Hello, I am interested in buying a Zidoo X20 Pro. Some weeks ago I went to Cinémotion in Ellange-Gare (Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg) whom I salute in passing for their kindness and patience to test a Zidoo X20. I found that the Zidoo recognizes a 2TB Western Digital Blue Series hard drive but has never recognized a 4TB hard drive of the same brand and series. Both hard drives are formatted as NTFS GPT in a single partition under Windows 10 Pro. They have been formatted with the same PC and are well recognized by this machine and by another PC as well. I tested the 4TB hard drive internally in the Zidoo and externally in a Icy Box Dock connected to USB 3.0 I was able to format the hard disk of 4TB under OPEN WRT via the Zidoo in NTFS GPT but then the hard disk was no longer recognized by a PC! Theoretically the Zidoo X20 is able to recognize hard drives up to 10TB of capacity formatted under Windows NTFS GPT So I wonder why the Zidoo X20 does not recognize this 4TB hard drive I have browsed different forums before posting my question here without finding an answer. Thanks and best wishes.
http://www.futeko.com/newforum/index.php?topic=576.0 It is a long read but has all the details. Very short "Attach any HDD via (E)SATA to a Windows 10 PC and format with GPT + NTFS", will work guaranteed for (almost) any HDD (the very rare exception+when+why is explained too). It will work next with any OS platform supporting GPT+NTFS including Android. Don't use USB for formatting as results are only predictable knowing many details of how USB <=> SATA is implemented precisely.
Thank you for your reply. I have always use Icy Box Dock connected to USB 3.0 to format my HD If I understand your topic it's probably the reason why a HD > 2TB is not supported by Zidoo X20 To solve this problem I must format HD > 2TB like an internal HD connected to SATA right ? Erase the partition and re-format the HD under Windows NTFS GPT. Is it correct ?
im using seagate 5tb and my x9s is not recognizing my portable drive through USB 3.0 port. i've tested my drive on other zidoo with lower version of FW and it's working. i also tried using other external/portable devices on my USB 3.0 and it is good.. only my 5tb was not recognized. is it because of my FW v 2.0.34?
Not an firmware issue. It might be to how that HDD is formatted. Android is very picky about that. Report with the Windows commands documented and will have a look at those. Have a problem with my USB3 2.5 inch HDD myself. Always need to unplug/plug it to get it recognized by any Zidoo player. Other media players don't have that problem.
Good products but you told me to not use a USB 3.0 to format my HD > 2TB and this is the reason why my HD is not recognize by Zidoo. Right ?
Right. Still a good product as it is not Icy Box to blame here. Android only reads some HDD parameters and presumes others always to be as Windows with SATA sets those and ignores these which unfortunately is too simple implemented. Happens with SMBv1 as well.
Well. If I understand you advice me to format my HDD > 2TB with SATA connection. Like an internal HDD into my PC tower. So I must connect my HDD directly to the SATA port of my motherboard and format it ? Thank you.
This mean that I must buy an internal 5 1/4 rack and install it into my PC tower. I don't really like this solution even if you are sure at 100% it will be solve my problem. I have take a lot of time to have a perfect cable management into my PC tower so add a 5 1/4 rack and connect it to the SATA port of my motherboard is a very hard work. Do you know if I can buy something like this in external solution ? Thank you.
ESATA works too. Some PC's have it on the motherboard, also PCI cards are available with those. You then also need an ESATA to SATA cable and power provision (5V+12V). You can also open the PC and connect the HDD via power and SATA cable temporarily.
That's the last option I do. I open the PC and connect a brand new HDD 4TB Western Digital Blue via SATA cable temporarily. Then I have formatted the HDD GPT NTFS I let the Allocation Unit Size by Default. I have remove the HDD and plug in into a USB Dock. Then I have copy some movies into the HDD via the USB Dock Tomorrow I go back the shop and I will try the HDD into the Zidoo and test if the Zidoo can recognize the HDD and read the movies. Of course I will keep inform you.
After format with Windows 10 Pro a brand new Western Digital Blue 4TB HD connected as SATA directly to my motherboard I have noticed that HD is not recognize by the same PC when I plug it into my external USB Dock ! I cannot see the HD in the Windows Explorer but I can see it with the Windows Disk Management utilities. I dont know why the HD is recognize with a capacity of 16TB and with a GPT Protective Partition. I use Diskpart to clean this partition, convert it to MBR then with Disk Management under Windows 10 Pro convert this MBR partition to a GPT partition. Then the HD was recognize by Windows. As I spend a lot of time to search this solution as I was afraid to lost my HD I don't try yet if the HD is recognize by Zidoo X20 but I suppose not as I reformat it via external USB. Today Cinémotion in Ellange-Gare (Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg) give me a Zidoo X20 to test it during 1 week. I really hope to find a solution with your help. Thank you.
It's finally done. You help me to find the solution and I'm so happy. You have right. I have formatted the Western Digital Blue 4TB HD directly connected to SATA port of my motherboard and this HD was directly recognize by Zidoo X20 Pro ! In conclusion to be recognize by Zidoo X20/Pro - HD < 2TB can be formatted in NTFS GPT under Windows plugged into an external USB Dock system or into an internal SATA Dock system - HD > 2TB can only be formatted in NTFS GPT under Windows plugged into an internal SATA Dock system That's my own experience and I really hope that this solution can help many Zidoo X20/Pro users. Again thank you very much to Nice Monkey for the great help ! We can close this thread.
