WD External Hard Drive will not format, "Input/Output Error"

I/O error (bummers) 😉
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1618

This can indicate anything from a loose connection to a physical disk problem.
Unmount and disconnect all your drive cables, including to the power. Then connect and try again. If that sorts it, something was loose.

If not, your instincts are correct 😉



-mj

I'm getting the same errors from both my USB ports when I try to format a brand new Maxtor 1TB drive.

I had noticed some strange errors a week ago when Time Machine was reporting an error saying it had failed (this was using a nother external firewire drive). Errors were (not verbatim) "error writing files" & "unknown error".

I naturally thought there was a prob with the ext drive, so knowing that I had at least a good full back-up on there, bought a new ext drive (larger) to perform a full backup on so I could reformat the firewire drive and utilise it elsewhere - but got errors when I tried to set it up as a Time Machine drive seconds after I took it out of the box.

I ran "Verify Disk" on my internal macbook HD and it reported some permission errors and mis-reported file sizes and told me to "Repair Disk". I did, and this stated it fixed a few things. Ran Verify again and it still reported some permission errors.

Now, this leaves me in a sticky spot. I can't format the maxtor external disk in order to manually copy over my disk content, it doesn't even show up in disk Utility or in Finder. I can't perform a Time Machine backup - as it can't see the maxtor disk. I can't do a TM backup on the old Firewire disk - due to the program errors. AND it appears I have permission errors on my internal HD.

Whatever course of action I take to correct these problems - I would like the knowledge that I have a full backup to restore from if things "head south" while I look to correct the HD permission issues.

Anyone out there with some REAL SMART ideas that can help me out here ?
Right now I'll even accept "Half Smart", "Clever" and "**** - Why Didn't I Think Of That" answers !

S.

I assume you can format it as DOS?
This seems to be a flavour of WD. Try to create two partitions, it should then allow you to format in Extended Journaled.
I've seen a solution involving creating two partitions and removing them for a successful format. I just kept two - one for the clone, one for backup.

Nope...

Can't format it to FAT or Mac journaled. Can't format it at all.
Had same errors trying to format a WD passport a few weeks ago too 😟

Just get a "internal program failed with error" message.

This was trying to format the WD passport and the Maxtor Basics 1Tb.

.

ste_global wrote:
I ran "Verify Disk" on my internal macbook HD and it reported some permission errors and mis-reported file sizes and told me to "Repair Disk". I did, and this stated it fixed a few things. Ran Verify again and it still reported some permission errors.

I'm unclear here. There is no need to ever "Verify Permissions", it is a waste of time. Just run "Repair Permissions". It is an all or none deal. If it reports Permissions have been repaired..." then they are repaired. There are a couple of spurious errors which is probably what you see.

Verify Disk, on the other hand is useful because it allows you to check your directory structure without having to boot from the DVD or another volume. If you need to repair disk, then run it from your DVD and run it until all repairs have been made and it reports "Volume appears to be OK"

Have you tried shutting down, then powering up your drive(s), then booting up to see if tthey are recognized that way? Are you sure that in Finder > Preferences > Sidebar that "External Disks" is check marked? Does your new disk have a firewire interface also and have you tried that? Have you contacted Maxtor?



-mj

Many Thanks MJ.

I was never clear on the exact meta-physics of "verify disk" and "repair permissions". I ran these as a matter of being dilligent. I've taken your points now though. BTW, the repair permissions reported back that stuff had been done and all was ok (sorry, I'm not at my machine so my coments on the content of the messages is vague).

Reboots don't assist me either I'm afraid and the maxtor disk is usb 2.0 only.

Haven't contacted maxtor (only purchased the disk 10 hours ago). I simply aggregated the problems I have been experiencing and determined (rightly or wrongly) that I have a problem somewhere in my mac / os rather than a majority of my external devices all going wrong at the same time.

I have having this exact same issue! Just got a new Western Digital Passport but it will not mount on my computer(s). I just to partition and I just get the input/output error. I called WD customer support and they said I must have a bad disk and they will send me a new one BUT today, I plugged the Passport into my work laptop (ibook but 10.5.5 and intel based--my ibook and emac and G4) and voila! It mounted and worked. I then tried on my home computer and it still won't mount and all I get is first the unrecognized message and then when I try to initialize or partition I get input/output error.

Is this a bug with the older macs? How can I get the passport to mount? Thanks!

Since upgrading to 10.5.6 I am unable to format any disks. I've tried two different disks now: an external LaCie and an internal WD. There are reports of others having the same problem. My attempts also result in the Input/Output error.