We often have to deal with different system operations. Everyone uses a computer differently. Someone knows how to reinstall Windows, how to format a USB flash drive, or how to clean the registry. Some PC users are not so knowledgeable about the operation of the system. Therefore, faced with a particular problem, they go to the Internet.
Removal process
Before you figure out how to format a USB flash drive, it is important to understand what the formatting process is. This operation involves the processing of the information carrier, during which the structure is ordered. A storage medium may mean not only a flash drive, but also a hard or solid-state drive, SD cards and other similar devices.
It is important to understand that formatting will change the structure, and therefore access to personal data.
Process
Not everyone knows that irreversible processes occur when formatting. Firstly, after this operation, all information that was stored on the USB flash drive will be destroyed. Although it will still be possible to recover files. There are special utilities that help recover lost files. But they do not always cope with data that has been cleared by formatting.
Therefore, if you yourself decide to format the USB flash drive, before that, it is advisable to transfer all personal information to another medium. In addition, formatting checks for structure errors. Sometimes the system copes with them, sometimes not.
Stages
Before you figure out how to format a USB flash drive, you need to understand what stages the process itself is divided into. Formatting a hard disk or any other medium is divided into three stages:
- low level deletion;
- division into sectors;
- high level removal.
Low-level formatting occurs at the stage of release of the device. The surface of the flash drive is conditionally divided into sectors, which will soon be occupied by service information.
High-level formatting refers to the recording of logical structures. The process itself can be quick and complete. In the first case, the rewriting concerns only the filesystem tables, and in the second, the media sectors are checked, damaged sections are fixed, and errors are analyzed.
Multifunctionality
It is important to understand how to format a USB flash drive correctly. The fact is that many users simply click on the format button and start the process. But it is important to understand all the settings for this operation. These parameters can affect the performance of the media, as well as its speed of reading and writing. Therefore, in some cases, you should change the settings so that the operation itself is successful.
Easy way
Immediately it is worth noting that sometimes formatting helps to restore the functionality of the drive. After this process, the flash drive will correctly record information, sometimes write protection is reset, work is restored.
In general, you can format a USB flash drive in the system itself. You do not need to install additional programs. Such regular software is used in all versions of Windows.
How to make quick formatting?
- First of all, you need to connect the USB flash drive to the computer.
- After go into the conductor. You can do this through the "Start" and the "My Computer" section.
- In the table, we find our flash drive and click RMB on it.
- In the context menu, click on the line “Format”.
- Next, you will have to determine the type of file system.
- If you don't know it yet, just start formatting.
- After that, a notification appears that all data from the flash drive will be deleted. You need to confirm this action.
- A message appears stating that the flash drive is formatted.
Customization
The above operation is the easiest way to format a flash drive. But so that no further errors occur, you need to understand the formatting options. After a new window appears, you will see several settings.
The line "Capacity" shows the size of the drive. Each time you format a flash drive, it is important to verify the volume. The following is the file system. In general, types in most cases do not matter. But there is one caveat. If you have a 32 GB drive and you want to upload a file larger than 4 GB to a USB flash drive, you need to select the NTFS file system. Otherwise, with the Fat32 type, you will not be able to download a file larger than 4 GB, even if you have a larger flash drive.
Full or fast formatting?
As mentioned earlier, there are two formatting options: full and fast. The choice depends on what goals you pursue. For example, if you just need to clear the USB flash drive, you can choose quick formatting. If you suspect that there are some errors on the drive and you need to diagnose them, you should choose full formatting.
Protection
Some users have come up with the question of how to format a secure flash drive. To begin with, it is obvious that you need to unlock it. How to understand that your drive is protected? The system will tell you about this.
If you installed a USB flash drive in a computer, you are trying to format it, and the computer displays a notification that the disk is write-protected, it means that you are faced with this particular problem.
Protected flash drive does not allow you to create or copy files to it, delete and transfer them. Therefore, in order to free your personal files, you need to remove protection.
If the flash drive is write-protected, how to format it? The fact is that some drive models can be equipped with a special switch. It is he who is the write protection. More often, such levers are present on SD cards. To access files on a USB flash drive, you can simply raise or lower the switch.
The device may also be protected due to infection by viruses, which may block access to recording and formatting. You can check the flash drive with antivirus. A similar error can occur when the drive is full. You need to check the amount of free space.
Unlock
In principle, you can systematically free and format the USB flash drive. To do this, run the command line as administrator. First, enter the diskpart command, then specify list disk and select the name of our flash drive. Next, enter the command attributes disk clear readonly. After that, the drive should give access to work with files.
The command line allows you to immediately format the USB flash drive. But you need to do this only if it does not have any important data.
Other problems
How to format a USB flash drive if it is not formatted? There can be many reasons for this. We have already considered the issue of recording protection. But what to do if some files are occupied by any process of the system?
In this case, you can format everything through the console. To do this, use the Win + R combination and enter the diskmgmt.msc command.
Thus, we start the disk management manager. In the table, you should find the flash drive and right-click on it. In the context menu that opens, select the "Format" line.
Programs
How to format a USB flash drive through the program? In principle, the process itself is almost identical to the operations that use regular software. It happens that a flash drive is not cleared by usual methods. You can install the USB Disk Storage Format Tool. The utility is free and easy to use.
Having opened the software, you need to select a drive from the list. After that, you will need to click on the Option button, select Full Format Type and enable Format Size Adjustment. After starting the formatting process.
Formatting request
It happens that the flash drive itself asks to format. What to do in this case? Almost always, regular software helps in this situation. Just accept the formatting of the device. Of course, in this case you will lose all the personal data that was stored on the drive. But there is an opportunity to restore them with auxiliary utilities.
If the system asks you to format the USB flash drive, then there are some errors in the structure. Therefore, it is advisable to carry out full formatting, which will find all the problems and fix them.
If you can’t format the USB flash drive in this way, you can turn to auxiliary programs. In addition to the USB Disk storage Format Tool described above, there is a USB Flash Drive Repair Tool. This program is good in that it conducts low-level formatting, and can also disable write protection on the drive. It helps those who want to learn how to format a USB flash drive.
findings
Unfortunately, not all flash drives are durable. Sometimes even multiple formatting using a standard utility or third-party programs does not help to fix errors. The drive can independently delete personal data, encrypt them or hide it. In this case, you should say goodbye to a flash drive and not waste time restoring its performance.