Windows 7: USB Stick - Formatting Issues

Dark Nova Gamer · 14 Apr 2010

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.

Bill2 · 14 Apr 2010

Try the HP USB Storage disk format tool.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8 Download - EXTREME Overclocking

CommonTater · 14 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by DarkNovaGamer

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.

Dark Nova Gamer · 14 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Bill2

Try the HP USB Storage disk format tool.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8 Download - EXTREME Overclocking

Oddly, it doesn't even recognize my USB Stick. Only detects my third hard drive (all partitions) as a USB. :s

Bill2 · 14 Apr 2010

wierd.

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

brianzion · 14 Apr 2010

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

Dark Nova Gamer · 14 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by CommonTater

Quote: Originally Posted by DarkNovaGamer

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+.

Quote: Originally Posted by Bill2

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.

Quote: Originally Posted by brianzion

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.

Bill2 · 14 Apr 2010

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

Dark Nova Gamer · 14 Apr 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Bill2

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).

Bill2 · 14 Apr 2010

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

Windows 7: USB Stick - Formatting Issues

USB Stick - Formatting Issues problems?