How do you re-format a "disk0" internal HD????

[Pegaroo]

Last week our power went out when I was copying a file to a backup HD. The HD is an 80 Gb internal HD inside a G4 c. 2002. When I restarted after the power failure, everything returned to normal except this one HD, I assume because the software got messed up when the power failure happened in the middle of a file transfer. It does not mount.

In any case, both Disk Utility and Disk Warrior see the drive, but with Disk Warrior the only thing it allows me to do is check the status of the hardware, which is OK. On Disk Utility, the only possible command is "erase," but when I try to erase it, it gives me an error message, something like "file format not compatible with drive" --which of course is nonsense, since it was working fine for 17 years!

Disk Utility calls the problem drive "disk0". I see online that a lot of people have had similar problems--although for most of them, "disk0" is their boot drive. That's NOT the case here. And although I see a lot of similar questions online, I don't see ANY answers. Maybe I'll get lucky!

[Before you answer, please realize this is NOT a hardware issue. It's a software issue.]

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

disk0 is just the Unix BSD name for the drive depending on which slot/connection it is connected to on the bus. Mac Pro's with four slots would have disk0, disk1, disk2, and disk3. iMacs and MacBooks would have only one - disk0. Power Mac G4's mostly have two hard drive slots, so disk0 is the drive that shipped with it, and disk1 would be a drive added to the second internal slot. Partitions will normally show as disk0s1, disk0s2,, disk0s3, etc.

Because this happened during a file transfer, it actually could be a hardware issue. If the heads aren't parked/don't park when power is cut, they can suddenly make contact with the spinning platter and cause damage - a hard drive crash.

-Which model Power Mac G4 - is it the QuickSilver 2002 or Mirrored Drive Doors?
-What version of OS X?
-How many drives in your Power Mac G4?
-When DiskWarrior checks the drive, does it prompt with any messages like the drive is failing? Or, does it allow the drive to mount in Finder?
-Is the drive making any grinding or clunking sounds?

C

 

[Pegaroo]

Hello and welcome.

disk0 is just the Unix BSD name for the drive depending on which slot/connection it is connected to on the bus. Mac Pro's with four slots would have disk0, disk1, disk2, and disk3. iMacs and MacBooks would have only one - disk0. Power Mac G4's mostly have two hard drive slots, so disk0 is the drive that shipped with it, and disk1 would be a drive added to the second internal slot. Partitions will normally show as disk0s1, disk0s2,, disk0s3, etc.

Because this happened during a file transfer, it actually could be a hardware issue. If the heads aren't parked/don't park when power is cut, they can suddenly make contact with the spinning platter and cause damage - a hard drive crash.

-Which model Power Mac G4 - is it the QuickSilver 2002 or Mirrored Drive Doors?
-What version of OS X?
-How many drives in your Power Mac G4?
-When DiskWarrior checks the drive, does it prompt with any messages like the drive is failing? Or, does it allow the drive to mount in Finder?
-Is the drive making any grinding or clunking sounds?

C

Thanks for responding. To answer your questions: G4 Mirrored Drive Doors; system--whatever the highest version you could put on the G4; 2 internal drives--the one that comes up fine is partitioned, the one with the problem was NOT partitioned; Disk Warrior--as I said, it sees the drive, but the only possible command allowed for that drive is the automatic hardware check, which comes back "OK"; the only possible command in Disk Utility is "erase," but when you try that it fails and gives some error message about the file system not being compatible with the drive--which of course is not true. I have felt the drive; it's warm and slightly vibrating = it's alive. It will not mount.

I've read about the head possibly not parking, etc., and from what I read, newer (whatever that means--I haven't seen an actual date) drives apparently have solved that issue. But this drive must date from 2002 or earlier, so who knows if it's "newer" or not. If the drive were damaged, wouldn't it be invisible to Disk Utility and Disk Warrior? And wouldn't it be cold rather than warm? And not vibrating? I certainly have had other HDs go bad, and when they're dead, they're dead! No signs of life. This one has signs of life.

As I said in the original post, there seem to be a lot of people with the same or a similar problem, but I can't find any answers. I just find it hard to believe that there is no way to forcibly re-format it. Or, if it's simply dead, I'm surprised I haven't found an answer somewhere that says "in these circumstances the HD is dead." But of course one of the beauties of the internet is that no matter how specific you make your question, you get millions of hits. For example the search "macintosh format disk0 hard dive" brings up 33.5 MILLION hits. If the answer is lurking in one of those 33.5 MILLION hits, I'm not going to find it. It's a needle in a large field of haystacks.

 

[Cory Cooper]

No problem.

-Is there any data you need off of the problem drive?
-The maximum version of OS X on the MDD G4 is 10.5.8 Leopard.
-Which version of DiskWarrior - 4.1?

It sounds like it is powered on and spinning, so it could still be software (formatting) or hardware (physical damage to the platter or arm).

It may be wise to power off the Mac, remove the drive, startup the Mac and use it for a while. Then power it off and reinstall the drive and see if it will mount or allow formatting/erasing.

C

 

[mamlukman]

I gave up on the drive and bought a new one, but didn't install it. Then we went on a short vacation in May, so I turned off and unplugged all the computers. When we came back, I plugged everything back in and started up...and lo and behold, the "dead" drive has re-appeared, apparently none the worse for wear. Weird.