Can't format USB drive in windows or ubuntu and no tools work

HI!

So I got this 16gb datatraveler from kingston. My friend was using it as a live usb driver for ubuntu I think. But she cut the power and now it seems like the drive is dead!

It won't format using windows formating option. diskpart cannot create any new partitions or clean the partition. give a I/O error. HP disk formatting tools and seagate formatting both freeze. I've tried gparted as well but with no luck. I can see the files in the drive, but can't delete them or change them.

Any help?

Inset USB into your computer,

Open disk management (Right click "My computer" > choose "Manage" > Disk Management):

In disk management - right click the usb drive > delete the partition/drive.
Then right click the drive again > choose "New partition" and follow the wizard.

braddersz said:

Inset USB into your computer,

Open disk management (Right click "My computer" > choose "Manage" > Disk Management):

In disk management - right click the usb drive > delete the partition/drive.
Then right click the drive again > choose "New partition" and follow the wizard.

forgot to mention that I've tried that. didn't work. I've tried low format bu doesn't go from 0%

Probebly contains corrupted data,

Try this: Insert usb stick into your computer, open my computer to check what drive letter is assigned to the usb stick. For example : drive "E"

Then open a command prompt, and type: chkdsk /f DRIVELETTER:
So for example it should look somthing like this:
chkdsk /f /E:

(E being my drive letter)

Press enter,

Let the check disk take place. then see if you can format it.

braddersz said:

Probebly contains corrupted data,

Try this: Insert usb stick into your computer, open my computer to check what drive letter is assigned to the usb stick. For example : drive "E"

Then open a command prompt, and type: chkdsk /f DRIVELETTER:
So for example it should look somthing like this:
chkdsk /f /E:

(E being my drive letter)

Press enter,

Let the check disk take place. then see if you can format it.

I haven't tried that yet.. Anyway:
Windows is verifying files and folders . . .
56% completed..

Then I tried to format. Still stuck at 0 as we talk

Hi Difusal,

I am inclined to think - rightly or wrongly, I do not know :) - that your pendrive perhaps has some sticky first sector (MBR) and that could be the reason for the problem in formatting it.

Can you upload the screenshot of how it looks in the Windows Disk Management? Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

Though you have said that a lowlevel format was done ( curious to know which program you used for it) and also a regular format was tried with HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool ( Did you run it as administrator? ), try the same process, this time with Bootice Download Bootice 2012.12.12 Free - Modify, backup, restore the MBR and PBR - Softpedia

It is a standalone Windows executable.

Plugin your pendrive. Just (double) click on the Bootice executable to run.

In the GUI, click on the Utilities tab and then Select and Fill.



In the Sector Filling dialog box, choose Physical disk, check and select the correct drive, select Fill with 00 and click on Start Filling.



If filling is successfully done, click on OK and OK in the subsequent dialog boxes. Close the Window to take you to the main GUI.

Open the Physical Disk tab, check the correct destination drive is selected and then on Parts Manage.



In the ensuing Partitions Mnagement Window, click on reformat USB disk.



In the Removable disk repartitioning window, select USB-HDD mode (Single Partition), select the File System, give a Label and then OK.



It should now complete the formatting.



Close Bootice.

I place immense faith on the HP USB Disk Storage Format Utility and if it is not able to format I would say the drive is beyond repair. But here I am not sure whether you ran it as an administrator.

Now the above procedure I had enumerated is purely experimental to check whether it helps.

Good luck.

jumanji said:

Hi Difusal,

I am inclined to think - rightly or wrongly, I do not know :) - that your pendrive perhaps has some sticky first sector (MBR) and that could be the reason for the problem in formatting it.

Can you upload the screenshot of how it looks in the Windows Disk Management? Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

Though you have said that a lowlevel format was done ( curious to know which program you used for it) and also a regular format was tried with HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool ( Did you run it as administrator? ), try the same process, this time with Bootice Download Bootice 2012.12.12 Free - Modify, backup, restore the MBR and PBR - Softpedia

It is a standalone Windows executable.

Plugin your pendrive. Just (double) click on the Bootice executable to run.

In the GUI, click on the Utilities tab and then Select and Fill.



In the Sector Filling dialog box, choose Physical disk, check and select the correct drive, select Fill with 00 and click on Start Filling.



If filling is successfully done, click on OK and OK in the subsequent dialog boxes. Close the Window to take you to the main GUI.

Open the Physical Disk tab, check the correct destination drive is selected and then on Parts Manage.



In the ensuing Partitions Mnagement Window, click on reformat USB disk.



In the Removable disk repartitioning window, select USB-HDD mode (Single Partition), select the File System, give a Label and then OK.



It should now complete the formatting.



Close Bootice.

I place immense faith on the HP USB Disk Storage Format Utility and if it is not able to format I would say the drive is beyond repair. But here I am not sure whether you ran it as an administrator.

Now the above procedure I had enumerated is purely experimental to check whether it helps.

Good luck.

the bootice exe didn't work... I've attached the error in bootioce and the disk mnagement ss

i tried to filling but it show nothing...