forum and folks.





Found an "old" WD 1 TPB external HD. Bought it about a yr ago.
Know nothing about its history, but would like to erase everything on it, and use in my Mac or W10 pc.



Mac wont recognize it in the normal way.
W10 won't either.



Would like to format it anew as ExFat using my W10 pc.
It does show up in Disk Management on the W10 pc. See image which I hope is Attached ?



Called, I think, "Disk 1"



But, cannot see how, from here, I do a new ExFat formatting.

Might someone please explain the steps to go thru ?


Right clicking, etc, does nothing in the way of bringing up a Format menu.


Thanks,
Bob

:)

 

Cannot Format HD


Need to initialize it as GPT disk type with HD > 2TB:
From Admin command prompt:

1. diskpart
2. list disk =====> Take a note of disk # for the 4TB HD
3. select disk # ====> From step 2
4. clean
5. exit

Open Disk Management and initialize the disk as GPT, create simple then format.

 

After W10 Anniversaryupdate, external HD not recognized

I have three WD external harddisks on my system, two are recognized after W10 anniversary update but the third (biggest and most recent, USB3, used for backup) is gone. Windows on this pc does not see anything. If I plug something else in same port, it gets
recognized and installed. Dirve - nothing. Drive light does come on, then nothing.

Rolled back update - still no HD. Changed USB ports - all working, printer, smaller external HD's working also on different ports. Re-started several times, no change.

BUT: WD system works fine when plugged in on Lenovo laptop with W10 anniversary editions. Dat accessible, normal NTFS.

No error messages on USB port drivers in system management panels.

Any ideas? Other drives too small to serve as backup....

TIA

Frans

 

WD passport external HD not recognized on windows 10

- You need to format your WD my passport ultra by using low level format:

Visit Link:
WD Support - "How to low level format or write zeros (full erase) to a WD hard drive or Solid State drive "

You need to use "WD SmartWare" or "WD Drive Utility " to format your External Drive.