Partition falied Input/Output Error

I experienced this problem using:
Leopard 10.5.1
WD-160GB 2.5 ATA IDE disk
Firewire enclosure Oxford 911 (I think)

Disk Utility reports: Partition failed with the error: Input/output error

Terminal reports:
diskutil partitionDisk disk2 APMFormat HFS+ Charon 100%
Started partitioning on disk disk2
Creating partition map
[ \ 0%................................................... }
Partitioning encountered error on disk disk2: Input/output error (5)

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Partitioning with Disk Utility on Tiger 10.4.11 on my G4 iMac works.
Leopard then can mount it of course on my PowerBook G4.

I'd say it is a bug (still). Note, that the oxford enclosure I have imposes the 128gb limit to my drive (I'll have to get a new enclosure --- I mention this to help -- incase an Apple person is reviewing this to track down the bug... 🙂

Did anybody file a bug? I'd like to track this.

e

How did you do it?

ALCON:

It would seem that there are several work arounds for formatting drives than to use the Apple supplied proper utility "Disk Utility", since as of 10.5.1 it was broken for this purpose.

However, 10.5.2 just was released, and I have not an external drive to test to see if this was fixed or not. Perhaps someone can do so that has Leopard/Intel at the 10.5.2 service level?

Stuart

somebody please tell me how to figure this out
Seagate 1TB Internal hard drive, able to make partition through windows macdrive 7 i get drive unable to mount.
Started from scracth But i get inout/output error under OSX installation during fresh erase.
Somebody please help

I am running 10.5.1 on a MacBook Pro, and I am experiencing the same problem trying to partition my external hard drive.

I borrowed a 10.4 install disc from a friend (who also has a MacBook Pro) in order to try the solution detailed here, but for some reason I can't boot into Tiger from the disc.

I have tried restarting holding down 'C', but it boots into Leopard.
I have tried restarting holding down 'Option', then selecting the Tiger Install DVD, but it still boots into Leopard.
I have tried running the Installer app on the DVD, which forces the computer to restart, but it still boots into Leopard.

Is something wrong with the install disc? Or is this some kind of anti-piracy measure which keeps Leopard users from having fully-working computers?

Thanks!

Ethan

PS - Does anyone know if this issue is solved in v10.5.2??

I can confirm that this is NOT solved in 10.5.2, as I'm seeing it there for the first time. I can't believe they've let such a huge bug go for so long! Does no one know of a better solution than booting into the Tiger installer and using that Disk Utility? This is ridiculous!

Just a followup to my post -- I managed to find my own Tiger discs, and they booted and worked properly. I can only assume there is an anti-piracy measure which prevents users from using someone else's copy of the Tiger installers to boot.

Once I got into Tiger, I was able to reformat and partition my hard drive using Disk Utility.

Nope - there's no such anti-piracy measure.

I just bought an external firewire case, put my hard drive in it hooked it up via firewire and it works like a charm. I partitioned it and it is backing up data as we speak.

I hit this problem on 10.5.2 as well, trying to partition an external 160GB drive.

What didn't work:
- trying it on a Tiger 10.4.10 system - DiskUtility just hung with spinning beach ball
- trying to format it as FAT32 first - still gave input/output (error 5) or equivalent

What did work:
- getting a FireWire cable, and using that port on the device instead. Worked like a charm.

Could someone explain how they can see HD in parallels? external? how about internal HD, could this work too?

Hi there,

I have an Iomega 200 GB firewire external hard drive which I used for time machine. It worked fine until it was cut of from power. I then encountered all the familiar problems (aka input/output error) and after some research plugged into a friend's machine which still runs on 10.4. BUT: it didn't help. Has anybody else had the same problem? It seems that everybody else was fine with 10.4.

Thanks a lot!

Hi Zoe

I have a La Cie 320 GB which I had two partitions - one for Time Machine and one for a full backup using Super Duper. It was working fine until today I decided to re format for other use - then I got the input/output error!

I tried many things -and almost threw the drive away! Fortunately, then I found this thread took the advice described above by booting into Tiger and using the Disk Utility to repair and then erase. It was then recognised in Tiger and is now working fine in Leopard!

This MUST be a Leopard problem - so I hope it is fixed in the forthcoming 10.5.3 - otherwise other people may think like me that they have a duff drive!

Hope this helps

Alan

BTW - I just booted up from the Tiger disk and used the Disk Utility from that