How to reformat a hard disk?

Can't open Hitachi Ext Hard Disk. Computer kept asking to reformat.?

• I bought my external hard disk Hitachi ST/500GB-APAC few months ago. I notice after i installs Kaspersky 2012, there is one time a window comes out ask me to fix some error in that hard disk. I click yes at that time. After that, i cannot access to the files inside that hard disk. Before that, when i connect that disk with computer, computer will recognise it and put its name as Toshiba Disk (Some sort like this). After the problem, i notice it is just show as Local Disk (F). Everytime i try and click it, it takes few minutes to proceed till lasty show up that i need to reformat the disk to continue use it. Is there anything i can do to get access to my files again? Thanks.

• Answer:

  Can you actually hear the disk is spinning up ? The disk internally will probably be SATA or SAS , and I assume the interface to the PC is USB/USB3 or firewire ? Experience with these kind of disks - we use hundreds in our business for interchanging data - shows there are often problems with the interface. If you bought it recently , I would send it back for warranty replacement.