Hard drive won't format.

[Roseland Music]

I just bought a Mbox mini 2, upgraded my Macbook Pro with Leopard, and added a Western Digital external hard drive (1 tb). I can't format the hard drive. Also, Pro Tools won't open the initial "Demo Session". Needless to say, I am a novice at this, although I am a professional musician. Any and all help is very much appreciated!!

[The Dougfather]

Can you provide info that related to not being able to format the drive, errors etc?

You've gone to disk utility, selected erase and chose Mac OSX Extended (Journaled)?

[Mark Reis]

Is it really a 1 TB drive or 2 500GB as a single volume using some proprietary WD driver?

This would be the first place I'd look barring any other missing information.

[Roseland Music]

Hey guys. Thanks for the help!
When I try to format, I go to disk utility-choose the top HD icon (there's two) from the left column- then choose erase, journled, then I click erase. The error says "file system formatter failed". This WD is, in fact, a 1 tb drive, by the way.

[robo6675]

Have you tried other formats? Also are you running pro tools while doing this or any other application?

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by Roseland Music

Hey guys. Thanks for the help!
When I try to format, I go to disk utility-choose the top HD icon (there's two) from the left column- then choose erase, journled, then I click erase. The error says "file system formatter failed". This WD is, in fact, a 1 tb drive, by the way.

Instead of going to erase, pick the partition tab. On the Volume Scheme drop down, change it from current to 1 Partition. Click Options button and select GUID, then OK. Make sure the Volume Information is correct then click apply.

[Roseland Music]

Originally Posted by robo6675

Have you tried other formats? Also are you running pro tools while doing this or any other application?

I didn't try any other formats, only what was instructed, as I am walking on eggshells with this stuff not knowing if the wrong button could possibly make something explode!! I got this to make demos, thinking it would be reasonably easy to get up and running. I'm invested now, so it's no turning back, in my mind. That said, I can't even get the stinking hard drive to format. To my knowledge I do not have any other apps going. When I first tried to format I think I did have PT running. This time I just had the HD going to no avail.

[Roseland Music]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Instead of going to erase, pick the partition tab. On the Volume Scheme drop down, change it from current to 1 Partition. Click Options button and select GUID, then OK. Make sure the Volume Information is correct then click apply.

This sound like the right move to everybody here? No offense, Chuck. Thanks for taking the time!

By the way, the Western Digital is the "Home Edition"...for what it's worth

[ChuckS]

As long as you don't have the system drive selected - no problem. That would be the one that has the MacIntosh HD volume listed underneath it.

Look here: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc....i=&p_topview=1

In the WDC docs they select Apple Partition Map instead of GUID. If you were planning on using it as a system drive (boot volume) someday then GUID, otherwise APM is fine.