The process of completely cleaning the flash drive is not much different from formatting the hard drive. Many users do not even think that there is any program for formatting flash drives, and also that you can use some parameters. Next, we will consider both the standard way to clean the drive from under the operating system, and using utilities.
What is formatting?
Before you find out what kind of program you need to format flash drives, you need to consider what kind of process it is. By formatting is meant the processing of information media, which is associated with the ordering of its structure. The source can be either a hard disk, a flash card, an SD card, or a solid state drive. The formatting process changes the structure of access to information.
It is important to note that for various storage media has its own formatting features. So, on a flash drive, all stored data is destroyed. Recovery can only be carried out with the help of special resuscitation utilities, but there are no guarantees. That is why formatting can be called a fairly unsafe procedure. More pleasantly, when cleaning a flash drive, the system checks the structure and sometimes corrects errors.
Method for formatting a drive in an operating system
Those users who do not even think about the fact that there is a program for formatting flash drives use this method. You need to go through the explorer to “My Computer”, select the drive and right-click on it. A context menu will appear in which the desired item will be. Here you will need to select the type of file system. Often users leave everything by default. At the bottom there is a “Start” button, when clicked, the flash drive will be cleared.
Which file system to choose?
What are the differences between file systems?
NTFS can store files larger than 4 gigabytes. The formatting process is easier. Information is compressed better, which saves space.
The FAT and FAT32 file systems work on all popular operating systems. When recording information in these systems, a much smaller number of disk operations are performed.
Thus, FAT or FAT32 systems are better suited for drives with a capacity of up to 32 gigabytes even when the stored files weigh no more than 2 and 4 gigabytes, respectively. For all other disks, it is better to choose the NTFS file system.
Cluster Size Selection
Clusters are part of a drive. The larger their size, the less space is used efficiently. The small size slows down the drive, because the files are split into small parts and it takes longer to read them.
If you need to store large files on a USB flash drive, then you need to select a larger size. Accordingly, when storing small files, the cluster size should be small.
Choosing a formatting utility
The standard formatting method is not a panacea for a drive if service information is damaged. It is worth saying that with this type of damage, recovering data becomes much more difficult.
The operating system does not always format the disk correctly. Therefore, you need a proprietary program for restoring, formatting flash drives, which you need to look for on the manufacturer's website. But not every manufacturer has such utilities. Therefore, universal programs will be further considered.
Jetflash recovery
This is a universal program for formatting flash drives in NTFS, FAT and other systems. It will be useful in the following situations:
- Failures or errors have been detected on the drive.
- Information on the drive is not read.
- The user does not know how to format the media correctly.
This program for formatting flash drives is very easy to install. It works with most drive models, but some may not accept. The plus is its free.
USB Disc Storage Format Tool
This flash drive formatting program in NTFS, FAT 32, exFAT makes it possible to correctly and quickly clear the storage medium. The main functions are:
- Removing any traces of malware that could infect the drive.
- It makes it possible not only to clear the USB flash drive, but also deletes all service information and frees up space that cannot be freed up using the standard method.
- Creates a volume label.
- Finds errors if any;
- Can create a FAT32 volume larger than 32 gigabytes.
- Scan drive for errors before formatting.
HDD Low Level Format Tool
This is a program for low-level formatting flash drives. Despite the name, it cleans not only hard drives, but also memory cards. Has a free version. Supports a huge number of manufacturers. The utility is able to erase absolutely all information from a flash drive at the system level.
HP formatting software
Disc Storage Format Tool is a simple program that does not have many settings. It simply formats the disk in various file systems. Its advantage lies in the speed of operation, since the user can process the storage medium in a matter of seconds without going into details. This utility has an interesting function: with its help, you can create a bootable drive. Other programs do not know how to do this. What is this feature for? Using a bootable USB flash drive, you can install operating systems on your computer without using a disk drive, and also check the system for errors in recovery mode, when under normal conditions such a check is not possible.