Please Help - Hard Drive Trouble

[ProwlerO]

Ok, my friend works for Dish Network and he pulled a Hard Drive out of a Dish Network HD-DVR and gave it to me. It is a Western Digital WD3200JS Sata Hard Drive. I believe it is 320 GB.

I do not have Dish Network or a HD-DVR. What I would like to do with this drive is format it to use with my computer. But I cannot get Windows to recognize it, nor can I can get the Western Digital tools to do anything with it. My BIOS recognizes the drive as 0 MB when it is booting...

I believe the drive it locked to the motherboard of the DVR. Is there any way I can fix this and use the drive as a regular drive in my computer??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rcwilcox]

you need to format it assuming it is a good drive. The "format: Dish network uses is not recognized by a PC

 

[StevenD]

Sounds like its stolen to me.

 

[ajax33]

or it was from a junk receiver to begin with

 

[Heavie]

You need to zero the drive to the new manufacture state. It can be done. Have you tried going to western digital support and downloading their software. You have to zero the drive with a floppy with your bios. Not with windows.

I got some floppie around the house that's zero drive to their new state. I have to take a look.

Try This link: http://www.micro2000.co.uk/products/microscope/Virusesandlowlevelformat.html

 

[Smith P.]

ProwlerO, check your PM.

 

[David_Levin]

320 gig is probably from a 622.

As a security feature it's been programmed not to spin up until it receives a special command (which a PC will never send).

You'll be hard pressed to use this in a PC (unless you can reflash it).

 

[Smith P.]

He will never be capable "reflash it" at home.

 

[8bitbytes]

Go to Western Digital online and check the serial number to see if it is still under warranty. If it is, call tech support and tell them the diagnostic tools can't find it and it won't work. They will send you a replacement and you send them the original back in the same box.

 

[Smith P.]

Ah, stop giving to him any hope, please - the disk is OEM and have special firmware what prevent using it anywhere but 622.

NOTHING WILL HELP the OP !