#Windows usb formatting tool how to#
#Windows usb formatting tool full#
#Windows usb formatting tool windows#

Once you complete the steps, diskpart will clear the data from the thumb drive. Type the following command to close diskpart and press Enter: exit.Otherwise, the system will choose a letter automatically. Quick note: You can append 'letter=E' in the command to assign 'E' as the drive letter.This example selects the flash drive listed as disk number 2: select disk 3 In the command, replace DISK-NUMBER for the number representing the drive you are trying to format. Type the following command to select the flash drive you want to delete and press Enter: select disk DISK-NUMBER.Type the following command to view a list of the available drives and press Enter: list disk.Type the following command to launch the diskpart tool and press Enter: diskpart.

#Windows usb formatting tool windows#

To clean and format a flash drive with commands on Windows 11, use these steps:

#Windows usb formatting tool full#

This example performs a full format of the H drive: format H: /v:'workUSB' /fs:NTFSĪfter completing the steps, the thumb drive will format with the specified settings.

(Optional) Type the following command to perform a full format the USB flash drive and press Enter: format VOLUME: /v:FLASHDRIVE-LABEL /fs:FILE-SYSTEM.

This example performs a quick format of the 'H' drive: format H: /v:workUSB /fs:NTFS /q In the command, replace the VOLUME with the correct drive letter of the storage, FLASHDRIVE-LABEL with the name you want the drive to appear in File Explorer, FILE-SYSTEM with one of the available file systems, including 'FAT32,' 'exFAT,' or 'NTFS.'

Type the following command to perform a quick format of the USB flash drive and press Enter: format VOLUME: /v:FLASHDRIVE-LABEL /fs:FILE-SYSTEM /q.

Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

To use Command Prompt to format a USB flash drive, use these steps:

On Windows 11, you can also use the DiskPart tool with Command Prompt to wipe out and format a USB flash drive.

#Windows usb formatting tool how to#

How to format USB drive on Command Prompt Usually, wiping out the flash drive and starting over with a new partition is the best option since it can also help to resolve logical issues, such as data corruption. Once you complete the steps, the wizard will set up the drive with your configuration.

(Optional) Check the Enable file and folder compression option.

Check the Perform a quick format option.

In the 'Volume label' setting, confirm the friendly name of the flash drive.

Use the Default option in the 'Allocation unit size' drop-down menu.

Quick note: You can only use 'NTFS' or 'FAT32.' If you need to format the drive using 'exFAT,' you will need to use Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Click the Storage page on the right side.

To reformat a USB drive through the Disks & volumes settings, use these steps: Windows 11 also comes with the 'Disks & volumes' settings, a modern version of the Disk Management tool that allows you to manage drives, including the ability to format USB flash drives. Once you complete the steps, the USB flash drive will erase and format to store files again. This process could take a long time, depending on the capacity. If you clear the option, the tool will perform a full format, scanning for bad and writing zeros in all sectors to delete all the data.

Quick note: The 'Quick format' option only deletes the file system table and the root folder, but the data may still be recoverable.

Under the 'Format options' section, select the Quick format option.

In the 'Volume label' field, confirm a drive name that will appear on File Explorer.

Use the default selection in the 'Allocation unit size' drop-down menu.

If you use the flash drive on Linux, 'FAT32' is your best option. If you want to make the storage usable on other systems, such as macOS, use the 'exFAT' option.

Quick tip: The NTFS option has been designed for Windows.