I don't use external hard drives, but I have found that write cache ("Optimize for performance") being enabled can cause problems with flash drives. Try "Optimize for Quick Removal" (write cache disabled). The drive controller has built-in write cache so you don't need the windows write cache.

TheNoid wrote:
>
> I got a used 60GB laptop hard drive that seemed to not work and quickly
> performed a quick format and started using it for my own personal
> useage as an external drive. It then started to act funny, sometimes I
> could not get big files and such off it. I then tried to do a long
> format but I could not get past 3% (Tried using command prompt, the
> Windows Utility, installing xp on it and formatting it in the steps
> when plugged into a laptop [internally] and everything I tried did not
> work to format the drive through a slow format). I have tried doing a
> disk check and windows said it could not complete it. (all the while
> the drive is set to "Optimize for performance" not "Optimize for Quick
> Removal"). The only thing that works is a quick format... Any
> reccommendations?

--
Mike Walsh
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.