How to Format Your Flash Drive if Windows Standart Tools Cannot Complete The Format

Read to know what to do if there is a USB drive format error: how to format it again and recover the lost data. To continue the topic of repairing USB flash drives that we brought up in the article “How to Repair a Flash Drive,” let us consider one more case involving a failure in the work of this data carrier.

Nowadays every PC user has a USB flash drive. Sometimes they need to be formatted, for example, when changing the file system, when encountering errors or just when you need to delete all files.

Usually, this operation is quick to perform, but sometimes you can see an error message saying: “Windows was unable to complete the format.”

Let us have a look at several ways to perform formatting and repair the flash drive.

Formatting With Windows Disk Management

Often you can format a flash drive without turning to third-party utilities but by using Windows disk manager.

To launch it go to Windows Control Panel, then switch to “Administrative Tools” and click on “Computer Management”.

Then go to Disk Management tab. In the list of all drives available you should see the flash drive (which you have trouble formatting). Right-click you mouse on the drive and select the menu line “Format.”

Formatting With Command Prompt

In this case you should launch the command prompt with administrator rights.

Right-click your mouse on Start menu and select Command Prompt (Admin).

Then enter a simple command: “format f:” (type in without quotation marks where “f:” is the drive letter).

Low-level formatting

An inscription on the flash drive case always specifies manufacturer name, memory size and sometimes the speed: USB 2.0 (3.0). In addition, every flash drive has its own specific controller and knowing about it, you can try to perform low-level formatting.

To determine the controller model, there are two parameters: VID and PID (vendor ID and Product ID, respectively). When you know VID and PID you can find a utility to repair and format your flash drive. Yet you should be careful: flash drives by one manufacturer and in one model range can still have different controllers!

After that, just search for a flash drive format utility (a sample query: “silicon power VID 13FE PID 3600”) using Yandex or Google. As you find the utility you need, launch it to format the flash drive (if you did everything right, there shouldn’t be any problems).

Yet before you start low-level formatting you should understand it means erasing all user information without a chance to restore it. That is, the part of the drive where data is contained will be cleaned completely. Standard Windows formatting does not do that but only applies quick formatting which is basically remarking your drive.

It is quite a common variant which can help you to repair flash drives by almost any manufacturer.

Author: , Technical Writer

Vladimir Artiukh is a technical writer for Hetman Software, as well as the voice and face of their English-speaking YouTube channel, Hetman Software: Data Recovery for Windows. He handles tutorials, how-tos, and detailed reviews on how the company’s tools work with all kinds of data storage devices.

Editor: , Technical Writer

Oleg Afonin is an expert in mobile forensics, data recovery and computer systems. He often attends large data security conferences, and writes several blogs for such resources as xaker.ru, Elcomsoft and Habr. In addition to his online activities, Oleg’s articles are also published in professional magazines. Also, Oleg Afonin is the co-author of a well-known book, Mobile Forensics - Advanced Investigative Strategies.

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Questions and answers

What is the reason why Windows standard tools fail to format a flash drive sometimes?

Windows standard tools may fail to format a flash drive because the drive may be corrupted or damaged, the file system may be unsupported, or the drive may be write-protected.

How can you determine if your flash drive needs to be formatted or if it has another issue?

If your flash drive is not being recognized by your computer, you can try connecting it to another computer or using a different USB port. If the flash drive is still not being recognized, then it may need to be formatted. You can check the device manager to see if the flash drive is listed and if it has any errors associated with it. If there are errors, then the flash drive may need to be reformatted or replaced.

What are the steps involved in using the Diskpart utility to format a flash drive?

  1. Insert the flash drive into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open the Diskpart utility by typing “diskpart” into the Windows search bar and selecting the “Diskpart” program.
  3. Type “list disk” and press enter to view a list of all available disks.
  4. Type “select disk #”, where # is the number of the disk corresponding to your flash drive.
  5. Type “clean” and press enter to erase all existing partitions on the disk.
  6. Type “create partition primary” and press enter to create a new partition on the disk.
  7. Type “format fs=ntfs quick” and press enter to format the partition as NTFS.
  8. Type “assign” and press enter to assign a drive letter to the partition.
  9. Type “exit” and press enter to close the Diskpart utility.

How can you use the Windows Registry to fix the "Windows was unable to complete the format" error?

  1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key + R, typing regedit and pressing Enter.
  2. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStorageDevicePolicies
  3. Right-click on the StorageDevicePolicies key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  4. Name the new value WriteProtect and set its value to 0.
  5. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
  6. Try to format the drive again.

What is the difference between a quick format and a full format, and which one should you choose?

A quick format is a process that deletes the files and folders on a hard drive, but does not scan the drive for bad sectors. It is much faster than a full format and is generally used when reinstalling an operating system. A full format, on the other hand, scans the drive for bad sectors, then erases the entire contents of the drive, including any hidden files. It is a much more thorough process and should be used when setting up a new drive or if you suspect there are bad sectors on the drive.

Comments (14) #

  • Raj 11.02.2021 16:03 #

    My Samsung 32 gb sd card got write protected. Now I am not able to format or delete any item from my sd card. I have tried all tools like command promote, Windows disk management format system, and also taken some help of third party software but unfortunately I was not able to format it. Please someone tell me how to format my sd card and remove write protect️️

  • Alex 3.10.2016 12:15 #

    I once had this very problem with my flash drive. Now I get it was a failure to buy a cheap one. I managed to format it via Command Prompt only. I guess one has to buy trustworthy brands like Kingston f. e. to minimize the risk of such problems.

  • София Заочная 4.07.2016 17:37 #

    It is very big problem, when you are single girl and you need to do something with your computer and others devices. I cannot every time call to my acquaintance, because I have problems every day. And it is good, that I can find needed information here. I can solve my fails by myself. I have never had this problem in my computer life, but from now, I would know key for it.

  • Zechariah Medlen 22.04.2016 20:37 #

    How can you prevent data loss when formatting a flash drive?

    • Hetman Software 22.04.2016 21:08 #

      1. Back up your data before formatting the flash drive.
      2. Use a reliable formatting tool to format the drive.
      3. Perform a full format instead of a quick format, as this will ensure that all data on the drive is erased.
      4. Check the drive for errors before formatting it.
      5. Use a reliable virus scanner to check the drive for any malicious software.
      6. Make sure to disconnect the drive safely after formatting it.
  • Algernon McHugh 22.04.2016 16:36 #

    What are some common issues that can occur during the formatting process, and how can you troubleshoot them?

    • Hetman Software 22.04.2016 16:59 #

      1. Hard Drive Not Recognized: This can happen if the hard drive is not properly connected to the computer. Check all connections and make sure they are secure. Also, try different ports if available.
      2. Partition Errors: If you receive an error message when trying to create a partition, it could mean that the hard drive has errors or bad sectors. Try running a disk utility to check for errors and repair them if necessary.
      3. Formatting Stops: If the formatting process stops unexpectedly, it could be due to a faulty connection or a corrupted file system. Try using a different USB cable or port, or try reformatting the drive using a different file system.
      4. Slow Formatting Speed: If the formatting process is taking too long, it could be due to a slow hard drive or a slow computer. Try using a faster hard drive or computer if available.
  • Patty Buller 22.04.2016 14:39 #

    How can you use a third-party formatting tool to format a flash drive?

    • Hetman Software 22.04.2016 15:08 #

      A third-party formatting tool can be used to format a flash drive by connecting the flash drive to a computer and running the formatting tool. The formatting tool will detect the flash drive and allow you to select the desired file system, such as FAT32 or NTFS, and then format the drive. Once the formatting is complete, the flash drive will be ready for use.

  • Louis Hodgson 22.04.2016 12:38 #

    What is the role of the Volume Shadow Copy service in the formatting process?

    • Hetman Software 22.04.2016 13:00 #

      The Volume Shadow Copy service is a Windows service that creates and maintains shadow copies of files. During the formatting process, the Volume Shadow Copy service can be used to create a backup of the data on the drive before it is formatted. This ensures that any important files or data that were on the drive before formatting can be recovered if needed.

  • Luke Beverly 22.04.2016 09:46 #

    How can you use the Command Prompt to format a flash drive?

    • Hetman Software 22.04.2016 10:13 #

      1. Plug your flash drive into your computer.
      2. Open the Command Prompt window.
      3. Type in the command “diskpart” and press Enter.
      4. Type in the command “list disk” and press Enter.
      5. Type in the command “select disk #”, replacing # with the number of your flash drive, and press Enter.
      6. Type in the command “clean” and press Enter.
      7. Type in the command “create partition primary” and press Enter.
      8. Type in the command “select partition 1” and press Enter.
      9. Type in the command “active” and press Enter.
      10. Type in the command “format fs=fat32 quick” and press Enter.
      11. Type in the command “assign” and press Enter.
      12. Type in the command “exit” and press Enter to close the Command Prompt window.
  • Hetman Software: Data Recovery 27.04.2018 13:12 #

    Read how to format your flash drive if windows standard tools cannot complete the format. If you do have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our technical support service - we will be happy to help you.

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