[beginneratlarge]

Please help this aged beginner! After having my computer upgraded I thought that I would use the removed 3.5 Seagate 80Gb as an external hard drive so far so good. I have tried Windows Xp partioning wizard to no avail. I made sure that I removed the jumper from the old drive first, it is showing in "MyComputer" as G drive but every time I try to formatt it the same message comes up Did not formatt successfully. Even after I partioned the disc it still only shows G drive.
So before I hit a really good bottle of 12 year old single malt whisky, any ideas PLEASE
Regards
Graham

[Scleros]

I would use the removed 3.5 Seagate 80Gb as an external hard drive... I made sure that I removed the jumper from the old drive first...

If a drive letter is assigned, the drive is already partitioned and formatted. :confused:

I'll assume you have an IDE (PATA) drive. Unjumpering most recent Seagate drives will configure them as slave. Many external enclosures require configuring the drive as single/master, which is a jumper on pins 7/8 on Seagates. If you have a really old Seagate, you may need to lookup the correct jumper configuration on Seagate's web site.

Another possibility is the drive has a media defect (error) that doesn't allow the format to complete. If so, my usual procedure is to install the drive internally and run Seagate's diagnostic software from the boot floppy that Seagate's boot floppy creator makes and then deal with whatever it reports.

Cheap enclosures can also lead to drinking.

[Scleros]

Take the enclosure out of the mix and install the drive internally. Can it now be formatted? If so, enclosure or connection is the issue. If not drive is the issue.

[beginneratlarge]

Thanks to all you people for your suggestions and advice, but in the end I had to give in gracefully and take it to my local repair shop who fixed it while I crossed the road and posted some letters.
It all goes to prove that it's so easy when you know how!