GoFlex, GoFlex Desk, GoFlex Pro, GoFlex Slim, & GoFlex Turbo

[Squidlet]

Hey all

Someone suggested I try reformatting my seagate 750GB goflex hardrive to see if it will fix the problem Im having where the hard drive won't connect to any tvs. It starts spinning, makes a clicking noise then disconnects. It runs fines on my laptop.

I have moved everything off my hardrive (movies etc) including the folder labeled "manufacteur". The only thing left on it now is the file of my computer back up. It is 177 GB and I simply don't have the room to store it any where while my hard drive is reformatting. I think it was created by meamo instant back up. If I reformat my hard drive now, will it still make a new back up when I start it up again once it is done? Or will meamo instant back-up be removed?

I have never reformatted a hard drive before, so I don't want to remove anything crucial to the hard drives ability to run.

Any help would be a ppreciated. Also, what is the easiest way to reformat? I have a laptop which runs vista.

Thanks!

[kenji57_?]

TV's with USB ports often expect a USB stick formatted as FAT32. External hard drives are usually formatted as NTFS so the TV can't read it (PS3 and XBox have the same issue of only being able to read FAT32)

If you reformat the drive you will lose your data. The best idea is to shrink the existing partition (say 350GB) and the create a second 350GB partiton in the empty space. You can format this new partition as FAT32 and leave the original partition with your 177GB disk image as NTFS.

Read this link about resizing partitions using Disk management in Vista http://www.mydigitallife.info/change-or-resize-partition-ntfs-fat-or-fat32-size-in-windows-vista/

Once you have created a new partition the only problem is that windows won't let you format a drive larger than 32GB as FAT32.

You have to do that in DOS with format /FS:FAT32 driveletter: or use a 3rd party software tool

http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/formatting-external-hard-drive-to-fat-32/

[Squidlet]

Hey Thanks for the easy to follow explanation, I think I actually understand what you are talking about.

I have one question before I go and do this, if I want to reformat my hard drive back to NFTS will it be possible, or will one partation be stuck in the FAT32?

Thanks

[kenji57_?]

No problem. If you want to reformat the FAT32 partition to NTFS then you can do that.

If you want to delete the new FAT32 parttion and Expand the original NTFS parttion back to the full drive capacity, then you can do that too. All in Windows Disk Management.

 http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/resize-a-partition-for-free-in-windows-vista/

[Squidlet]

Ahh wicked, thanks alot! Fingers crossed this works! I really dont want to buy a new hard drive just so I can watch my movies on the tv.