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 the flash drive, the clusters are filled with data one by one until the file is completely moved.
If information is often overwritten on the device, the clusters begin to fill unevenly, since some of them contain the remnants of previous files. And new recorded files can occupy clusters at different ends of the "table", which slows down the flash drive.
Formatting resets all options and redoes the markup. This has a positive effect on the speed of the device, because the file system is reset. That is, the "table" is cleared.
Why 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 flash drive
Formatting erases all data that was written to the USB flash drive! Therefore, before running it, be sure to transfer all important files to another location (for example, to HDD).
How to quickly format a flash drive
This can be done using standard system tools. They are in any Windows versions(XP, 7, 8, 10).
1 . Insert the flash drive into your computer.
Most likely, after a second or two, the autorun window will open. We close it.
2. Open Start - Computer.
3 . We right-click on the flash drive icon and select "Format ...".
4 . Select options or leave as is.
File system. It is suggested 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 more than 4 GB, then problems arise - Fat32 does not support working with such big files.
NTFS is another matter. This system is able to work 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 over 4GB. However, on this moment it is only supported in Windows system 7 and above, and other devices (such as TVs) and computers on previous versions Windows cannot work with it.
There are more advanced file systems, such as ext4, but Windows does not yet know how to 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 to it (for example, a movie), 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 on boot. For example, I want the flash drive to show up as "Neumeka". So, I erase from this field what is offered and print the name I need. In the end, it will show up like this:
Formatting methods. Initially, this item is checked for "Quick (clearing the table of contents)". With this method, the file system will be overwritten, which is usually enough.
If the checkbox is unchecked, then it will be done full formatting, which means that first the computer will check the physical surface of the flash drive and if it finds damage, it will fix them. In fact, they simply disguise themselves and then it will be impossible to write information there. And only after all this the file system will be written.
5 . We press "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 ends, we will see the following window. Click "OK" and close the formatting window.
All! The device is ready to work.
If it didn't work out
Despite the fact that a flash drive is more reliable than a CD and DVD disc however, it also faces problems. For example, it may simply not be displayed in the "Computer".
This happens for several reasons:
- File system corrupted
- 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 the following form.
Right-click on the flash drive and select "Format...".
Formatting using the command line
Another way to format But in order to use it, you need to know exactly the letter of the flash drive. Otherwise, you can accidentally delete data from another, the right drive.
1 . Press the keyboard shortcut Win + R.
2. In the Run window, type 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 identifies the flash drive (don't mix it up!)
- /FS:NTFS is the file system in which the device needs to be formatted. If you want fat32 then enter FS:FAT32
- /Q - quick formatting. If you need a complete one just don't use this command
- /V:flashka - volume label (this name will be displayed when loading in the "Computer").
When everything is ready, a similar inscription will appear.
Low-level formatting or "flash drive treatment"
Use this method should only be done if all of the above fail.
Download and install HDD program LLF Low Level Format Tool from the official website. During the installation process, select "Continue for free".
Open the program, select your flash drive and click Continue.
The device information window 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. We press "Yes".
And we are waiting 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 instruction from this article (Start - Computer - right-click on the flash drive icon - Format ...).
The memory card is convenient way storage of information, which allows you to store up to 128 gigabytes of data. However, there are times when the drive needs to be formatted and standard tools cannot always cope with this. In this article, we will look at a list of programs for formatting memory cards.
The first program on this list is SDFormatter. According to the developers themselves, the program, unlike Windows Tools, gives maximum optimization of the SD card. Plus, there are some settings that allow you to slightly adjust the formatting for yourself.
RecoveRx
The RecoveRx utility from Transcend is not too different from the previous one. The only thing I would like to have in the program is more fine-tuning. But there is data recovery in case of loss in the event of a memory card crash, which gives the program a small plus.
AutoFormat Tool
This utility has only one function, but copes with it quite well. Yes, the process takes a little longer than usual, but it's worth it. And given that it was developed by the well-known company Transcend, this gives it a little more credibility, even despite the lack of other functionality.
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
One more pretty popular instrument to work with USB and MicroSD drives. The program also has formatting with a little customization. In addition, there is additional functionality, such as an error scanner on a flash drive. And in general, the program is great for formatting a non-opening or freezing flash drive.
HDD Low Level Format Tool
This software is more suitable for HDDs, which is evident even from the name. However, the program copes with simple drives. The program has three formatting modes:
- Conditional low-level;
- fast;
- Complete.
Each of them differs in the duration of the process and the quality of mashing.
Today, on the Internet, you can download many programs (programs) designed to format a flash drive, which this article will help you choose.
You have to resort to formatting a USB drive in several cases:
- the device started to work slowly
- need for restructuring file system
- flash drive virus or malware
Most often, formatting a flash drive is carried out using standard means windows(). But despite its simplicity, this method does not solve all problems. Downloading and installing a program for formatting flash drives will be a more effective option.
List of the most popular flash drive formatters
There are a number of programs available for recovering a USB flash drive: HP USB Disk Format Tool, HDD LL Format Tool and Dr. Uni Flash Disk, as well as narrow-profile utilities.
HP USB Disk Format Tool
The application is absolutely free, it helps in most cases. With it, you can restore a previously damaged USB drive.
HDD LL Format Tool
Fits this program not only for formatting flash drives, but also memory cards, hard drives and others. The whole procedure is carried out at a low level, effectively restoring problem sectors and drive volume.
Dr. Uni Flash Disk
The utility from PQI quickly copes with formatting any flash drive, restoring its volume or treating bad sectors.
Narrow profile programs
A narrow-profile program for formatting a USB flash drive, which you can download on the Internet, is the last chance to restore a USB drive. In particular, you will need exact model memory chip, under which the corresponding utility is selected.
It is far from always possible to format a USB flash drive with built-in Windows Utilities. If you have already tried all the methods available in the system, it's time to consider programs for formatting a flash drive ... unfortunately if standard ways do not help - it is much more difficult to save data from such a medium!
We will try to consider the most popular and versatile utilities for working with flash drives or memory cards. Almost every manufacturer has its own proprietary utility for working with external drives We will not focus on them. Exist paid apps- I deliberately do not include them in the review, free alternatives enough.
Important! Before formatting the flash drive, copy all its contents to your computer. All data on the formatted device will be permanently deleted
I am writing a note based on my professional experience and I may be wrong with this collection, but I can confidently say that the utilities listed here are widely used by specialists when working with flash drives (and not only).
Probably for the first time I will not direct you to the official website, but will upload all software distributions to the note itself - some official resources are not available ... and the rest are presented only on English language- but you can always google if you need it!
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - formatting utility
If you need to format a problematic SD card or a regular flash drive, then you definitely need to first test the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - anyone will tell you that this is the No. 1 program for their purposes without exaggeration. So, download the archive with the program (only 500 kilobytes)
Unzip the archive to any place convenient for you and run the program as an administrator (otherwise it won't work)... as usual, right-click and select "Run as administrator" from the menu!
I like the HP USB Storage Format Tool for its simplicity - just a couple of buttons are enough for almost any formatting of a flash drive! In the drop-down menu "Device" select your drive. In the "File system" select the file system (FAT32 or NTFS) ... set the volume label and optionally check the box " Quick Format» (Quick Format) and click Start…
... after formatting, you will receive a report on the process as in my picture below - this means that the flash drive is formatted and can be removed.
Quite often, flash drives lose read or write speed over time - this is easily solved! Just try reformatting your drive and uploading your data to it again - verified!
HDD Low Level Format Tool - low-level formatting
We actively used the HDD LLFT utility to revive client hard drives. Often enough bad sectors were corrected if you perform a low-level formatting of the drive - this is not fast, but it allows you to save on buying a new hard drive.
In the course of work, it turned out that this program perfectly supports not only classical hard disks, but also various cards memory and USB flash drives familiar to us all.
Not so long ago I received a letter:
My external hard drive is not detected correctly in the system - when connected, a notification appears that I need to format the drive. Formatted on another computer and found a lot of bad sectors ... is there a way to somehow "correctly" format my hard drive?
Of course you can - all this applies to flash drives. The request to format it is not so uncommon and is probably more common than on the HDD. We can use the free version as well. Differences from paid only in speed (180 GB per hour)
At the first start, select our flash drive in the list of devices and click "Continue" (in my case, this is a flash drive from SONY)
Go to the "LOW-LEVEL FORMAT" tab and click FORMAT THIS DEVICE
Important! After low-level formatting flash drives from it is almost impossible to recover information even in specialized companies (not to mention public programs for recovering deleted files)
Do you understand that by pressing the "Yes" button you will destroy all the data on the flash drive? ...
... and wait for the end of the data erasing process. Once completed, the progress bar will become yellow color- this means that the formatting is completed!
Please note that after formatting the LLFT HDD, you must re-create the partition on the USB flash drive through Disk Management or simply run it again through HP USB DISK STORAGE FORMAT TOOL - otherwise you will not see your drive in Windows Explorer.
USB Disk Storage Format Tool
I looked at what my colleagues are writing about formatting external devices - in the top of most resources, the USB Disk Storage Format Tool utility. Here is what the developers stated (by the way, their official website was unavailable at the time of this writing):
- Allows you to format flash drives where standard methods did not help
- Checking and fixing Bad Blocks
- Low-level formatting of flash drives and other goodies
What did I actually get?
Unfortunately, on my Windows 10, the program could not even format a known-good USB flash drive ... the worst thing is that when choosing a disk in the list, when you click the “Format Disk” button, he tried to format it - it really scares!
I did not have the opportunity to test the program on Windows 7 or earlier OS. I cannot recommend a utility that does not work on the current version of Windows. However, I’ll post it anyway - all of a sudden, the program was really relevant earlier, and the unavailability of the official site does not give you the opportunity to download it without problems ...
Default password: itshnegcom
I noticed that without assigning a label, the program does not even try to format the USB flash drive.
I want to draw your attention to the fact that when you exit the program, it tries to impose on you the installation third-party software and constantly asks to buy full version... in general - the blog does not recommend IT!
Results
Now you know key programs to format the flash drive. As I have already said with some manufacturers USB drives there are proprietary utilities - if nothing from this note suits you, then you should not ignore them ... the most popular JetFlash Recovery Tool works with A-DATA and Transcend drives (but you can experiment on another) and Kingston USB Format Tool you know for whom.
If the flash drive is write-protected for reasons unknown to you ... then most likely it has simply exhausted its resource. I didn’t find this confirmation anywhere, but after talking with familiar experts, we agreed that when the resource is exhausted, the drive simply switches to the “Read Only” mode
Flash drives are a very popular storage accessory. important information or to transfer data between several computers when it is not possible to transfer them in other ways. Despite the high reliability and the possibility of multiple recording, under the influence of various factors, microcircuits and memory sections wear out, as a result of which various failures and malfunctions can occur, and information is read and written with errors. As a result, the system may require you to format the flash drive and not open it. You can try to check the disk for errors or recover data and continue using it.
An extreme measure to restore the performance of a flash drive is low-level formatting.
But when everything is already so bad that neither recovery nor regular formatting helps, only low-level formatting will help. It will help to fully restore the performance of the flash drive, as well as get rid of errors and failures. In this article, we will take a closer look at what low-level formatting of a flash drive is, as well as software that can help with this.
It’s worth starting with how the organization of the file system is arranged. The entire file system is divided into tracks and sectors (so-called clusters) of a certain size, which, in turn, are combined into sections or directories. Depending on the file system used, their principle of organization and location may vary. All service information is recorded in the memory of the controller, which manages requests for access to the desired location in memory. When you transfer data to media, the file is split into pieces with a cluster size and written to a specific sector of the disk. When reading, the controller accesses the desired sector, and you get access to the data.
If for some reason the location of the sectors is lost, for example, when writing or reading large volume data, you pulled the flash drive out of the connector, the controller cannot correctly access the desired sector, since that section is damaged. Low-level formatting allows you to delete sectors of memory located on the disk and clear the control information of the controller. In other words, you are doing full reset flash drive or memory card firmware and erase the file system. To continue using the flash drive, you will need to format it in the usual way.
Why else do low-level formatting?
- Complete cleaning of various malicious files that got on the flash drive, especially if they cannot be removed in the usual way using antivirus or recovery.
- The most reliable and complete removal secret and important data to exclude the possibility of recovering them using special software.
- Prevention of errors in the presence of bad sectors and junk files that interfere with normal functioning.
- To restore the boot sector, that is, if the flash drive is physically intact, and the system cannot access the files.
In order to be able to perform this procedure, you will need special software. Consider some best utilities that can help you with this. Usually they all support all major drive models, but since some of them may have their own characteristics, in such cases you will have to limit yourself to a utility tailored for use with devices from a particular manufacturer.
Overview of the best utilities
A very powerful and advanced utility for low-level formatting of flash drives and other storage media. The program is able to reanimate them from almost any, the most hopeless state (well, except perhaps for unrecoverable physical damage microcircuits and controllers), as well as completely erase absolutely any information without the possibility of recovery. The program erases the disk partition table without a trace, after which it partitions it on a new one.
Program features:
- Full support for almost any model of flash drive or disk from popular manufacturers.
- Compatible with all possible connection interfaces.
- Detailed report on the work done.
- Limited opportunities free version and no restrictions in the paid.
How to use the utility correctly?
- Download setup file from the site, run it.
- At the first start, click the Continue for free button.
- Find your flash drive in the list of displayed media and double-click on its name with the mouse.
- Select from the list of possible operations Low-Level Format - Format This Device - Yes.
- After completing the procedure, open Windows Explorer, right-click on the flash drive and select "Format".
- After that, you can use your flash drive.
An excellent utility for low-level formatting with a Russian-language interface and minimum requirements to computer resources. The program does not even need to be installed, as it works in portable mode. How to use it?
- Download and run the installation file of the program.
- In the main window, place the cursor on the disk you want to format, click the "Recover Media" button.
- Wait for the process to finish, click the "Finish" button.
- Format the media in the usual way through Windows Explorer.
The utility is designed for use with JetFlash, Transcend, A-Data media. Maybe you'll be lucky and get to restore another flash drive. What are the features of the application?
- Complete portability.
- The minimum number of buttons - only two - "Start" and "Exit".
- Work in the cloud, so the load on the computer is minimal.
You need to download the installation file, run it and click the "Start" button. Very simple and fast.
SP USB Flash Drive Recovery Software
A proprietary utility from a well-known manufacturer of portable drives Silicon power. However, even if your flash drive from another manufacturer uses standard device identifiers, you can safely use it. For this you need:
- Download the setup file and run it.
- Select your flash drive from the list.
- Press the restore button.
After a couple of seconds, everything will work as expected.
Since Kingston has a significant share of the portable media market, Kingston also offers its customers a USB recovery utility. It is also not overloaded with functions, has the most necessary functions and practically does not load the system. To format a flash drive using this utility, you need:
- Download it and save it to a folder on your hard drive.
- Open the archive, click the Unzip button in the automatic unpacker that opens and select the folder where you want to save the unpacked files.
- Go to the folder where you unpacked the utility and run the program file.
- Select your flash drive from the list of drives and folders and click Format.
- Wait until the program finishes its work to start using your flash drive.
Universal application for formatting flash drives different manufacturers. It is completely free and is very effective in dealing with damaged partitions and sectors. In addition to formatting, the program is equipped with the following functions:
- Support for almost all existing manufacturers and models.
- Works on all the latest versions operating system Windows.
- Checking and correcting errors.
- Quick formatting.
- Deep and traceless deletion of all recorded data.
- Detailed log of work operations.
To use the program:
- Download the program and run it.
- Select the flash drive and file system format from the list.
- Think of a name for the disc.
- Click Format Disk.
- Wait until the end of the procedure.
Conclusion
Carry out low-level formatting, despite the abundance software should be used with caution as there is a risk of irreversible damage. Then you have to go and buy a new carrier. In the comments, we ask you to write with what program you managed to format your USB drive.
