How to save files when formatting a flash drive. The flash drive asks to format it - how to save the files? What does it mean to format a flash drive?
A fairly common occurrence is when a user inserts a USB drive on which some important information is stored into the appropriate port, but the system asks to format the flash drive. What to do in this case? First of all, don't panic. The fact is that with the right approach to solving this problem, the data will most likely, in extreme cases, be restored even after formatting. The methods proposed below allow you to avoid the need for formatting with complete restoration of everything stored on a removable device.
The system does not read the flash drive (asks to format): what to do?
In general, the mistake of many users is storing important information or personal data on removable media, since they are more susceptible to software failures and physical breakdowns than hard drives.
We are not talking about physical damage now, but as for software problems with the appearance of bad sectors due to a violation of the integrity of the file system, here you need to apply appropriate troubleshooting methods. Let's say the computer asks you to format a flash drive. What to do? After all, complete formatting will destroy absolutely all data. It would be nice if quick formatting is used. Recovering information in such a situation is as easy as shelling pears. But the system offers to perform a full formatting. In this case, to begin with, you can use Windows tools with the parallel use of special software to restore the functionality of both the device itself and the files stored on it.
The flash drive does not open (asks to format): what to do in the simplest case?
The first drive technique is to use a standard disk checker, but launched not through the disk properties section, but from the command line starting with administrator rights.
To launch it, you can use the Run console and the cmd command, or directly open the cmd.exe file in the System32 directory of the main operating system directory.
So, the computer asks you to format the flash drive. What to do? First, you need to remember the drive letter, and then in the command console write a line to check the media for errors and automatically correct them. For example, if the device in the system is listed under the letter Z, the command looks like this: chkdsk z: /f. Depending on the volume, the process may take quite a long time, so you will have to be patient. At least in most cases, software failures can be resolved quite simply.
The most popular utilities for recovering removable USB drives
If the failure cannot be corrected using the method described above, you will have to use additional software.
Among the most popular and most efficient programs are the following:
- TestDisk.
- Handy Recovery.
- Active@ File Recovery.
- Recuva.
- R.Saver and R-Studio.
TestDisk
Now let's look at a situation where the first method did not work, and the system again asks you to format the flash drive. What to do in such a situation? One of the most effective methods, many experts call the use of the TestDisk program, which operates in DOS mode.
With this utility everything is quite simple. We launch the program, select our device with arrows, indicate the parameter value for the partition table (usually Intel), select the partition to be restored in the form of the entire media (Whole disk), for the file system select the Other parameter, which corresponds to FAT32, and at the end we write the full path to the created directory in which the recovered files are supposed to be saved.
Handy Recovery
Now a few words about one more program. Again, it is assumed that the system is asking you to format the flash drive. What to do if the previous methods did not work? We can recommend using the Handy Recovery program.
After starting the utility, in the main window, select a removable disk, click the start analysis button, in the results select the folder or file that needs to be restored (they will be marked with the appropriate markers), and click the restore button.
Active@ File Recovery
Let's see what can be done if the previous method did not produce results, and the system again asks you to format the flash drive. What to do in this case? Use the Active@ File Recovery program.
There shouldn't be any problems with her either. In the main window, from the menu on the left, select removable media and click the SuperScan button, then specify the file system type, click the start process button, and then use the data recovery function by calling it from the menu or immediately using the Ctrl + R key combination. After This specifies the final directory for saving data, after which you can completely calmly start formatting, if this is really necessary.
Recuva
The Recuva program is quite popular among ordinary users because it is very easy to use.
To recover files, you can specify a specific data type (for example, audio, video, or graphics). If you want to find everything that can be recovered, select the All Files option. In the results, files that can be restored to their original state are marked in green. Those that you can try to restore are yellow, and those that cannot be restored are red.
R.Saver and R-Studio
But the Recuva application does not always work correctly, not to mention the fact that it may not detect long-deleted objects. In such a situation, it is best to give preference to the R.Saver and R-Studio utilities, which are very similar to each other.
It is these two programs that are capable of finding on removable media even those files that the user does not even know about deleting. Of course, the scanning process will take much more time, but the result will be completely unexpected for many.
The process of formatting a flash drive is not much different from formatting an HDD or SSD drive. Next, we will look at the best ones (such as USB Disk Storage Format Tool). We also mention a USB drive, available in any Windows operating system.
Content:
The guide will help you understand the many formatting options. I will explain what each individual parameter does and which one is best suited for your USB flash drive. And if the standard method does not help, we will select an alternative utility for formatting the flash drive.
What is formatting?
Formatting refers to the processing of a storage medium associated with organizing the structure of this storage medium. The source can be a hard drive (HDD), SSD, flash drive (usb flash drive), SD card or other solid-state device. Formatting changes the structure of access to digital information.
How to format an SD memory card? SD cards have special formatting features. We have written instructions on how to format a memory card. We are talking about the SDFormatter tool (download), specially designed for formatting flash drives and SD cards in Windows and Mac OS.
Two facts need to be kept in mind:
- When formatting a flash drive, all data stored on it is destroyed. Files can only be restored using special recovery utilities, but a successful result cannot be guaranteed.
- when you format a flash drive or HDD, the system checks for structural errors and, in some cases, corrects them.
Low-level formatting of a flash drive is a type of formatting in which the surface of a USB drive is laid out into sectors used for further recording of service information. Low-level formatting is performed using special utilities, which we will discuss later in the article. We will also tell you how to format a flash drive using their tools.
As a rule, users do not want to understand the formatting options of the program. But in vain: after all, the settings are responsible for the performance of the flash drive and the read/write speed. The optimal parameters depend on the model of the device that will be formatted and on what you plan to do with the flash drive, what tasks to perform: launch applications, use it as an OS boot, to store all kinds of data, etc.
How to quickly format a flash drive in Windows 7 - Windows 10
Tip of the day. Sometimes formatting allows you to restore the functionality of a flash drive, mark it up correctly, copy files to it - as a result, it becomes writable even after Windows has stopped detecting it or has stopped reading data. This is especially important to consider if Windows cannot format the flash drive and the user has to look for third-party tools.
Windows OS has a standard utility for this case, so you don’t need to look for third-party formatting tools. Whether you are using Windows XP, Windows 7, 8 or Windows 10, the steps described are essentially the same.
- Insert the flash drive into the USB port
- Go to Explorer (Start > My Computer)
- Right-click on the USB drive, select “Format” from the context menu
- Determine the file system type - FAT or NTFS
- To format the drive, make a selection and click the "Start" button
- Confirm that you really want to erase all data on the drive
- Flash drive is formatted
You need to understand what each of these options is responsible for. Flash drive formatting options that can be changed in the standard "Format" utility:
- Capacity: flash drive size in GB. Every time you format a drive, check the capacity: this will help you avoid mistakes.
- File system. The type of file system, in many situations, is not important. However, if you specify FAT rather than NTFS, you will not be able to write files larger than 4 GB to the flash drive. If you choose a rare type of file system, be prepared for the fact that your flash drive will not be detected on other operating systems and computers. However, in Windows OS the choice is limited only to NTFS and (ex)FAT.
- Cluster size. Read about what a cluster is and what size you need to specify here.
- Volume label: conventional name of the flash drive. It does not affect anything, but it is advisable to assign a memorable label in order to navigate in Explorer and the operating system.
What is the best format to format a USB flash drive?
In Windows 7, you can choose from four main file systems: NTFS, FAT, FAT32 and exFAT. You will not see FAT and FAT32 file systems in the list of available files if the total capacity of the flash drive or disk is more than 32 GB.
Advantages of a file system NTFS:
- writing and reading data larger than 4 gigabytes and up to the maximum allowed partition size.
- ability to create large partitions on a USB flash drive - more than 32 GB
- formatting a flash drive in NTFS is easier than in FAT
- effective compression of information and, accordingly, saving occupied space on a flash drive.
- Better use of available space = less need for fragmentation.
- support for on-the-fly file encryption thanks to the EFS encrypted file system (Windows Professional OS).
Advantages of file systems FAT and FAT32:
- FAT is compatible with Windows, Linux, Mac OS X operating systems
- files take up less space on a USB drive than NTFS.
- FAT formatting is available in any OS
- Fewer disk writes/rewrites = more efficient use of available memory.
Pros of the file system exFAT:
- Read/write large files > 4 gigabytes in size to a USB flash drive.
- partitioning > 32 GB.
- rational use of space = optimization of fragmentation.
So, let's draw conclusions. FAT and FAT32 are suitable for drives smaller than 32 GB and if you do not need to store files larger than 2 and 4 GB.
Due to the nature of the file system, NTFS is not recommended for flash drives, even if their capacity is > 32 GB. A compromise solution would be the exFAT file system. It combines the significant advantages of FAT and NTFS (large file sizes are supported). Thus, the exFAT file system is optimal for formatting flash drives.
FAT and FAT32 are the only file systems that guarantee cross-platform compatibility. NTFS is not supported on Linux and requires third-party applications to work on Mac. exFAT, on the other hand, is supported on Snow Leopard and later versions of Mac OS, but requires drivers on Linux as well.
If you have to choose between FAT and FAT32, choose the latter - especially if you are dealing with a 2 GB flash drive or less. This is useful for improving compatibility and speed.
What cluster size should I specify in the settings?
The "Cluster Size" option in the formatting settings sets the appropriate size. The file system records the status of each cluster: free or busy. Once a file or part of a file is written to the cluster, it enters the "busy" state - regardless of whether there is space available.
Consequently, large clusters are impractical in terms of using space on a flash drive (disk).
With smaller clusters, however, the flash drive slows down as each file is broken into smaller pieces. Copying files takes much longer.
Fortunately, the situation can be corrected using a flash drive formatting program. Additionally, the optimal cluster size depends on the purpose of the USB drive.
Cluster size in NTFS
If you store small files on a flash drive or run programs from a flash drive, a smaller cluster size will help save space. On a 1 TB external hard drive, it is advisable to select a cluster of 64 kilobytes in size.
Cluster size when formatting a flash drive in fat32
If you store large files on disk, a large cluster size is preferable: a flash drive will work faster. For flash drives less than 500 MB, select a 512 byte (FAT32) or 32 KB (FAT) cluster.
What label should I choose for the name of the flash drive?
A volume label is just a name. It's not required, so anything will do. However, there are several rules that you need to follow, depending on the file system in which you intend to format the flash drive.
- maximum 32 characters
- will be displayed in UPPERCASE and LOWERcase letters as you entered.
- maximum 11 characters
- the label will be displayed in capital letters
Quick or Full Format?
In typical formatting cases, files are deleted from the disk, and the disk is checked for bad sectors. Full formatting will be useful for diagnosing recording errors.
Quick formatting only deletes files and does not search. Therefore, use the quick option if you do not have time to check flash drive errors.
Selecting a program to format a flash drive
Windows cannot always format a flash drive correctly. Standard formatting is not a panacea for a flash drive if the service information on the storage device has been damaged. Unfortunately, it is more difficult to recover data on a flash drive if it is damaged in this way. One solution to the problem is to download to your computer a proprietary program for formatting a flash drive (if available) on the memory manufacturer’s website. We recommend contacting support and asking the manufacturer how to clean a flash drive and whether they have programs for full formatting.
So, how to format a flash drive? Let's look at the best programs for formatting flash drives, more or less universal tools. If desired, you can easily find other alternatives, free and proprietary utilities offered by suppliers.
Tip of the day. When formatting a flash drive, save important files on your computer. All data on the formatted media will be permanently deleted.
JetFlash Recovery Tool
JetFlash Recovery Tool is a universal solution. This program for formatting flash drives will be useful if:
- Errors and failures detected on the USB flash drive
- the information on the flash drive is not readable
- need to format the flash drive
Install JetFlash Recovery Tool and try to force format the USB drive using it. The flash drive application works with A-DATA and Transcend media, but other options are possible. We warn you: the utility is not “omnivorous” and can easily reject your USB device.
JetFlash Recovery Tool can be downloaded from the official website. Install it on your computer according to the instructions included with the program.
Utility for formatting a USB flash drive Disk Storage Format Tool
The free USB Disk Storage Format Tool allows you to quickly and correctly format a USB flash drive for Windows. In this case, you can specify the media file system: FAT, FAT32, exFAT or NTFS.
Main functions of the utility:
- Allows you not only to format a flash drive, but also to erase all data on a flash drive that cannot be formatted in the traditional (system) way.
- USB Disk Storage Format Tool removes any traces of malware and viruses that may have infected the flash drive.
- Finding and correcting reading errors and bad blocks on a flash drive.
- Create a volume label (name) for USB drives.
- Create a partition in FAT32 with a capacity of more than 32 GB.
- Low-level formatting of a flash drive of the required model (Kingston, HP, Sony, Lexar, Imation, Transcend, Corsair, etc.)
- It’s easy to monitor the formatting process: just check the Verbose option.
USB Disk Storage Format Tool has been successfully tested on thousands of storage devices (Compact Flash, CF Card II, Memory Stick Duo Pro, Thumb Drive, Pen Drive). USB Disk Storage Format supports drive brands such as SanDisk, Kingston, Transcend, Corsair, HP, Sony, Lexar, Imation, Toshiba, PNY, Verbatim, LaCie, Panda, Seatech, SDKSK9, Silicon Power, IronKey and HDE.
There is also a Pro version of the USB Disk Storage Format Tool. With its help, you can create bootable flash drives, perform low-level formatting, and change the cluster size.
Formatting a flash drive using the HDD Low Level Format Tool
HDD Low Level Format Tool is a utility for low-level formatting of hard drives running Windows. Allows you to read SMART data and retrieve service information about Data storage devices.
However, HDD Low Level Format Tool supports not only hard drives, but also memory cards and flash drives (SD, MMC, MemoryStick and CompactFlash) - you may need a card reader to connect them.
HDD Low Level Format Tool will erase data from SATA, IDE, SAS, SCSI or SSD at a low access level. The utility also works with any USB and FIREWIRE external drive, as well as SD, MMC, MemoryStick and CompactFlash flash drives.
Supported brands: Maxtor, Hitachi, Seagate, Samsung, Toshiba, Fujitsu, IBM, Quantum, Western Digital and others not listed here.
Utility for formatting HDD flash drive Low Level Format Tool Program for formatting a flash drive HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
A very simple utility for correctly formatting a flash drive in FAT32 and NTFS format. The main function is to help the user quickly select options and format the flash drive on the computer by pressing one button.
The utility for a USB flash drive is distributed free of charge, the installer can be downloaded for Windows OS.
In addition, through the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool you can create a bootable Windows USB flash drive (which other similar formatters cannot do).
Program interface for formatting flash drives HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool How to format a flash drive on Mac OS
The HP USB Format Tool application allows you to format a flash drive in the Mac operating system. However, to do this you need to perform a number of intricate steps:
- Install the Parallels Desktop emulator on your computer
- Install Windows on Mac OS
- Format a flash drive for Mac OS X via emulated Windows
Kingston USB Format Tool – format a flash drive without settings
This program does not contain any settings at all. To format, you need to specify the device (USB flash drive) and file system.
The developers on the site indicate that the FAT file system will avoid conflicts with other operating systems and will not affect the performance of the flash drive.
The program works under Windows 7 and Windows 10 and earlier versions of the OS.
Therefore, if you have a Kingston flash drive and for some reason it has become slow, try this program: perhaps it will solve the problem.
Answers on questions
I'm having problems with my flash drive. SmartBuy 64 gig. At first, the flash drive occasionally “disappeared”, then disappeared completely.... after lying around for 3 weeks, it appeared and allowed itself to be formatted (from fat32 to NTFS). It worked for 2 weeks and disappeared again..... SmartBuy technical support specialists “don’t know and can’t help with the problem”... The utility for formatting a flash drive Low Level Format Tool works as it should, the usual one (both Windows and special utilities) - some goes to the end and writes that Windows cannot complete the formatting (this is usually in NTFS), and some immediately refuse (and this is in exFAT).
So: I have thoughts that the flash drive has been “shortened” due to bad blocks, and therefore programs for formatting the flash drive do not reach the very end - so they refuse to make the final recording on the media.
Please recommend a program for correct low-level formatting of a flash drive that does not check for errors at the end. Something like that program that the Chinese use to “make” LARGE flash drives out of small ones.
Answer. Try the following programs: JetFlash Recovery Tool, USB Disk Storage Format Tool, HDD Low Level Format Tool. Pay attention to utilities that perform low-level formatting. The name may indicate that these programs are designed for hard drives - however, some of them work similarly with flash drives, allowing you to format them.
There is such a flash drive Name: DT 101 II (USB2.0)
VID&PID: Vid_0951&Pid_1625
Speed: high speed
Vendor Description: Kingston
Product Description: DT 101 II
Serial Number: 000AEB91EBF5F97155120907
The capacity of the flash drive is determined by the system as 16 GB. It is formatted, but when writing a file larger than 4 GB it says that there is no space.
Answer. You need to format the flash drive to NTFS. You can record files larger than 4 GB on it. However, as we have already noted, exFat (Extended File Allocation Table) is the best option for a flash drive.
How to format a flash drive to ntfs? Use USB Disk Storage Format Tool or HDD Low Level Format Tool. Built-in Windows tools will also help you format the drive to ntfs.
Good day. I have a Transend flash drive, the problem is that it either works or doesn’t, formatting it doesn’t help. You dump the files on the computer from which you dumped it, it opens, you paste it into another and there is only a “shortcut” and it weighs 1 kb. Today I formatted it in Fat32, reset the movie, watched half of the movie on TV, I thought everything was going well, but I was happy early, the video stopped and that’s it, it doesn’t play anymore. I just don’t know what problem this is related to in your article. Please help, thanks in advance!!
A friend brought Micro Sd Jeef 64GB. The flash drive worked properly. After some time, the error “The disk is write protected” appeared. I tried all the treatment methods, the formatting does not work and gives the same error. On his phone the flash drive is displayed on mine, no. All files can be pulled out, but not uploaded. How to format a flash drive so that files can be copied to it?
I bought an SD card a month ago. When I put it in the slot, I went into the settings and it was shown that the memory capacity was only 128 MB, although in reality there was 14.7 GB of memory. I tried to format it several times in different ways (using programs for formatting a flash drive, described in the article), but it still couldn’t be fixed. Everything is fine with the device because... the remaining capacities of the SD cards were displayed normally.
I have a problem with the micro SD card of the 4 GB transend phone. photos and videos are no longer recorded on it, the information is not deleted. I tried to reformat it to the desired format (fat 32), but it doesn’t format. only in ex fat, but after that the information on the card does not disappear, and the format remains the same fat 32. I tried all the options, formatting with the command line, various utilities, scanned for viruses, also corrected errors and bad sectors through Windows, everything remains the same as before. The formatting program from the company of the same name also did not help. Tell me, can anything be done in this case, or is the card completely dead?
The flash drive was fully working, I tried to write Windows 10 onto it via ultraISO, formatted it before that, after which it is now empty (there are no files at all), there is nothing left from the old 32 GB: occupied, free, capacity is now 0 bytes. When checking for errors through properties/information, the message: The disk cannot be checked because it is inaccessible. How to reformat a flash drive to return it to 32 GB of capacity?
The problem is that even after completely formatting the flash drive, the files remain. There is a second protected partition on the flash drive - how to remove it? Standard Windows tools and formatting utilities do not see it. Flash drive 16 GB, visible 14 GB. This partition was seen by the AOMEI Partition Assistant 6.6.0 program, but there was no option to delete it.
There is an Apacer AH223 flash drive. The owner encrypted it with some kind of program. Which one he doesn’t know. As a result, all the information can be easily read and copied, but it cannot be formatted. HDD Low Level Format Tool, Diskpart did not help.
MicroSD 32gb - I can view the contents, but I cannot delete or format. I used different formatting programs. What is the best way to format the flash drive (if possible) to fix it?
My Xiaomi formatted the flash drive in my phone, now it can’t be read on my phone or on my computer. I tried to format it through the computer, now it doesn’t show anything at all, it says insert card. What to do????
My Xiaomi formatted the SD card in the phone, now it can’t be read on the phone or on the computer. I tried to format it through the computer, but now it doesn’t show anything at all, it says “insert card.” What to do?
In short, I have a 32GB flash drive, and someone I knew formatted it from ntfs to fat, and plus, write protection appeared from somewhere. I have no idea how to format it back to ntfs (possible data loss) and remove write protection.
A double-sided flash drive (USB-micro USB) was no longer detected both on the computer and on the phone: the chipset program was considered to be: 090C and pid: 1000, I tried to format it with the flash doctor program and the process lasted 2 days, upon completion it was not detected even by the chipset program, please tell me the solution.
To format a flash drive, a standard function of the operating system is enough. To format, you need to run a special system utility in which you select the future file system format of the flash drive (FAT32, NTFS, ext4) and the type of formatting (shallow or full). If you cannot format it, you will need special programs for this.
What does it mean to format a flash drive?
Formatting a flash drive is the process of marking out a data storage area, which creates a file system structure.
In other words, formatting a flash drive is the process of deleting all data in order to clear the device’s memory, as well as the process of changing the data storage system (file system).
It is necessary to format a flash drive in order to clear it of the remnants of deleted files, as well as to exclude or get rid of viruses.
Despite the fact that a flash drive today is the most convenient and practical means of transferring information, various problems occur with them, some of which we helped solve: when or. In this publication, site experts will tell you how to properly format a USB flash drive in different operating systems.
When buying a new flash drive, you must format it.
Reasons for formatting:
- Free clusters. As you know, after overwriting files, free clusters remain on the flash drive, which subsequently accumulate, which leads to a decrease in the volume of the flash drive, as well as to its low operating speed.
- Virus prevention. If you suspect that there may be or have been found on the flash drive, the flash drive must be formatted.
- Changing the file system. You cannot do without the formatting process if you want to change the file system of a flash drive.
Format the flash drive
Next, we’ll look at step-by-step instructions on how to properly format a flash drive in different operating systems.Before formatting the flash drive, make sure that there is no necessary unsaved data left on it.
Windows
In order to format a flash drive in, you must first connect it to and open “Explorer” or “My Computer”. Then, in the list on the left, where all drives are listed, select the flash drive to be formatted, right-click on it and select “Format”.
In the window that appears, in the “File system” section, select the required one. In the “Volume Label” field, you can optionally enter the desired name of the flash drive.
Pay attention to the “Format Methods” section; if you leave a checkmark next to the “Quick” item, this is a quick formatting mode in which data is “superficially” deleted (although it is deleted, it can be restored). If you uncheck this item, a complete formatting will occur, which will qualitatively delete all data without the possibility of recovery.
When everything is set, click on the “Start” button.
After this, the system will display a message stating that the process will destroy all data from the device; if you are sure that there is no necessary data left on the flash drive, click “OK”.
After the formatting process is completed, an information window will appear in which you will need to click “OK”.
That's the whole process of formatting a flash drive in Windows.
Let's look at the procedure for formatting a flash drive using an example. Insert the flash drive and open the search window.
In the window that opens, find the “Disks” utility and launch it.
Then, from the list of drives on the left, select the desired flash drive and disconnect the file system by clicking on the corresponding button.
In the window that appears, set the formatting settings. As is the case with Windows, here you can choose the type of formatting: quick or full, as well as the type of file system. If desired, you can specify the name of the flash drive in the “Name” field. Having entered all the data, click on the “Format” button.
A warning window will then appear. To continue the formatting process, click on the “Format” button.
After some time, the flash drive will be formatted and ready for use.
Mac OS X
There is also nothing complicated about formatting a flash drive in the Mac operating system. To do this, press the F4 key and call Launchpad, there is “Disk Utility”.
After inserting the flash drive into the device, we launch this utility.
In the window that opens, select the desired flash drive, and on the right side go to the “Erase” section. In this section, select the file system type; if desired, you can specify a name for the flash drive. Having entered all the data, click on the “Erase” button.
Then a window will appear warning you about deleting data, in which you will need to press the “Erase” button again.
That's it, the formatting process is complete.
File system selection
The most common 4 file systems for flash drives are:- FAT32– one of the oldest file systems on which new flash drives work by default;
- NTFS– a newer file system relative to the previous one is the most popular today;
- ext4– a file system for working in the Linux operating system.
If with the previous file system the issue was resolved quite simply, then with the choice between FAT32 and NTFS the situation is somewhat complicated. The fact is that these are two equally used file systems on flash drives, each of which has its own functional and technical capabilities.
If you plan to write files larger than 4 GB to a flash drive, then it must be formatted in the NTFS file system. This file system is considered native to Windows and is characterized as more reliable.
However, not many devices support the NTFS file system, such as car radios, media players and some other multimedia equipment. There is also no point in formatting flash drives smaller than 4 GB in NTFS.
NTFS is more stable and reliable, and FAT32 is faster.
Formatting programs
A flash drive, like any other device, can have operational problems. For example, after using a flash drive for a long time, problems may arise with formatting it using standard utilities. If you encounter such a problem, then you should use one of the third-party programs that specialize in formatting and restoring flash drives. Such programs include:- HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. A proprietary utility from HP, which quite successfully solves problems with formatting flash drives not only of its own production.
- TranscendJetFlashRecoveryTool. Another good utility from Transcend, which restores flash drives of any manufacturer if it is impossible to format them.
- D-Soft Flash Doctor. A well-known recovery utility that helps save and format even broken drives.
Sometimes, to restore the functionality of a flash drive, you need to format it. In this article, we will look at how to properly format a flash drive and which formatting system is better to choose: FAT or NTFS.
To format a flash drive, you should not download or look for any special programs or utilities. Windows handles this task perfectly in a short time.
What is the best formatting system to choose? How is the FAT system different from NTFS? All you need to know about these systems is that you cannot copy or write a file larger than 4 gigabytes, for example an ISO image or some high-quality movie, to a formatted flash drive in the FAT system. And the NTFS system supports recording files larger than 4 gigabytes.
So when choosing to format a flash drive, be guided by the size of the file you want to write to it.
So, to format the flash drive, insert it into the USB port of the computer and wait for it to be detected. Open “My Computer”
We find our flash drive. For me it is called “SARDU”, for you it will most likely be called “Removable Disk”. Read below how to name a flash drive with your own name.
Select the flash drive with one click of the left mouse button
Then click on the selected flash drive with the right mouse button, thereby bringing up a window with a choice of options. In the window that opens, select “Format”
The formatting window opens. Here we can choose which section to go to format FAT or NTFS
Select a formatting system from the drop-down menu. For example, I chose NTFS, since I need to write a file larger than 4 gigabytes
In the “Volume Label” form, enter any title or Name. This will be the name of your flash drive. It will be visible when browsing your computer's disks. For example, I called it “SARDU”, now I gave it the name “My flash drive”
Below we see formatting methods. Mostly quick formatting is used, but if your flash drive is very buggy, then you can use full formatting; to do this, you need to uncheck the box next to “Quick (cleaning table of contents)”. Be aware that full formatting will take much longer than usual. So everything is ready. Click the start button.
A warning information window should appear. We agree and click the “Ok” button. Formatting has started.
After formatting is complete, an information window will appear indicating that formatting is complete. Click “OK” 
Now we see that our flash drive is formatted and empty. It's called "My flash drive", i.e. as I wrote in the “Volume Label” field
And remember that formatting a flash drive will destroy all data on it. So before doing this, copy all the files to your computer.
Formatting is the process by which a data storage area is marked up. This area is called file system, and is a table.
Each square of such a table is called a cluster. And when a file is copied to a flash drive, the clusters are filled with data one by one until the file is completely moved.
If information is frequently rewritten to the device, the clusters begin to fill unevenly, since some of them contain remnants of previous files. And new recorded files can occupy clusters at different ends of the “table”, which slows down the operation of the flash drive.
Formatting resets all parameters and re-marks. This has a positive effect on the speed of the device, because the file system is reset. That is, the “table” is cleared.
Why do you need to format
- To quickly destroy all recorded information
- To “kill” all viruses and traces of their activity
- To resolve errors that occur when opening and writing files
- To speed up the device
- When creating a bootable USB flash drive
Formatting erases all data that was written to the flash drive! Therefore, before running it, be sure to transfer all important files to another location (for example, to your hard drive).
How to quickly format a flash drive
This can be done using standard system tools. They are available in any version of Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10).
1 . Insert the flash drive into your computer.
Most likely, an autorun window will open in a second or two. Let's close it.
2. Open Start - Computer.
3. Right-click on the flash drive icon and select “Format...”.
4 . Select parameters or leave everything as is.
File system. You are asked to choose one of three. The default is usually Fat32. It is good if small files will be written to the device, as it interacts with them faster. But if you need to write a file larger than 4 GB, then problems arise - Fat32 does not support working with such large files.
NTFS is another matter. This system is capable of working with very large files, even more than 1TB. But with small ones it works a little slower than Fat32.
There is also exFAT. This is an upgraded Fat 32 that can handle files larger than 4GB. However, it is currently only supported on Windows 7 and above, and other devices (such as TVs) and computers running older versions of Windows cannot work with it.
There are more advanced file systems, for example, ext4, but Windows does not yet support anything better than NTFS and exFAT.
So, if you plan to write small files to a flash drive, then you can leave the default file system (Fat32), and if you need to copy individual files larger than 4 GB (for example, a movie) to it, then choose NTFS.
Cluster size. Minimum data size. It is better not to change anything in this field.
Volume label. The name of the device that will be shown during boot. For example, I want the flash drive to appear as "Neumeka". This means that I erase from this field what is suggested and print the name I need. As a result, it will appear like this:
Formatting Methods. Initially, this item is checked for “Quick (cleaning table of contents)”. This method will overwrite the file system, which is usually quite enough.
If you uncheck the box, a full format will be done, which means that the computer will first check the physical surface of the flash drive and if it finds damage, it will fix it. In fact, they will simply disguise themselves and then it will not be possible to write information there. And only after all this will the file system be written.
5 . Click “Start”.
The system will warn us that it will destroy all information from the device. We agree and wait for the end of the process.
When it finishes, we will see the following window. Click “OK” and close the formatting window.
All! The device is ready for use.
If it didn't work out
Despite the fact that a flash drive is more reliable than a CD and DVD, it still suffers from problems. For example, it may simply not be displayed in “Computer”.
This happens for several reasons:
- File system is damaged
- The device was not formatted by the manufacturer
- The letter of the flash drive matches the letter of the drive already in use by Windows
To eliminate these reasons, go to Start - Control Panel.
Go to “System and Security” and/or “Administration”.
Open "Computer Management".
Click on “Disk Management” on the left side.
The window takes on the following appearance.
Right-click on the flash drive and select “Format...”.
Formatting using the command line
Another formatting method. But in order to use it, you need to know exactly the letter of the flash drive. Otherwise, you may accidentally delete data from another, desired drive.
1 . Press the keyboard shortcut Win + R.
2. In the Run window, enter cmd and click OK.
3. In the window that appears, enter format G: /FS:NTFS /Q /V:flashka
- format is a command to start formatting
- G is the drive letter under which your computer recognizes the flash drive (do not confuse it!)
- /FS:NTFS - file system in which you want to format the device. If you want fat32, then enter FS:FAT32
- /Q - quick formatting. If you need the complete one, just don't use this command
- /V:flashka - volume label (this name will be displayed when loading in “Computer”).
When everything is ready, a similar inscription will appear.
Low-level formatting or “flash drive treatment”
This method should only be used if all of the above did not help.
Download and install the HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool program from the official website. During the installation process, select “Continue for free”.
Open the program, select your flash drive and click Continue.
A window with information about the device will appear. Go to the LOW-LEVEL FORMAT tab.
Click on the FORMAT THIS DEVICE button.
A warning appears that all data written to the media will be erased. Click “Yes”.
And we wait for the end of the process: when the window becomes something like this and 100% complete is written.
We close it and do the usual formatting, otherwise the flash drive will not open. To do this, follow the first instructions from this article (Start - Computer - right-click on the flash drive icon - Format...).