OFFICIAL External Storage Information

[8bitbytes]

I was surprised how fast the reformat was. Is that a Linux thing?

Actually, Windows can format that quickly too, if you use the right commands. Here is the technet note:

When you choose to run a regular format on a volume, files are removed from the volume that you are formatting and the hard disk is scanned for bad sectors. The scan for bad sectors is responsible for the majority of the time that it takes to format a volume.

If you choose the Quick format option, format removes files from the partition, but does not scan the disk for bad sectors. Only use this option if your hard disk has been previously formatted and you are sure that your hard disk is not damaged.

 

[Smith P.]

Because MS format have 2 modes - Regular, when it read all sectors and Quick - just create file system, so it fast as any other.

John, I think you knew that.

 

[nazz]

Thanks for the lesson, guys. I never used the quick option because I just figured the other was better.

BTW...I hadn't seen this mentioned. When I power off my external drive with the 622 it knows it and prompts me. When I fire it up, it gives me the do you want to manage the drive content prompt. I really can't imagine this drive not working with all of that.

 

[Smith P.]

When you'll pay the $40 then it will available.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

When you'll pay the $40 then it will available.

My thought as well.

 

[mike123abc]

What is annoying me is the screensaver now cycles through a bunch of tips... Including call Dish now to activate external HD storage!

 

[Hall]

Thanks for the lesson, guys. I never used the quick option because I just figured the other was better.

If by "better" you simply mean faster, yeah the quick option is. On a brand new drive it's probably completely safe too. On a drive that's been in use for a while though, you may play it safe by using the full format option so that bad sectors are marked as unusable.

 

[nazz]

If by "better" you simply mean faster, yeah the quick option is. On a brand new drive it's probably completely safe too. On a drive that's been in use for a while though, you may play it safe by using the full format option so that bad sectors are marked as unusable.

I meant that I chose the full format because I figured it to be better. I've never used the quick option.

Also, I know the drive won't be functional until I activate and pay the fee. I was talking about compatibility.

 

[cparker]

You shouldn't have bad sectors on IDE or SATA drives. If you do, replace the drive.

 

[Hall]

Does the onboard controller mark them ? If so, how does it report to the OS that less and less available space is available ?

 

[mike123abc]

Does the onboard controller mark them ? If so, how does it report to the OS that less and less available space is available ?

There are extra sectors on the hard drive and bad sectors are automatically remapped as needed. One of the SMART HD reporting features is when a bunch of new sectors start to need remapping, indicating something is wrong with the drive. That is one of the advatages of SATA with Native Command Queing (NCQ), the drive gets all the requests and can order them for optimum seeking, since only the disk itself really knows where a particular sector is.

 

[jdr01930]

It's a Not MS thing

Solaris; AIX, HP-UX, Linux etc all are very fast at building file systems.

Cheers,

You aint kidding! Completely unrelated to this Dish stuff, I'm at a client site where they just got two 500GB Western Dig My Book Premiums.
I'm in the process of formating one of them right now - NTFS on a Windows 2003 server. It's been running for what seems like well over an hour, and is 69% done.

For those who are getting impatient - don't waste time formating it on your PC just fot giggles. At this point, it probably won't be done by the 15th - lol.

 

[mike123abc]

Just pick fast for the NTFS format, that way it will not try to write/read from every sector testing the HD.

 

[8bitbytes]

You aint kidding! Completely unrelated to this Dish stuff, I'm at a client site where they just got two 500GB Western Dig My Book Premiums.
I'm in the process of formating one of them right now - NTFS on a Windows 2003 server. It's been running for what seems like well over an hour, and is 69% done.

For those who are getting impatient - don't waste time formating it on your PC just fot giggles. At this point, it probably won't be done by the 15th - lol.

Should have been done in a couple minutes. You must not have picked the NTFS - QUICK method.

 

[Hall]

For those who are getting impatient - don't waste time formating it on your PC just fot giggles. At this point, it probably won't be done by the 15th

Oh, you just can't convince people otherwise. They seem to think they can "help" the 622 by pre-formatting it and it will make it easier for the receiver... Or like the guy last night on the tech forum who called in and said he used Linux to format his external drive. What format did he use, EXT2 or EXT3 ?? Who says that's what the 622 wants ? Someone else checked the structure and it apparently creates a very small (1gb) partition and the remainder to the 2nd partition.

 

[Smith P.]

Tomorrow we will know all details. We have a lot of geeks here !

 

[nazz]

Oh, you just can't convince people otherwise. They seem to think they can "help" the 622 by pre-formatting it and it will make it easier for the receiver...

Or we're just killing time while we wait. In the case with Scott, I think we were discussing if the 622 doesn't format if straight from the box but might if it had been used on a PC. That certainly doesn't make us idiots trying to 'help' the 622. Don't you ever experiment just out of curiosity?

 

[RickDee]

Formatting the HDD

Anyone who thinks they're accomplishing something by formatting the drive they want to use with the 622 is just plain wasting time!

When you plug the drive into the 622 you will be asked if you want to format the drive. It will also warn you that the drive is going to be formatted and any data on it will be LOST! The system reboots as part of the process, too.

The 622 does make 2 partitions. Both partitions are formatted to Linux Native, identifier 131/83H.

So forget about FAT32, NTFS, Ext3, and all other formats. Let the 622 take care of the formatting for you!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Or we're just killing time while we wait. In the case with Scott, I think we were discussing if the 622 doesn't format if straight from the box but might if it had been used on a PC. That certainly doesn't make us idiots trying to 'help' the 622. Don't you ever experiment just out of curiosity?

I didn't format the drive on a PC, I took the 750GB WD MyBook drive out of the box and plugged it directly into the 622.

Again the screen came up asking me if I wanted to manage the device, however I was never asked if I wanted to format it.

I have heard from 2 folks at Dish who are using the 500GB WD MyBook and its working fine. So I guess I will wait and see tommorow.

 

[nazz]

I know. That's exactly what I was talking about. My posts sure are getting misunderstood alot today.