Can i format my HD on an external bases with my laptop, then install it back into my pc. my hard drive crashed and i need to get it to boot. i dont have the boot disk

it looks like your hard drive has crashed but before i confirm you need to try these steps first.1:remove the hard drive if its a SATA make sure the connectors on the drive and laptop are clean, if not clean it. if its an IDE check for any bent or broken pins.2: connect your hard drive to another pc or laptop using an external cable and if it is detected try and retrieve as much information from it as possible and format it with the quick format option deselected.3:if you dont have an external cable to connect it after you have physically cleaned the hard drive, mount it back in the laptop and check to see if it still gives the error. if it does run a windows installation setup from a disk and see if it recognises your hard drive. you can then format it from there and reinstall the operating system on it. 4: if non of the above methods dont work you should consider replacing your hard drive.

new drives need to be formatted when purchased (incase you didn't do that, just covering bases)
in the case that you have done that, and it still won't be recognized it might be worth getting an external enclosure for the new drive (the HS12YHA) in the enclosure and format it as an external if that is an option.
if that's not an option booting off of the copy of the OS X install and attempting to repair the disk and verify its permissions might solve the problem as well. Running certain utilities such as Disc Warrior will locate bad blocks (if any) which can also signify if the drive is no longer functioning.
If the drive clicks or doesn't make any signs of turning on at all such as not showing up at all in Disk Utility when booting off install DVD or from another copy of the OS, it may be DOA and need to be sent back for RMA processing.

However from my findings, it looks like the HS12YHA is a PATA hard drive where as the macbook air uses a SATA style hard drive. So it could be possible you were shipped the wrong hard drive.

hopefully that helps good luck

You need to format your hard drive. Set your boot device to cdrom in your bios. Boot using xp cd.DO a reinstall of windows and it should give you the option to format or delete partitions on your hard drive. if that doesnt work try putting the hard drive in another computer to see if it works. Or you can buy a hard drive enclosure that allows you to use your hard drive as an external device.

Do you need anything that is stored on the crashed hard drive? If so, you need to get an adapter for the drive and connect it to a desktop pc as the 'd:' disk. then copy any files you can access that you need saved.
Re-install the drive into the laptop, use "FDISK /MBR" from a floppy drive or a USB drive set up as a boot disk to re-partition it, and install the master boot record, and then boot the CDrom to install your operating system afresh.
The error message you are getting is caused by the 'restore' program trying to use the C: disk programs, and they are not there. I think you may have a bad hard drive, as usually the programs will be found.
You need to find out if the disk is really really bad or just needs to be re-formatted. Follow the above steps to determine if you need a new drive or not.
tom

I did not understrand what you mean by I am not installing a 320 GB HDD do you have two HD or just one? if you have two most HD guse external pins that make them primary or secondary check them and see if they do need to reset them...good luck with your paper...meantime do as I do go to the library and do your research and typing on a flash card so you do not waist time...good luck.

Check the jumper on the back of your drive. Chances are that the jumper is either on "slave" or "cable select". Change the jumper to master, and try rebooting.

This is how I did it, you may or may not have the ability. A basic knowledge of Dos is necessary 1) I used another laptop but you could use an adapter to use the hard drive in a regular computer. 2)boot with a windows 98 boot disk, fdisk it to a fat32 partition, make the hard drive a system boot disk (format /s c:) 3) copy the i386 folder and all its contents from a full or full oem (not branded) disk to the laptop drive, also copy smartdrv and highmem.sys from the floppy (speeds thing up dramatically) and create a config.sys file with device=highmem.sys 4)physically install the hard drive back into the C400, boot to dos run smartdrv.exe, then go to the i386 folder and type winnt.exe (enter) wooo should work. MusslaChooda Pakichooda Nathuram Godse

Hi,

Appreciate the direct "Ask Me".

T your concern:

• initially, pls verify that it is indeed an external storage problem rather than a laptop USB issue by trying other USB devices and determine if they are recognized and working;
• disassemble the enclosure of the Acomdata external hard drive and remove the actual hard drive;
• you would need the use of a 2nd PC, a desktop that could accommodate the HD from the Acomdata (IDE or SATA);
• install the HD from the Acomdata as a Secondary Master or Slave internally to the 2nd PC;
• boot the 2nd PC and determine if the HD from the Acomdata will be recognized as a local drive;
• chances are that the partition of the HD from the Acomdata was messed up. This would explain the blinking blue light;
• download and install a file recovery program. An example is GetDataBack (unfortunately not a freeware but DEMO is available) and do a recovery. It would take some time based on the size of the HD from the Acomdata;
• temporarily save the recovered data in the 2nd PC. You can burn this likewise into a DVD backup should the 2nd PC be capable of that;
• after recovery, re-partition and format the HD from the Acomdata while still attached to the 2nd PC;
• should the re-partition and format be successful, you can transfer back the temporarily saved recovered files;
• a nice, simple, fast and safe partitioning/formatting software is Partition Magic (unfortunately not a freeware but FREE TRIAL is available).
• should the re-partition and format be not successful, you can replace only the HD and/or claim warranty.
  

Hope this be of initial help/idea. Pls post back how things turned up or should you need additional information.

Good luck and kind regards. Thank you for using FixYa.

To recover your files you will need a 2.5" external sata usb hard drive case. Take the hard drive out of your lap top and install it in the case. Plug the USB drive into another computer with enough space to copy all the files you want to save. Once you have all the files backed up that you need format the drive and re install your operating system fresh. Then load all your rescued files back to your laptop with another external USB backup drive. This is the only way and I know it works because I have to do it every time I thrash my laptop running bad cracks. Please take the time to rate this fixya for sharing my secrets for free. If you need more help feel free to ask.
George

If you hit "delete" at start up (immediately before or after the beep)the computer will take you into BIOS. It could be a different key for your computer but it will tell you at start up. In BIOS, on the "boot" settings page there will be a "device order" list. Most computers from the last few years will have an option for "removable" device or "USB" device etc. YOU MUST PUT THAT DEVICE FIRST ON THE BOOT ORDER! I originally assumed that you already tried this, but the function is so standard that I have to point it out. OTHER OPTIONS -try an upgrade installation -copy the install cd to a booting hard drive partition (advanced) -pull out the hard drive and install windows on it in a separate computer. If you truly can't boot from an external device, than putting a new CD drive in seems like the most painless option... though I know thats not what you want! If it just a cd drive you need they come for about $10 nowadays. Food for thought anyway!