Can't format external HDD using terminal: Error: -69877: Couldn't open device

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Can't format external HDD using terminal: Error: -69877: Couldn't open device

Disk Utility won't format / erase Seagate Barracuda 2TB (ST2000DM001) - it is an internal drive but I connected it using a docking station via USB. The disk is brand new and unformatted. System indicates that it is S.M.A.R.T incompatible

When trying to erase the disk, I get error message "disk / link could not be found / opened".

I tried using terminal "diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ newdisk /dev/disk3" but I get this message:

Started erase on disk3

Unmounting disk

Error: -69877: Couldn't open device

Any way I could force format the disk?

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2009), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), 2,53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 4 GB 1067

Posted on Feb 8, 2013 12:04 PM

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Answer 1

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MrHoffman

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Feb 8, 2013 12:36 PM in response to EmiFig

Disconnect everything else on the USB bus, and make sure you have enough power on USB.

Connect the configuration to another system running Linux or Windows or otherwise, and see if it works there.

Failing that, it appears either your disk or your USB bridge is not working correctly, or your disk is incompatible.

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

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209,535 points

Feb 8, 2013 7:34 PM in response to EmiFig

What happens when you try to partition the drive in Disk Utility?

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Answer 3

EmiFig Author

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Feb 11, 2013 1:26 AM in response to EmiFig

Thank you @MrHofman. I had a setup with 2 dock stations and 2 HDDs (my TimeCapsule had crashed and I needed to recover its content disassembling the "box"). I disconnected everything. I restarted the computer., I swithched the USB ports in which I had connected the dock stations; I swithched the HDDs from dock stations, and voilà, the system allowed me to format the "recovery" HDD. Sometimes the "simplest" solutions work...

@Linc Davis: prior to the fix described above, when trying to partition, same thing would occur : "can't open link / disk" error message. But now it seems to be working fine. Thank you anyway!

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