How do i fix my external hard disc, it won't just format?

hmmm what backup software are you using, from windows or hitachi? seems if the computer can see the drive, then it's a file formatting issue that you are facing.

Try using your pc to format x box by hooking it with a usb cable.
Open windows and right click my computer.Then click manage,select disc managment under storage heading.Wait for the window to load.
Then look for unknown or not initialized disc.Right click left square area then click initialize disc.

Select mbr then ok.Windows should lable the disc unallocated.

Then right click the right rectanguler area of the x box hard drive and click new partition.Or format.

Technically, YES, the hard drive can be formatted as an external (with the appropriate equipment) on your laptop (if there are still files on it, you may even be able to extract them from it) but it still won't be bootable because it does not have an operating system on it.

That would be the part where you need the recovery disc. Windows setup programs from these boot discs already have the format utility so if there aren't any files to extract from the drive, you can skip to reinstalling Windows on the desktop and formatting it in the process.

Bottom line is that you need a Windows installation disc to make the hard drive bootable again, regardless of where you format it.

Every time windows tells you to format the drive, copy your data to your computer then format it. when windows detect problems on the drive, it will launch ckdsk, well i dont know hoy to fix it, try plugging it in then reboot.

try to format the external HDD using command prompt..... type "cmd" in start & search box and hit enter... command prompt will be opened... Now type "format X:" where X=your external hdd drive letter.... if it does not format then right click on my computer icon> goto manage >select Disk management> select the external drive> right click and delete partition > again right click and select create partition > again right click and select Format drive.....
this will fix the issue....

if you have used the hard drive on a windows pc some format types cannot be recognized by mac

follow these steps to make it usable by mac and windows
*THIS WILL DELETE ALL FILES ON THE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE AND DOE NOT ALWAYS WORK

Go to Finder -> Application -> Utilities

Double click for Disk Utility

Select the external Hard Disk you wish to format at the left column

Click on the Erase tab

At the “Volume Format” select “MS-DOS File System”

If you confirm to format your hard disk for mac and windows, Click on “Erase” button.

Pop up window will ask to verify the erase procedure. Click the erase button again in the window to start the erase process.

Once the erase process finish, your external hard disk may be able to use in Mac and Windows.

i don't think mac will recognize an ntfs (windows) format disc not unless it is formatted as FAT. you could install NTFS for mac if you want mac to read windows formatted disc.

Go to your control panel open up 'administrative tools' Open Computer management, then choose disc management instead of device manager. Make sure that you have the drives pluged in and connected before you do that. All connected drives formatted or not that are in working order should show up under disc management. If they are not showing up they are not compatable. Make sure that they are marked as active and format them if they need to be formatted. Do so by right clicking on the drive in the disc management window.

If its external and its corupt and windows just won tgive you access, your most likely bonned.

Youcan try using some special utilities to see if you can recover them but often times windows just wont do it.

Usually what happens is the partition gets corrupt and windows cant tell if its NTFS or FAT and just says, " Its corrupt" and thats the end of it.

You may have to re-partition it to get it working if formatting it doesnt work.