How-To Geek

I bought a 500GB seagate external HDD and now all the data is missing and it wants me to format it but when i try it says Windows cannot format the disk what should i do i am running Windows7 home premium if that info is needed

I don't know why all the data is gone and I just clicked the format now button when it popped up

It shows up but it doesn't allow me to do anything to it so I can't format it that way

Right now it says formating in the disk box

See if it formats for you. It's 5:00AM. here have to sleep for a few hours. If it formats great if not, follow the directions here and run CHKDSK.

http://www.w7forums.com/use-ch.....-t448.html

Still wonder why your data was lost though.

Edit: You can't format while the disk is in use. Try the above link.

If it completed the format you may have to either reboot or assign a drive letter.

it's not showing up in computer so i can't

@Eddiebug, I think we need to start from the beginning here. You lost your data, but don't seemed to concerned about that. Okay, why did you lose your data. Did you do something or is it a drive failure. Drive won't format because it is active. But, now you can't find it. Give up all the info before this problem started. Why don't you care you lost your data. Maybe wasn't important to you but, the cause might be. Never asked is this a desktop your connected to if it is try this.
http://www.seagate.com/support.....flex-desk/

i had my computer sitting on the dog house in my motor home when i was cleaning but my dog jumped on it to bark at another dog and knocked the seagate on the floor unplugging it from the computer and then when i plugged it back in i saw the files and when i clicked on them it said i needed to format it. i checked it on my moms computer and my HP desktop and got the same error so i ruled out my laptop being the problem

Gee, Eddiebug1, Asked you yesterday why all your data was gone you didn't know. If you want to fix the problem be forthright about it.