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Why is it impossible to complete formatting a flash drive? Windows cannot complete formatting the flash drive. What to do? Using special utilities

Usage computer equipment virtually impossible without removable storage media - external HD, USB flash, MicroSD and SD. If you have problems opening a disk on a PC, writing and reading files recorded on it, one of the means of restoring the operation of the media is formatting. Many users probably had to perform this operation repeatedly. In most cases, it completes without problems, but there are situations when it displays the error message “Windows cannot complete formatting.” Why doesn't the operation complete? How to format a flash drive, external HD or other storage media?

The problem in 96% of cases is the absence of a file system (structure) on the disk. The file system can be destroyed by:

physically damaged data areas;
viruses;
incorrect file deletion;
lack of basic measures to clean the disk from “garbage”, etc.

To restore the file system, formatting is used. The procedure is based on the analysis of the physical location for recording data. The integrity of the disk surface is assessed, damaged sectors (broken areas) are marked in a certain way, and the amount of space suitable for recording is allocated in a new way.

Important! When purchasing a new removable drive, the first thing that is recommended to do is to format it using Windows or third-party programs.

Marking storage space using standard Windows tools

The fastest and easiest way to solve the problem with incomplete formatting is to use the OS Disk Management capabilities. You need to do the following:

press the button with the Windows logo and “R” on the keyboard at the same time;

in a new window, in the free field, type “diskmgmt.msc” in English letters;
Allow the application to make changes on the PC by clicking “Yes”;
in the window that appears, select a removable disk;

select it by clicking with the left mouse. Make sure it is selected required disk, shading on the object at the bottom of the window will help. This is how the control console indicates the elements with which work will be carried out;
click anywhere in the shaded area with the right mouse;
select “Format”;

install the FAT32 file system and uncheck the box next to “Fast...”.

You can call the command console in other ways. You need to go to the “Control Panel”, then go to “Administration”, here click on “Computer Management” and in the window that appears, select “Disk Management”.

The second way to open the Shell is to select the search bar (magnifying glass icon) from the toolbar. In the free field you need to type diskmgmt.msc on the English keyboard layout and press the enter button.

Important! The formatting procedure through Disk Management can only be performed if the volume is healthy. You can find out whether it is such in the top menu of the management console. If “Good” is indicated next to the carrier, then the procedure will be completed without a hitch. Otherwise, after right-clicking, select “Delete Volume” from the list, and after completing the procedure, “Create...”.

Instructions for using DISKPART

If using standard Windows ways formatting, the procedure is still cannot complete, Then you can try using the special DISKPART program. It does not need to be installed on your PC. It is available via the command line. You should do the following:

connect a removable storage device to the PC;
Find the magnifying glass icon in the Start bar and click;
in the empty line that appears, write “cmd” and Enter on the English keyboard layout;

In the command line, write DISKPART and press Enter;

In a new window, enter list disk and press Enter;

find removable media in the list (by size using Disk 1 as an example);
on a new line at English language type select disk 1 (this is an example, yours may be different) and Enter;

type clean and press enter;

type separated by a space in English create partition primary and select Enter;
then write select partition 1 and press Enter;
in the line that appears, type active and press the enter key;
write in an empty line format fs=NTFS (full formatting) or format fs=NTFS QUICK (quick formatting);
enter a function.

Important! The process may take some time. You need to wait until it finishes without removing the device from the USB connector.

Third-party programs for formatting removable media

Convinced of insolvency simple ways, you can try more complex ones - formatting using third party programs. They need to be downloaded from the Internet and installed on HDD PC. The simplest utilities with a straightforward interface are:

JetFlash Recovery Tool. It will help if Windows has detected failures or does not read or format the media (the interface is English, but intuitive);

D-Soft Flash Doctor(Russian-language utility). The main advantage is ease of use. Minimum functions, friendly interface and very fast installation;

USB DiskStorage FormatTool(English version of the program). A multifunctional product with an intuitive interface, it may seem complicated to beginners;

EzRecover(only low level formatting). The software is designed to restore the functionality (if it is not readable or recognized by the computer) of USB drives. English interface;

HDDLow Level FormatTool(low-level formatting only) The software product works with all types of memory, including hard drive. A Russian version is available for download.

There are other programs, but these types of software are considered the most popular and have already been repeatedly tested by Russian users. After downloading the program and installing it, it is recommended to restart your computer. Only then begin the procedure.

Performing actions with removable media may not be possible and not due to failures in the disk file system. A fairly large percentage of drives have write protection. It is this that prohibits space cleaning, overwriting and other operations. Therefore, before marking the storage space for documents and files, it is worth trying to remove write protection using OS tools. This can be done through the command line or by checking the media for a physical switch. After making sure that there is no protection, you can begin the marking process. Let us remind you again: before performing the procedure, you should transfer all data to the hard drive of your PC.

Nothing lasts forever - this rule applies not only to a computer or laptop, but also to any other devices, such as USB drives, which over time begin to fail and work completely incorrectly. In such a situation, it is enough to format it, but if you are reading these lines now, then this can only mean one thing - your flash drive is not formatted and you do not know what to do in such a situation.

I hasten to inform you that it is too early to throw her out with a hopeless face; it is possible and quite possible to correct the problem. Of course, this is not always possible, but you can still try. Now I will tell you about several ways. I want to say right away that the most interesting thing is at the end of the article, so I recommend reading to the end. It will be interesting…

First of all, decide for yourself whether the information stored on the flash drive is extremely important for you, because below I will describe utilities that can restore your files in whole or in part, depending on your luck (depending on the severity of the problem). There are other programs that are much faster to use, but they will completely destroy all data that was recorded on USB drive. So decide on this, but for the future here is some good advice for you - never store important information on one disk drive. This applies not only to flash drives, but also hard drives, regular DVDs, etc.

Nowadays there are a variety of services on the Internet that allow you to store any files for free. These also include file hosting services, but there are also services in which trust increases from the first word - for example Google. It provides its users free service, which is called Google Documents.

You can also use Yandex. Disk - ohm. I have been using this service to exchange information for about a year now and, in principle, I am completely satisfied with it. If you haven't registered yet, do so now. Link . If you have any difficulties using this resource, write in the comments, I will write instructions.

This was a short digression, now let's get down to business.

Restoring the flash drive

Many who have encountered a problem when a flash drive cannot be formatted are wondering, what will happen to my data on the flash drive? Therefore, it is worth talking about this. The information below will also be useful for users who cannot format their flash drive.

As I said above, first we’ll talk about how to format a flash drive and save at least some of the files that were recorded there. The simplest and most banal way does not involve downloading additional programs and in most cases very effective. Through the "Start" menu, go to "Control Panel", then - "System and Security" - "Administration" - "Computer Management" - "Disk Management".

Now we are looking for the letter that identifies our flash drive in the computer.

You can also go to the Computer and look there.

Let's start checking the flash drive for errors. Go to “Start” - “Run”, enter cmd and press "Enter". Or use the hot keys “Win” + “R”.

In the window that opens, you need to enter the command, indicate which storage medium you want to check and specify the parameters.

This is what the complete command looks like when you enter it: chkdsk G: /f /r

Once you have entered it, press Enter. After which you will have to wait a little. If the utility takes a long time to think, then you should not close it, wait until it finishes checking.

In the screenshot above, see what it will look like for you.

If you are very lucky, the utility will correct errors in the flash drive and thereby the system will recognize the flash drive and then you will be able to copy precious data to your hard drive or other storage medium. Next, I recommend formatting the flash drive, after which you can use it again. But luck may turn away from you - then we cannot do without the help of third-party software and dancing with a small tambourine.

Explain in detail how to use each software I won’t, since the article will stretch to 30-40 pages, and maybe more. I will give examples and tell you their main functions.

Data Recovery Software

The most common and high-quality data recovery utility, in my opinion, is EasyRecovery. The program also has the ability to test potential hardware problems, analyze file structure and much more.

You should not exclude the possibility of data recovery even if you have formatted the flash drive. Let's say some programs are built on the principle: format, and only then try to restore the data. If you find such a program, it is better to save it for last.

By the way, for skeptics, there is an article on the blog with a video where you can clearly see how I did data recovery when I formatted the flash drive: "".

There are, of course, many others software products for restoration, but I won’t stop here. Yes, if you need to format or restore data, try different programs anyway. If one doesn’t help, then the other should help – that’s exactly what you should think about. Otherwise, it’s easier to throw it away, because it may take a lot of time to restore or format.

Formatting a flash drive

Now there is another way out of the situation - completely formatting the flash drive, in which case there is a possibility of saving it, but at the cost of destroying the files.

To begin with, I can recommend you the program HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. You can download the program. After starting the program, select in Device - your flash drive. If there is a serious problem with the flash drive, then it may not be there. In this situation, go to another program, because this one will no longer help you.

Next, select the File system: NTFS or FAT32. In Format options, first check the “Quick Format” box and try to format the flash drive by clicking “Start”. If any error appears, try unchecking the “Quick Format” checkbox and repeat pressing the “Start” button.

Program EzRecover. The program will be useful when your flash drive not only cannot be formatted and it is not clear what to do, but even worse - it is also displayed incorrectly in “My Computer”, or the system tells you that its total memory capacity is less than a megabyte, which in XXI century, even theoretically it cannot be. This program is intuitive, you can definitely handle it.

I can also offer JetFlash Recovery Tool as a backup option. It will completely format your drive, put it in order, “patch it up,” so to speak, but erase all the information.

There are actually a lot of such programs! You have to look for their names on the Internet.

Deeper analysis and solution to the problem

I left the most difficult, but also the most interesting for last. We will need a site that has a lot of information on various problems related to flash drives. Link .

Now go to the menu on the right to the page “ Detect VID&PID".

Now download any program to find out the VID and PID of your flash drive. In this way you will recognize the manufacturer and identify the controller. Above I looked at programs that are suitable for different flash drive manufacturers, but now you will look for a program that works exactly with your flash drive.

All these programs work the same way, when you download the program, connect the USB flash drive to your computer and run the program. In it you should find information about VID and PID. If the program could not show this data, then try downloading another one. For example, you can try ChipGenius.

Let's look at an example of how one such program works. So, I downloaded the program, launch it, and click “Get information about the flash drive” at the top.

After which information regarding this flash drive will appear. I specifically highlighted the data in the screenshot below so that you pay attention to them or remember them, since we will need them now.

Now we need to find out what program works with this flash drive. To do this, go to the site I mentioned above and click “iFlash”.

Enter VID and PID, then click “Search”.

I want to say right away that there is small, but not pleasant news. These programs can make mistakes, that is, the data that you now see may not all be correct. Sometimes, in order to recognize the controller, you need to disassemble it and look very carefully for the presence of different inscriptions. But you do this as a last resort, if nothing works out.

Got a little distracted. Now we will decide what program you need. Having found out the data about the flash drive, now look in the list which program is suitable for working with the flash drive. Use the search, as a manual search may take more than one minute.

If the program is not in the list (last column), then you will have to search on the Internet. Also, flash drive manufacturers have programs for working with flash drives, in short, the search will help you 😉.
After downloading, run the program. As you understand, I won’t go on to tell you how to use it with 1000’s of programs. Basic principle: insert a USB flash drive (sometimes you need to install a driver - you will be asked when opening or installing the program). The program should find your flash drive, and then you do everything on an intuitive level. If it doesn’t work, then go to the site where you downloaded it and through the search try to find an article (instructions) on how to use it. Also try searching on Google or Yandex.

Important! After all operations, you need to remove the utility (if it was installed on the computer) with the driver. If you leave it, then in the future there may be a problem with identifying other USB devices.

If you dropped or hit a flash drive

Very often, by accident, any user drops flash drives and sometimes due to the fall, the flash drive may stop working. If there were any falls and you remembered them, then you can disassemble the flash drive and visually look for the presence of disconnected or fallen off parts. I've already had problems with flash drives twice when the contacts were sealed off.

By the way, such a problem was on one of my flash drives, no programs helped bring it to life. To disassemble the flash drive, you will need a knife or flat-head screwdriver. For more expensive flash drives that are made of iron, you will need a shaped screwdriver. There are no specific instructions on how to disassemble them, because they are all different. There are flash drives that cannot be disassembled; you have to completely break the plastic, although this is not strange, because the prices for flash drives are not too high compared to 2-3 years ago. But this is rare; usually this procedure goes well.

Some users will immediately start looking for a soldering iron or dragging a needle with pliers in order to connect the soldered contact, but first you can check whether this problem is actually the main reason why the flash drive does not work. First, connect the soldered contact, insert the flash drive into the USB connector and see if it works. If the flash drive is identified, then you need to run for a soldering iron 😉 . If it doesn’t work, we return to the very top of the article and start reading again, because the programs could not work with flash media due to poor contact, and now this nuance has been corrected.

That's basically all. What to do is up to you to decide. I wish you good luck with all the drives and the data on them. May nothing ever be deleted or lost from you!

Have you encountered a message that Windows cannot format? As a rule, the problem is solvable in most cases and, most likely, in this article you can find the answer to fix it.

Below we will look at several methods to resolve formatting problems. Start with the very first method and move on. As a result, you will be able to solve the problem.

Method 1: using standard OS tools

1. Call window "Run" , using the combination Win+R . In the window that opens, enter the command "diskmgmt.msc" (without quotes).

2. A window will appear where you can manage disks. In the list of disks, find the problematic flash drive and left-click on it once. It will turn around a little lower graphic display flash drives. Right-click on it and go to "Format" (if the status of the flash drive is “Good”) or item "Create section" (if the status of the flash drive is “Not distributed”).

Method 2: Format using the command line

1. Start your PC in safe mode(to do this, send it to reboot and at the moment the download starts, press the key several times F8). In the window that appears, go to the “Safe Mode” menu.

2. Open Start (for Windows 7) or press the Win+Q key combination (for Windows 8) and search bar enter "cmd" (without quotes). Right-click on the result found and go to "Run as administrator" .

3. In the window that appears, you will need to enter the following type of command:

format x

Where x is your circuit drive letter.

Method 3: Using a third-party utility

Almost every flash drive manufacturer that respects itself and its users has in its arsenal a special utility that will help return a branded flash drive to its full functionality. Below is a list of major manufacturers with links to utilities.

If the manufacturer of your flash drive is not on the list, then you can try the D-Soft Flash Doctor utility, which is not tied to the manufacturer. Unfortunately, today the official website of the developer is not working, so we do not provide download links in the article.

The easiest way to transfer information from one computer to another is to use a memory card. But at the same time, you need to know how to format a flash drive if it is not formatted.

File system types

When formatting a flash drive, it creates file system. With its help, the user will have future access to the data stored on the media. In other words, during this process the storage medium is marked.

Windows works with two file systems - FAT and NTFS (find out which one is used when creating bootable flash drive, can be found in the article “”). The main disadvantage of FAT is that it will not allow you to copy a file larger than 4 GB to a flash drive. Also, the system does not provide a full-fledged opportunity to differentiate access rights to information (files and folders).

NTFS is a modern file system that was developed relatively recently, so you will not encounter such problems when using it. But older versions of Microsoft's OS do not support it.

Good to know! Because FAT is supported by all builds of Windows, digital media is sold formatted in this file system.

Formatting a digital storage medium is used to change the file system and to correct some problems that arise during the operation of a flash drive.

Important! Formatting will delete the data stored on the memory card. Therefore, before starting the process, copy all the necessary files.

Fixing the error using built-in Windows tools

Sometimes it is impossible to format a flash drive. In this case, try to correct the situation without purchasing new card memory.

Good to know! Some memory cards are equipped with special mechanical write protection measures. Make sure they are not active before formatting.

In Disk Management utility

If the Windows process is interfering

Sometimes the OS process interferes with formatting a flash drive. In this case, start your PC in → Command line(Administrator) → enter the command: format i:(i is the drive letter).

On the command line

Using special programs

If you couldn’t format the flash drive using standard Windows tools, use special programs.

The D-Soft Flash Doctor utility allows you to format, repair a flash drive, and create an image of it for subsequent recording to another removable storage medium. The program interface is clear and simple, so every user can understand it.

The HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool was developed by Hewlett Packard, so rest assured that it is reliable. The utility is free and provides a lot of functionality for working with a flash drive:

forced media formatting;
eliminating or restoring faulty vectors;
creating a bootable flash drive.

Conclusion

If the flash drive is not formatted, try using it to fix regular means Windows or special third-party programs. They will help you format or restore bad sectors of removable media.

U standard means formatting Windows there is one very common problem - when trying to format external drive, flash drive or SD card, the user encounters the following error: Windows can't complete formatting. Why might this happen?

This situation happens on all versions of the operating system - Windows 7, Windows 8 and even Windows 10. You will learn what to do and how to solve this problem in just a few clicks in this instruction.

Why Windows Can't Complete Disk Formatting

The reason is that The flash drive cannot complete formatting most often it is a file system format that the operating system does not understand Windows system. If you are unable to format a flash drive, it may have previously been used on a computer with a different operating system (Linux or ) and its file system has been changed.

In the situation described above, you will still see a connected flash drive on a computer running a Microsoft operating system, but when you try to use it, you will receive a message stating that Windows can't complete formatting in a standard way.

How to successfully format a flash drive

There are several ways to fix the error described above and get a formatted flash drive as a result; we will tell you about the simplest one, which helps in 99% of cases.

1. Open the Run dialog box

First, open the system Run dialog box by pressing the following keyboard shortcut.

2. Open Disk Management

In the Run dialog box that opens, enter the command that opens the management utility Windows disks. To do this, type in the input field

and click "OK".

3. Clean the drive you are formatting

At the bottom of the Disk Management utility that opened as a result of the previous steps, find the disk or flash drive that you cannot format. You can identify it by its size and the caption “Removable device”. In our case, this is a 32 gigabyte flash drive.

After identifying the disk that needs to be formatted, delete all existing partitions (if any) from it, as shown in the picture below. To do this, select the section and in context menu click item "Delete volume".

Confirm the action in the pop-up window. All information from the disk will be deleted.

As a result of your actions, all disk memory should have a label "Not distributed".

4. Create a new volume

The last point of our instructions will be to create a new, formatted volume on the disk. To do this, right-click on the area labeled “Not distributed” on your flash drive and select the item in the context menu that opens. "Create new volume".

As a result, the "Simple Volume Creation Wizard" window will open. Just follow his instructions by clicking "Further" and without changing any parameters suggested by it, if you are not sure that you need it.

After going through the volume creation process and its successful completion, you will receive a fully formatted flash drive, memory card or external drive, ready for use in operating system Windows.