USB Stick - Formatting Issues

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  1. Posts : 3,639
    Windows 7 Ultimate, OS X 10.7, Ubuntu 11.04
       #1

    USB Stick - Formatting Issues


    Hello everyone,

    I have a 32GB USB Stick that I've been having issues with. I can format it, use it, etc. Although as of late, I am unable to format to anything aside from ext3/4, FAT, FAT32, exFAT.

    Whenever I attempt to format it to NTFS via Windows, it fails saying it failed (helpful eh?). Whenever I attempt to format it to HFS+ (either on GUID or MBR) via OS X, Disk Utility freezes and fails after a while.

    So, what can I do to fix this drive as I'd rather not like to scrap it.

    Anymore information is needed, let me know.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 5,056
    Windows 7 x64 pro/ Windows 7 x86 Pro/ XP SP3 x86
       #2
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 1,170
    XP Pro SP3 X86 / Win7 Pro X86
       #3

    DarkNovaGamer said:
    Hello everyone,

    I have a 32GB USB Stick that I've been having issues with. I can format it, use it, etc. Although as of late, I am unable to format to anything aside from ext3/4, FAT, FAT32, exFAT.

    Whenever I attempt to format it to NTFS via Windows, it fails saying it failed (helpful eh?). Whenever I attempt to format it to HFS+ (either on GUID or MBR) via OS X, Disk Utility freezes and fails after a while.

    So, what can I do to fix this drive as I'd rather not like to scrap it.

    Anymore information is needed, let me know.

    Actually these flash drives are pretty much designed to be used with FAT32 which is how they almost all come out of the factory.

    In normal use there should be no reason to ever format a flash drive. Even on the off chance you get an OS that doesn't understand FAT32, you should only ever have to do a format on it once.

    My suggestion is that you format it to FAT32 and leave it be.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,639
    Windows 7 Ultimate, OS X 10.7, Ubuntu 11.04
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Bill2 said:
    Oddly, it doesn't even recognize my USB Stick. Only detects my third hard drive (all partitions) as a USB. :s
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  5. Posts : 5,056
    Windows 7 x64 pro/ Windows 7 x86 Pro/ XP SP3 x86
       #5

    wierd.

    Try via command prompt by typing format X: /FS:NTFS /Q where X is letter of your USB flash drive.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,612
    Operating System : Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 6.01.7600 SP1 (x64)
       #6

    hi i had the same problem and was advised that they (flash drives) are not suitable for that format from a western digital representative
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 3,639
    Windows 7 Ultimate, OS X 10.7, Ubuntu 11.04
    Thread Starter
       #7

    CommonTater said:
    DarkNovaGamer said:
    Hello everyone,

    I have a 32GB USB Stick that I've been having issues with. I can format it, use it, etc. Although as of late, I am unable to format to anything aside from ext3/4, FAT, FAT32, exFAT.

    Whenever I attempt to format it to NTFS via Windows, it fails saying it failed (helpful eh?). Whenever I attempt to format it to HFS+ (either on GUID or MBR) via OS X, Disk Utility freezes and fails after a while.

    So, what can I do to fix this drive as I'd rather not like to scrap it.

    Anymore information is needed, let me know.

    Actually these flash drives are pretty much designed to be used with FAT32 which is how they almost all come out of the factory.

    In normal use there should be no reason to ever format a flash drive. Even on the off chance you get an OS that doesn't understand FAT32, you should only ever have to do a format on it once.

    My suggestion is that you format it to FAT32 and leave it be.
    That'd be fine and dandy if I did not 'need' to use it in these partition types. Not so much NTFS, more HFS+.

    Bill2 said:
    wierd.

    Try via command prompt by typing format X: /FS:NTFS /Q where X is letter of your USB flash drive.
    That only brought me to the USB's directory (essentially equaling cd F:/). DiskPart didn't work either.

    brianzion said:
    hi i had the same problem and was advised that they (flash drives) are not suitable for that format from a western digital representative
    Again, a bit odd. This is probably the second out of about 30 I've used in the past 2 years that I've had issues with, with partitioning.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 5,056
    Windows 7 x64 pro/ Windows 7 x86 Pro/ XP SP3 x86
       #8

    Ok, another trick. Format the drive as FAT32 then convert to NTFS. To convert do the following:

    In the Command prompt (assuming your USB is volume F: and has the label “gamer”), type the following, then hit Enter:

    CONVERT F:gamer /FS:NTFS
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3,639
    Windows 7 Ultimate, OS X 10.7, Ubuntu 11.04
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Bill2 said:
    Ok, another trick. Format the drive as FAT32 then convert to NTFS. To convert do the following:

    In the Command prompt (assuming your USB is volume F: and has the label “gamer”), type the following, then hit Enter:

    CONVERT F:gamer /FS:NTFS
    Results

    Code:
    C:\Users\Steven>convert E: /FS:NTFS
    The type of the file system is FAT32.
    Volume Serial Number is 4E47-4DFF
    Windows is verifying files and folders...
    File and folder verification is complete.
    Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.
       32,750,592 KB total disk space.
       32,750,576 KB are available.
    
           16,384 bytes in each allocation unit.
        2,046,912 total allocation units on disk.
        2,046,911 allocation units available on disk.
    
    Determining disk space required for file system conversion...
    Total disk space:              32766976 KB
    Free space on volume:          32750576 KB
    Space required for conversion:    99494 KB
    Converting file system
    Data error (cyclic redundancy check).
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,056
    Windows 7 x64 pro/ Windows 7 x86 Pro/ XP SP3 x86
       #10

    Hmmm...bad drive, bad sector. Do a chkdsk.
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