Boot formatting. Quickly format a flash drive via the command line

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Hello admin! I read on many sites that bootable USB flash drive UEFI With Windows 10 you can create simple copying Win 10 files to a flash drive pre-formatted in the FAT32 file system. And today I bought a new 32 GB flash drive, formatted it in FAT32 and copied it to it Win files dows 10 and the flash drive was not bootable. My computer won't boot from it. What can be wrong? Please explain in detail, since the level of proficiency computer knowledge I have the most basic one. Best regards, Sergei.

Another way to create a bootable USB flash drive for Windows 10

Hi all! A week ago, our reader Vladimir wrote about this, and today I will also comment. I honestly tried to explain everything as simply as possible.

One of my friends bought a flash drive, formatted it into a file NTFS system, then uploaded files from Windows ISO images 10 and went to someone to install the system on new laptop, but nothing could be installed, because modern computers and laptops, the regular BIOS is replaced by the UEFI interface, and this standard can only be booted from media formatted in the FAT32 file system. I explained everything to him over the phone, and the second time the flash drive was formatted in FAT32, then the Win 10 files were copied onto it, and finally I was able to install the system from it on a new laptop.

The next day, my friend again installed Windows 10 for someone from this flash drive, but on a simple one. desktop computer, and again nothing worked out for him. The question is why?

Friends, the thing is that the flash drive was new and there was no active partition on it. The peculiarity of the UEFI BIOS is that if there are Windows 10 files on a FAT32 flash drive (without an active partition), then it will still boot from this flash drive and you can install Win 10.

If the UEFI interface is disabled on your laptop or you want to install with such Windows flash drives 10 on a computer with a regular BIOS, then nothing will work for you for the reason stated above - there is no active partition on the flash drive. My friend needed to format the flash drive to the FAT32 file system from the very beginning, copy Win 10 files to the flash drive, and make the flash drive active in the command line using a couple of commands. Such a flash drive would be universal and you could install Win 10 from it on any computer or laptop, with or without UEFI. How to do it!

Note: If you have been using your flash drive for a long time, you probably made it bootable using WinSetupFromUSB programs, Rufus and the like, and installed operating systems from it, which means it already has active section(it cannot be removed by simple formatting).

You can check if there is an active partition on the flash drive by running the program , in the top field select the flash drive, click on the button Bootice

Choose our flash drive

Click on the button Parts Manage

If under the item Act. there is a letter A, which means the flash drive is active.

In principle, it’s not even necessary to check whether your flash drive is active or not, just make it active in the command line and that’s it (the flash drive won’t get any worse).

For example, you have a new or not quite flash drive and you want to install Windows 10 from it on other computers.

For various tasks that users face, for example, they need to create a bootable flash drive or there are problems with formatting a flash drive using standard tools from Explorer, there is a need to format a flash drive using the command line. Formatting a flash drive via command line can be done in several ways.

In order to open the command line, launch the Start menu and enter the cmd command in the search bar.

In the command line window that appears, enter: format /fs:NTFS H: /q – where:

format – formatting task;
fs:NTFS – description of the file system we choose;
H: - the drive we need;
/q - command for quick formatting.

In the event that we want to format the file system in Fat or Fat32, the command will look like this: format /FS:FAT32 H: /q.

After entering the command, a message will be displayed: “Insert new disk into drive H: and press ENTER key…” – press ENTER.

Then the command line window displays: “Volume label (11 characters, ENTER - no label needed)” -

so click on ENTER.

Our flash drive is formatted.

Format command (second method)

Call the command line as described in paragraph one.

In the command line window that appears, type: format H: /fs:NTFS /v:Arhiv – where:

format – disk formatting task;
fs:NTFS – description of the file systems we choose;
v:Arhiv – the label of the drive we select (the name of your drive is entered).

Accordingly, when we choose another file system, after fs: we enter what we need - Fat or Fat32. The command looks like this: format H: /fs:FAT32 /v:Arhiv. If you want to select quick formatting, you need to add Q to the formatting command and the command will look like this: format H: /FS:NTFS /Q /v:arhiv.

Immediately after entering the command, a notification appears in the command line window: “Insert a new disk into drive H: and press the ENTER key...” - press the Enter key.

The flash drive is formatted.

Method 3: Built-in Diskpart utility

In the operating room Windows system There is a built-in utility for working with drives, which allows us to format a flash drive.

Call the command line cmd command V search bar Start menu.

In the command line window that appears, enter: diskpart and the utility for managing storage spaces will launch.

Type the command: list disk. This will allow us to see all the drives present on our computer. We find a flash drive that we are going to format by size. We began to see all the disks with an indication of their volumes. We remember the number of the disk we select, for example, 2.

Then we type the command: select disk 2, where 2 is the drive we select. Press Enter.

After this, the flash drive must be cleared of attributes, for which we enter the command: attributes disk clear readonly. After that, enter the command: clean.

After clearing the drive of attributes, we need to create a primary partition, for which we mark our disk in the file system of our choice:

First, enter the command: create partition primary, then set the file system we need with the command: format fs=ntfs or format fs=fat32. If quick formatting is necessary, then write the command as follows: format fs=NTFS QUICK or format fs=FAT32 QUICK. Click on Enter and the flash drive is formatted.

Exit the program using the command: exit.

Built-in Diskpart utility (another way)

There is another, slightly different way to format the drive using the built-in Diskpart program.

Open the command line window as described above, then enter the diskpart command and press Enter to launch the utility.

Then enter the command list disk and press Enter again. This way we will see all our drives. After this, just as in the previous method, we recognize our flash drive by size and remember the drive number. For example, 2.

We write the command: select disk 2, where 2 is the flash drive we select. Click on Enter.

Enter the command clean and press Enter - all files on the drive are deleted.

Next you need to create new section on a flash drive, for which you enter the command: create partition primary and Enter, then the disk selection command: select disk 2 and Enter, where 2 is the drive we need. Then you need to enter the command: active so that the utility marks the partition as active. Then enter the command to mark up the file system: format fs=ntfs or format fs=fat32. As mentioned in the previous method, to quickly format, add QUICK to the command: format fs=NTFS QUICK or format fs=FAT32 QUICK.

After formatting is completed, you need to assign a letter to the flash drive. We do this using the command: assign, after which the drive autostarts, and we see an Explorer window on the screen with an already formatted flash drive.

To exit Diskpart, use the exit command.

Conclusion

As we showed in this article, formatting a flash drive via the command line is not difficult. The main thing is to carefully select the disk to format and remember that after formatting, your data may be lost forever. Working on the command line will help especially when working with the built-in Diskpart utility if the flash drive cannot be formatted in a simple way from the Explorer menu or when working with a flash drive, you noticed that part of the file system is not visible and the volume of the flash drive has decreased for some reason.

You can install Windows 10 from any media that has an installation Windows program. The storage medium can be a USB flash drive that meets the parameters described below in the article. Convert regular flash drive into the installation can be done using third-party programs or official application from Microsoft.

Preparation and characteristics of the flash drive

The flash drive you use must be completely empty and work in a certain format; we will achieve this by formatting it. The minimum size to create a bootable flash drive is 4 GB. You can use the created installation media as many times as you like, that is, you can install Windows 10 on several computers from one flash drive. Of course, you will need a separate license key for each of them.

Preparing a flash drive

The flash drive you choose must be formatted before you begin placing the installation software on it:

Second formatting method

There is another way to format a flash drive - through the command line. Expand the command prompt using administrator rights, and then run the following commands:

Enter one by one: diskpart and list disk to see all the disks available on the PC.
To select a disk, write: select disk No., where No. is the disk number specified in the list.
clean.
create partition primary.
select partition 1.
active.
format fs=FAT32 QUICK.
assign.
exit.

Obtaining an ISO image of the operating system

There are several ways to create installation media, some of which will require an ISO image of the system. You can download the hacked build at your own risk from one of the sites that distribute Windows 10 for free, or get official version OS from Microsoft website:

https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10).
Select OS language, version and bit depth. You should choose the version based on your needs. If you are an average user who does not work with Windows at a professional or corporate level, then install home version, there is no point in taking more sophisticated options. The bit depth is set to the one supported by your processor. If it is dual-core, then choose the 64x format; if it is single-core, then choose 32x.
When prompted to select media, check the ISO file option.
Specify where to save the system image. Done, the flash drive is prepared, the image is created, you can start creating the installation media.

Creating installation media from a USB flash drive

The easiest method can be used if your computer supports UEFI mode - more new version BIOS. Typically, if the BIOS opens as a menu, then it supports UEFI. You can also find out whether your motherboard supports this mode or not on the website of the company that made it.

Insert the USB flash drive into the computer and only then start rebooting it.
As soon as the computer turns off and the startup process begins, you need to enter the BIOS. Most often used for this Delete key, but other options are possible, depending on the model motherboard installed on your PC. When the time comes to enter the BIOS, a prompt with hot keys will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Change the boot order: By default, the computer starts with hard drive, if the OS is found on it, but you must install your UEFI:USB signed flash drive in the first place. If the flash drive is displayed, but there is no UEFI signature, then this mode is not supported by your computer and this installation method is not suitable.
Save the changes you made to the BIOS and start your computer. If everything is done correctly, the OS installation process will begin.

If it turns out that your board is not suitable for installation via UEFI mode, then use one of the methods below to create universal installation media.

Media Creation Tool

Using the official Media utility Creation Tool You can also create Windows installation media.

Go to the official Windows page 10 and download from it installation program from Microsoft (https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10).
Run the downloaded program, read and agree to the standard license agreement.
Select the option to create installation media.
As described earlier, select the OS language, version and bit depth.
When prompted to select media, indicate that you want to use a USB device.
If several flash drives are connected to your computer, select the one you prepared in advance.
Wait until the program is in automatic mode will create installation media from your flash drive. After this, you will need to change the boot method in the BIOS (put first place in the “Boot” section installation flash drive) and proceed to install the OS.

Using unofficial programs

There are many third-party programs that create installation media. They all work according to the same scenario: they record Windows image, created by you in advance, onto a flash drive so that it turns into bootable media. Let's look at the most popular, free and convenient applications.

Rufus

Rufus - demon paid program to create bootable USB drives. It runs on Windows operating systems starting with Windows XP SP2.

Download and install the program from the developer’s official website: http://rufus.akeo.ie/?locale.
All program functions fit in one window. Specify the device to which the image will be written.
In line " File system"(File system) specify the FAT32 format, since this is what we formatted the flash drive in.
In type system interface install the option for computers with BIOS and UEFI if you are sure that your computer does not support UEFI mode.
Specify the location of the pre-built system image and select standard installation Windows.
Click on the “Start” button to start the installation media creation process. Done, after completing the procedure, change the boot method in the BIOS (in the “Boot” section you need to put the flash card in first place) and proceed to installing the OS.

Ultra ISO

UltraISO - very multifunctional program, allowing you to create images and work with them.

Buy or download a trial version, which is quite enough to complete our task, from the official website of the developer: https://ezbsystems.com/ultraiso/.
While in the main menu of the program, expand the “File” menu.
Select “Open” and specify the location of the pre-created image.
Select "Burn Hard Disk Image".
Specify which flash drive you want to use.
Leave the recording method as USB-HDD.
Click on the “Record” button and wait for the process to complete. After completing the procedure, change the boot method in the BIOS (put the installation flash drive in the first place in the “Boot” section) and proceed to installing the OS.

WinSetupFromUSB

WinSetupFromUSB - a utility for creating a bootable USB flash drive with the ability Windows installations, starting from version XP.

Is it possible to use MicroSD instead of a USB flash drive?

The answer is yes, you can. The process of creating an installation MicroSD is no different from the same process with a USB flash drive. The only thing is that you must make sure that your computer has a suitable MicroSD port. To create this type of installation media, it is better to use third party programs described above in the article, and not official utility from Microsoft as it may not recognize MicroSD.

Errors during creation of the installation flash drive

The installation media creation process may be interrupted for the following reasons:

There is not enough memory on the drive - less than 4 GB. Find the flash drive with large volume memory and try again,
The flash drive is not formatted or formatted in the wrong format. Go through the formatting process again, carefully following the instructions above,
The Windows image recorded on the USB flash drive is damaged. Download another image, it is best to take it from the official Microsoft website,
if one of the methods described above does not work in your case, then use another option. If none of them work, then the problem is with the flash drive and should be replaced.

Video: creating an installation flash drive with Windows 10

Creating installation media is an easy process and is mostly done automatically. If you use a working flash drive, a high-quality system image and use the instructions correctly, then everything will work out, and after restarting the computer you can begin installing Windows 10. If after installation is complete you want to save the installation flash drive, then do not move any files to it, then can be used again.

I will show you 4 ways to help you make a bootable USB flash drive. Usually it is needed to install Windows OS or for a program if it runs before the system boots.

There are many programs to solve this problem, but sometimes you can get by using the system. I will provide instructions that will help you make a bootable USB flash drive from any Windows version or program. 4 methods, 2 universal and 2 for specific OS.

But before that you need to prepare. You will need:

Flash drive with a capacity of 4 GB or more.
Image ( iso) operating system or program for which a bootable USB flash drive will be created.

Before creating a bootable USB flash drive, be sure to format it to avoid errors.

Bootable USB flash drive in Windows OS

You can do without third party programs and do everything in Windows. To do this you will have to use a number of commands. I will demonstrate only the most necessary ones.

First clear your device of all files. To do this, go to the execution line ( Win+R) from the Start menu >> Run, and then enter the command diskpart as in the image below.

In the window that appears, enter list disk to see all devices for further work with them.

In my example, there were 2 devices:

0 - hard drive.
1 - flash drive.

Distinguish a flash drive from hard drives very simple in size. Select it with the command select disk 1.

Be careful, there may be another number instead of 1.

After this, you need to create a primary partition. To do this, enter create partition primary.

Select a section by entering select partition 1 and activate it with the command active.

Then set the letter to the carrier ( automatically) by entering assign and finish the job Exit.

Now be sure to download the files to the USB flash drive unpacked. If you just copy the iso file, nothing will work.

If you don’t understand something, you can watch a video on how to do it using a real example.

Bootable USB flash drive for Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

Download and install the USB/DVD Download Tool. It is made specifically to work with Windows files 7 and absolutely free. Most likely it won't work with others. Total 4 simple steps for creating.

Please note that if you use an image not from the official Microsoft website, problems or errors may occur.

Specify the path to iso file y and go to the next step.

Then select " USB device"for a flash drive or "DVD" for a disk.

Select a flash drive and start copying. It must have at least 4 GB of free space.

Then wait until it is written to the device and you will receive a ready-made bootable USB flash drive.

The instructions are also available in video format.

Bootable USB flash drive for all images in UltraIso

This is a paid program with a free one. trial period. Download it from the official website and install. It is multifunctional and in Russian. Suitable for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10.

You can watch an example of installing Windows XP in the video. With other versions of systems, everything is done similarly.

Once launched, select a trial period.

Then open the image in the program.

Now in the “Bootboot” tab, select the image entry as shown in the example below.

Settings are made here.

Disk drive- flash drive.
Image file— here check whether the path is correct.
Recording method- be sure to use USB-HDD+. Otherwise, in some cases it will not work.

After checking all the settings, start recording.

Wait for it to finish. Time to finish is shown on the right.

Under no circumstances remove the flash drive until the process is completed.

If completed successfully, you will see a completion message. After this, the bootable USB flash drive will be ready. Just close the window and enjoy.

Additional method for Windows XP

Download free utility DirectGrub and unpack the archive. No installation required. Select the iso file, flash drive and click “Start” as in the image below.

Wait while the files are copied. After successful completion, a window will appear.

I hope you don’t have any questions and everything turned out well.

What did you use to create a bootable USB flash drive?

Today I want to tell you about such a wonderful program as. What's so wonderful about it? - you ask. And the fact that with its help you can (data from a flash drive after formatting) or a disk, and the most interesting thing is that this program is available to anyone Windows user via the command line, in other words, does not require installation. And don’t let the phrase “command line” scare you – using it is much more convenient and simpler than it seems at first glance.

So, after we have inserted the flash drive into the USB connector, we launch the command line. To do this, click Start and in the search bar we write cmd, and press Enter.

In the command line that appears, we write, thereby launching the disk management program. Click Enter.

In the list of devices we find our flash drive - it can be recognized by its size. In my case it's Disc 6. Therefore, next we write the command. If your flash drive is number 4, then you need to enter the command. If the number is 2, then , accordingly. Click Enter.

Then enter the command clean, which will delete all files from a flash drive or disk. Click Enter.

Then we enter the command. Thus we choose specified section and move the focus to it. Click Enter.

Then we execute the command. The system marks the partition as active. Click Enter.

Now it is necessary. It can be quick or complete. Full formatting executed by the command format fs=NTFS. If you don’t want to wait and time is running out, then we do quick formatting with the command format fs=NTFS QUICK. Click Enter.

We are waiting for the formatting to finish.

Now you need to assign a letter to the flash drive. We do this using the command assign. Click Enter.

The flash drive is automatically assigned a letter, and then the media automatically starts.

Now you can shut down the program. Enter the command exit and press Enter.

The last thing to do is to copy the distribution files of the operating system (the one for which we made a bootable flash drive) to, in fact, our flash drive. After this, our flash drive will be bootable and will boot absolutely everywhere, on any device. With its help, you can install your operating system anywhere.

I would like to note that with the help of the program you can carry out many manipulations with both hard drives(), and with flash drives. The example discussed today is only a small part of all the possibilities. I will consider other commands and examples of working with this program in the following articles.

Also read on this topic:

Formatting a flash drive to NTFS
How to recover data from a flash drive after deleting or formatting? How to change disk size in Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8. Free program EaseUS Partition Master Free How to create a bootable UEFI USB flash drive to install Windows 8.1 and 10?
How to freeze a row in Excel? How to create a disk image with using Daemon Tools?