Can't initialise because of I/O error

Droolinggimp · 14 Jul 2023 at 21:25

Just got a new 4TB Seagate Barracude internal hard drive and I have tried all combinations of SATA cables and SATA ports on the mobo. Including ones from current drives that work. For the life of me I can't get it to work. it is recognised in the BIOS set up. In disk management in Windows, it is known as Disk 2 unknown, not initialised. I have tried to do initialise it but it comes up with the I/O error.

I have googled the issue but nothing is turning up right to correct it. I got it today from OCUK.

Any ideas?

darael · 14 Jul 2023 at 22:10

I would try it in another computer or on another motherboard. Failing that, try it in a USB caddy.

Droolinggimp · 14 Jul 2023 at 22:15

darael said:
I would try it in another computer or on another motherboard. Failing that, try it in a USB caddy.

unfortunately everyone I know has a phone or Ipad

I will assume a USB caddy is a thing that will convert the internal drive to an external one?

darael · 14 Jul 2023 at 22:23

Droolinggimp said:
unfortunately everyone I know has a phone or Ipad

I will assume a USB caddy is a thing that will convert the internal drive to an external one?

Yeah, I've always found a USB to SATA converter quite handy sometimes.

freddie64 · 15 Jul 2023 at 07:12

Can you initialise it in diskpart?

Step 1. Press Win+R > Type: diskpart and hit Enter.

Step 2. Type: list disk and hit Enter.

Step 3. Type: select disk n and hit Enter; (replace n with the drive letter of an uninitialized external hard drive.)

Step 4. Type: clean and hit Enter.

Step 5. Type: convert gpt or convert mbr and hit Enter.

Step 6. Type: create partition primary and hit Enter.

Step 7. Type: format quick fs=ntfs and hit Enter.

Step 8. Type: assign and hit Enter.

Step 9. Type: exit and hit Enter.

Droolinggimp · 15 Jul 2023 at 07:22

freddie64 said:
Can you initialise it in diskpart?

Step 1. Press Win+R > Type: diskpart and hit Enter.

Step 2. Type: list disk and hit Enter.

Step 3. Type: select disk n and hit Enter; (replace n with the drive letter of an uninitialized external hard drive.)

Step 4. Type: clean and hit Enter.

Step 5. Type: convert gpt or convert mbr and hit Enter.

Step 6. Type: create partition primary and hit Enter.

Step 7. Type: format quick fs=ntfs and hit Enter.

Step 8. Type: assign and hit Enter.

Step 9. Type: exit and hit Enter.

I'll try that later. If to work now.

@freddie64 i got to convert mbr and error. A device which does not exist was specified.

Droolinggimp · 15 Jul 2023 at 12:49

I just disconnected my secondary storage drive I use for photos movies etc and used those exact cables to connect the new drive and it still wont initialise. I either get the not exist or I/O error reports. The dive also makes a spinning sound but every second it also makes a 'ssshlit' whrrrrr 'ssshlit' whrrrrr. Not sure but I may have a dud.

edit: for what its worth, in disk management, where I try to initialise the disk, it doesnt show the disk capacity, it show theres a disk there but nothing else.

freddie64 · 15 Jul 2023 at 14:33

I would say you have done all you can to get it running and just RMA the drive. You could try a USB caddy but you should not have to just to initialise a HDD.

I use WD drive in a HTPC and it is very quiet in use.

Droolinggimp · 15 Jul 2023 at 14:53

ive sent a webnote to ocuk. Hopefully they will contact me monday/tuesday.

Snapshot · 16 Jul 2023 at 13:32

I agree with @freddie64 - you've done enough to prove that it's DOA so send it back.

Droolinggimp · 16 Jul 2023 at 17:29

Snapshot said:
I agree with @freddie64 - you've done enough to prove that it's DOA so send it back.

Ill see what they say hopefully tomorrow. My first CPU from OcUK back in 2004 (when I built my first rig) was DOA.

freddie64 · 20 Jul 2023 at 08:04

Droolinggimp said:
Ill see what they say hopefully tomorrow. My first CPU from OcUK back in 2004 (when I built my first rig) was DOA.

How did you get on?

Droolinggimp · 20 Jul 2023 at 09:52

They RMAd it for me. Sent it back last night. Finger's crossed they find it faulty.

freddie64 · 20 Jul 2023 at 10:13

If they don't find it faulty, ask them to format it before returning it to you.

Hopefully you will get a new working drive though.

Droolinggimp · 24 Jul 2023 at 17:12

Can someone help. I have just received and email from OcUk, saying thank you for my order, and listed all the order info of the same hard drive. Dated today. Would this mean they found a fault with my original one I sent back and they are sending me a new one? I have not got any other email yet.

darael · 24 Jul 2023 at 20:56

Droolinggimp said:
Can someone help. I have just received and email from OcUk, saying thank you for my order, and listed all the order info of the same hard drive. Dated today. Would this mean they found a fault with my original one I sent back and they are sending me a new one? I have not got any other email yet.

It does sound as though they've found your returned drive faulty and have sent another drive out to you.

The only way you can be sure is to contact them, but I think they'll just confirm the above.

Droolinggimp · 26 Jul 2023 at 15:01

Good news. New drive came today. Installed without issues. Now I have more storage space than I have ever had. The last 8/9 years I have been stuck with a 250GB SSD and a 500GB HD, no idea how I have managed to be honest

Now I have an extra 4TB