Disk erase ailed with the error :wiping volume data to prevent future accidental probing failed.

If that doesn't work, download burn and hold option key and boot off a Parted Magic CD > GParted, use the default load into RAM and use that to attack the external drive and unlock everything and change the format and partition map scheme.

Since there is no data on it, your free to inflict what you need to do to get it working. Just don't mess with your own boot drive, Parted Magic is powerfully dangerous.

http://partedmagic.com/doku.php?id=start

Open Disk Utility, select the drive makers name and size on the left

Click Partition: 1 Options: MBR Format: MSDOS and click apply.

Click Erase: Security Options: Zero All Data and Erase. Wait for a few hours until complete.

When finished click Partition: Option GUID (if for Mac only, or a Mac boot drive) Format: OS X Extended Journaled.

If for use between a Mac and a PC: For Windows XP: MBR and format exFAT. For Vista-Windows 8 GUID: exFAT.

However formatting should really be done by the oldest PC your going to use.

For XP there is a free exFAT download from Microsoft.

Drives, partitions, formatting w/Mac's + PC's

hdindi wrote:

Im not sure about the second option how safe is it?

It's safe, but you have to make sure your only mounting and affecting changes on the drive intended.

It has a GUI, but it's a bit different than a Mac.

With Gparted it will tell you if there is something locked about the drive.

Can i be able to remove the hard drive and format it with a different mac book pro to mac os journaled and then return it?

You will need a SATA to USB adapter cable.

And again the type of hard drive I purchased is a toshiba since the spoilt one is a toshiba. Could it be that its not supported by the mac book?

Internal drives are pretty much universal for all computers with the appropriate size space and interfaces.

Even external enclosed drives have standard internal drives inside.

What sometimes occurs is the drive is non-funtional right from the factory, call the place you bought it up via phone and ask about your drive, it's compatability with your model of Mac and arrange a exchange for a new one.

It should just go right in and you can format it and use it. Not hassle with it.

How exactly are you trying to format this new drive?

Your signature says 10.7.5, is it a newer Mac and a globe appears and you use Disk Utiltiy

or are you attempting to format via a 10.6 or other OS X disk?

hdindi wrote:

How long does the parted magic process takes ? just loaded and its taking forever to load !!!!!

Booting a OS off a cd takes longer than a drive.

if I abort it will it damage my mother board ?

No, it only loads into RAM

If this goes on like for more than 20 minutes without loading, then hold the power button down to force the hardware shutdown and then boot again but hold the trackpad button and option key down.

The disk should pop out, else you load Startup Manager again and keep pressing the eject key on the builtin/wired keyboard.

An error occurred while preparing the installation.

Do...

Open Disk Utility, select the drive makers name and size on the left

Click Partition: 1 Options: MBR Format: MSDOS and click apply.

Click Erase: Security Options: Zero All Data and Erase. Wait for a few hours until complete.

When finished click Partition: Option GUID (if for Mac only, or a Mac boot drive) Format: OS X Extended Journaled.

...via the Internet Recovery (command option r boot) on the ENTIRE drive by selecting the drive makers name and size on the left.

All new drives have bad sectors from the factory and usually there is a mechanism in place to eliminate them, except when they occur in certain spots.

If this fails and you still can't install OS X, then return the drive for a exchange.

Same format error occured when trying to install SSD into 2012 Mac Mini. Had to put SSD in slot where original HD was, and move HD to optical bay, issue disapeared. Had previously taken apart machine numerous times to check SSD and cable connections, no issues found, but not able to use drive when machine booted. Swapped drive locations, no futher issues. Appears Apple or the SSD manufactures have something that requires SATA slot one or in the Mac Mini's case the "lower" SATA slot. Not sure about those wanting two SSD's in their machine. Refer to this link:

http://www.hendrikvh.com/mac/files/MacSSDIssues.php

I had the same problem. I have no idea why (shear desperation) I used the checksum tool in disk utility and cancelled it after a few minutes thinking it was pointless. After that I was able to erase and partition the drive. No idea why this worked, but thought I would share.

Hi all, I've struggled for some days with the same problem but now it is solved. I can confirm that the problem was a faulty SATA cable. I've replaced it with a new one and now everything works as expected.

I tried this solution on my SSD that I can't format, I selected the drive makers name and the options you suggest but I still get the error message "Wiping volume data to prevent future accidental probing failed."

I used the SSD as OSX drive yesterday but suddenly I couldn't boot from it. So I successfully installed Yosemite on my other internal drive instead and copied some files from the SSD to an external drive and then tried to fully format the SSD. But that's where I'm stuck. Any suggestions on how to format it?

Thank you ds store, for the tips and tricks. They worked for me fortunately.

From a faulty Mac Mini I pulled to HD's that were formatted as a RAID 0 array. In order to use them in a MacBook Pro and in an external USB case I tried reformatting and repartitioning both drives. Both attempts failed with the mentioned error.

At first the MBR partitioning failed as well, until I attached 1 drive to the main internal SATA cable of the MB Pro. Booting from an external disk and then formatting to MBR and then GUID/HFS+ Journaled, succeeded. After that I repeated the trick for the second drive and this too succeeded.

Apparently, it is imperative to hook the drive that needs to be formatted, up to the main internal SATA cable.