I have a Westerd Digital 160 GB Hard Drive Model WD1600BEVE that was working well on windows XP until today. I did a low level format then I initialized it as one big partition and then I made it active. I wanted a clean HD to install windows 7 on. After I did that windows 7 installation does not see the hard drive. Windows XP also no longer sees the drive. I can connect the drive on my my desktop and copy pictures and doccuments to it and it works fine that way. I feel the low level format deleted something in the boot sector that I need to reinstall but I am at a loss. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance,
Chipmaster

Hi,
you dont say how you did a low level format, what software you used etc.
you also dont say what OS your desktop is and how exactly you are connecting it(USB?)

try to open command prompt as administrator(right-click)
type "diskpart"
type "list disk"

find out which disk number it is (be certain!)
type sel disk ? where "?" is the number

type "list part"

either use diskpart to delete all partitions and start again, or post results to get stepped through it.

a simple partition creation might look like:



note this is a script I use after booting with a windows PE boot CD, and afterwards windows is actually installed on the C:, but due to the bootdisk, at that time it is D:

cheers

I used the HDD low level format tool 4.12 Home License I bought from Hdd Guru. My desktop is Wndows XP and I am using a box to plug the external hard drive into via USB that I bought 4 years ago from Comp USA that was made by Star Tech.com. It supports many typs or hard drives internally and externally via ribbon cable. I will try to do what you said.

I am up to diskpart create nothing seems to happen when I press enter?

As far as I'm not sure about this Hard drive problems .

when you do the clean part, did it say completed successfully? You should try screenshotting each step and posting(alt+printscreen copies only the window in focus.. then you can paste into MSPaint and save as a jpg)

another option is looking at the disk properties and partition properties in DMDE and posting.

I am so sorry I did not get back with you sooner. I apologise but there has been sickness with my mom in Florida and I had to go down there the next day after posting this. There is no internet where she lives and I am only back here in Franklin N.C. for one night. I did everything you said but the last thing the partition properties in DMED. Everything you said to do came back well and ok but when I put that drive back into the laptop and try to install Windows 7 it still says it sees no drive but when I place it back to this desktop VIA the Startech.com usb device this windiws XP sees it fine and I can also put doccuments and pictures on it and see them. I am heading back to Florida for about one more week and then try something else. Anything you can think for me to try would be greatfully Apreciated. Also just for a test I did a normal format on another 40 gig hard drive and it worked just fine for the windows 7 install in that same laptop. The low level format I did on that 160 GB just did something to it that I can't figure out but hope you can help me thru. Thanks in advance.

Just to prove it to myself I took an extra 80 GB hard drive and did a low level format on it also and it now no longer is seen when I try to put Windows 7 on it. I didn't mind cause I have many 80 GB but only 2 160 GB and would really like to find out how to bring my 160 GB hard drive back to life. Every step you had me do came back successful so I am ready to try something else. Thanks in advance. PS I had a typo in disk part but once I saw that it worked fine.

Have you tried setting the IDE/SATA settings in the BIOS? The setting would be something like "Legacy mode" or "IDE mode".... basically, opposite to "AHCI mode".