Computer help forum: Intializing a non-Windows format hard drive

That sounds like an unneccssary step, I've done it before using the same program (mention in my op--->system management...) for a Linux formatted hard drive (from a Playstation 3)and it worked fine, I'm not going to try that, thanks for the advice.

Listen for the click of death, last time I saw this message the HDD was toast. Try Partition Magic, it's old school but I think you get a 30 day trial on it. Drive format should have absolutely nothing to do with it. The only thing the format will affect is whether or not Windows can see data on it or move data to/from it like with a smart phone plugged in to your computer. This is more of a doom and gloom response and isn't very helpful but be sure to verify the drive even works. I personally haven't had any trouble with drives not talking to Disk Management unless they were dead. If disk mgmt can see it but can turn it on, it's toast 90% of the time.

Now as I type this I've gotten the drive to format. I initialized the hard drive with administrative tools--->computer management. I did this exact method originally with no success, I was beginning to stash this drive with the rest of my dated PC hardware before I decided to give it another go.