Question

USB stick cannot be formatted - what to do?

Answer 1

Physical lock
Software bug
1st step:
2nd step:
3rd step:
Format disk with command prompt
1st step:
2nd step:
3rd step:
4th step:
5th step:
6th step:
7th step:
If nothing works: data recovery & disposal
Quick guide: software error
Quick Start Guide: Command Prompt

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Your USB stick cannot be formatted? We'll show you what you can do with Windows 10..

There could be several reasons why your USB stick won't format properly in Windows 10. In many cases, however, the disk can be repaired quickly so that the formatting will work again afterwards. In the following, we present common causes for the problem and the appropriate solutions.

• Physical lock
• Software bug
• Format disk with command prompt
• When nothing works

Physical lock

Like many SD cards, some USB sticks now also have a lock switch . In most cases this is a small slider on the USB stick. If this is set to " LOCK ", the USB stick is write-protected. You can often view the data, but not edit it. Editing also includes deletion. So check whether your stick has such a controller and unlock it if necessary. So you can edit the content again.

Software bug

A problem with a software component of the stick can also lead to the stick no longer being formatted. Windows has a built-in function that allows you to repair hardware components such as external hard drives and USB sticks. In the following we will show you how to check your stick. Windows will repair any errors it finds automatically after checking. Follow our step-by-step instructions or take a look at the brief instructions ..

1st step:

Go to Windows Explorer . Then select " This PC ". Right click on the USB stick. It does not matter whether you select it in the overview or in the list on the left. Select " Properties ".

2nd step:

A new window is opening up. Now select the " Tools " tab here . In the " Error checking " area, click " Check ". You may have to enter your administrator data now. Usually these correspond to your login data for the computer.

3rd step:

Your stick will now be scanned. Windows automatically repairs errors it finds. When the process is complete, you should be able to use and format your pen drive without any problems .

Format disk with command prompt

With the command prompt of Windows, you can fix most problems. In the shell you can enter countless commands , including to format seemingly unusable USB sticks. In most cases this method is extremely effective. We explain here how to format your USB stick with the command prompt. Follow our step-by-step instructions or take a look at the brief instructions .

1st step:

Press the [Windows] + [R] keys and enter cmd in the new window . Then hold down [Ctrl] + [Shift] and press [Enter] . So start the command prompt as an administrator .

2nd step:

Now enter the diskpart command to start Disk Management .

3rd step:

The list disk command lists all disks.

4th step:

Now see which data carrier the USB stick is. Typically, disk 0 is the hard drive on which Windows is installed. You should n't touch them . In our example, the USB stick is disk 2. Enter the command select disk x , where the x stands for the respective disk.

5th step:

After the USB stick has been selected, you can format it with the clean command .

6th step:

Then enter create partition primary to create a new partition that covers the entire drive.

7th step:

Exit the Diskpart program with the exit command .

If nothing works: data recovery & disposal

If the formatting does not work in either of the two ways listed , the problem is more serious. The USB stick may be physically damaged and can therefore no longer be used correctly. If the files on the stick are very important, you can give the data carrier to a company that can rescue as much data as possible . If the USB stick is actually physically damaged, you may have to dispose of it . There are also some facilities for this that dispose of your electrical devices properly. So you don't have to worry about the security of any data that may still be stored on the stick..

Quick guide: software error

1. Open Windows Explorer and click on " This PC ".
2. Go with the right mouse button on your USB storage device and select " Properties " from.
3. Open the " Tools " tab and click " Check ". You may now have to enter your administrator data . Your stick will now be repaired. You should then be able to format it as easily as possible.

Quick Start Guide: Command Prompt

1. Press [Windows] + [R] and enter cmd . Now hold [Ctrl] + [Shift] and press [Enter] to start the command prompt as administrator .
2. Now enter diskpart .
3. With list disk you list all disks.
4. Now enter select disk x , where x stands for the respective disk. Usually, disk 0 is the hard drive on which Windows is installed and should not be touched . In our example, the USB stick is data carrier 2 .
5. You can now format the USB stick with clean .
6. The create partition primary command creates a new partition.
7. With exit you leave the DiskPart program.

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