How can I format USB drive in CMD? How to format USB using CMD to NTFS? Can I format a USB using CMD in Windows 10? Don't worry if you have the same questions in your mind.
Jul 16, 2020 Format a Flash Drive on Mac and Make It Compatible with Windows Computers Connect the USB to your Mac and open Applications Utilities Disk Utility. Select the USB drive you want to format. Then, click the Delete tab and select the MS-DOS (FAT) or exFAT format. Next, click the Delete button to start the formatting process. The USB should now.
MS-DOS FAT or FAT32 – If you regularly share drives between PC and Mac, then this format is perfect for you. Some of the drawbacks of this file system are the 4GB file. See full list on anysoftwaretools.com.
On this page, you'll learn how to format USB using CMD or CMD alternative tool in Windows 10/8/7 successfully. Pick up the suitable USB format tool for help now:
| USB Format Tool | Pros |
|---|---|
| 1. Format USB Using CMD |
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| 2. Format USB Via CMD Alternative |
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- Notice:
- As formatting will remove all saved data on the USB drive, if your USB is accessible, make sure to back up valuable USB data to another secure location in advance.
If you prefer an easy and quick way to format USB or you need to format to Ext 4/3/2, pick up CMD alternative format tool for help.
Let's start to format your USB using CMD or its alternative tool and make the RAW, inaccessible, unreadable, and even corrupted USB flash drive, pen drive, memory stick work normally again.
Part 1. How to Format USB Flash Drive Using CMD (Command Prompt)
Applies to: Format USB to FAT32/NTFS, format RAW USB, repair corrupted USB, etc.
USB flash drive is worldwide used for storing data and transferring files. However, sometimes, USB may corrupt or become inaccessible due to RAW or invalid file system, bad sector, or other errors. Formatting USB using CMD is a quick way to resolve these problems.
The following are two detailed guides, illustrating how to format a USB flash drive using Windows Command Prompt that you should strictly follow.
Steps to Format USB (to NTFS or FAT32) Using CMD
#1. Format USB using CMD in Windows 10:
Step 1. Connect USB to your PC and press Windows + R keys.
Step 2. Type cmd in the Search box and hit Enter to bring up Command Prompt.
Step 3. Type the following command lines one by one and hit Enter each time:
- diskpart
- list disk
- select disk + number (Replace 2 with the number of your USB drive.)
- list volume
- select volume + number (Replace 10 with the volume number of your USB flash drive.)
- format fs=ntfs quick (You can also replace NTFS with FAT32 or exFAT.)
- exit
CMD also works to fix Windows was unable to complete the format error in your computer hard drive, USB, or other storage devices.
#2. Format USB Flash Drive using Command Prompt in Windows 8/7:
Step 1. Plug USB in your computer and click the Windows icon and select 'Search'.
Step 2. Type command prompt in the Search box.
Right-click on Command Prompt and choose 'Run as administrator'.
Step 3. On the Command Prompt window, type diskpart and press 'Enter'.
Step 4 Type list disk and press 'Enter'. Check the disk number of your USB flash drive. For example, disk 2.
Step 5. Now type select disk 2 and press 'Enter'. (If the USB number is not 2, replace it with the right one.)
Step 6. Type format fs=ntfs and press 'Enter'.
If you prefer other file system formats, change the command NTFS to the desired one, such as format fs=fat32.
Step 7. Type exit and hit Enter to close the window.
After this, exit DiskPart and you save data to your USB flash drive again. However, as Linux file system Ext2/3 is not compatible with Windows OS, you can refer to a UBS format tool in Part 2 for help.
Part 2. Format USB Using CMD Alternative in Windows 10/8/7
Applies to: Format corrupted USB, format USB to Ext2, Ext3, format FAT32 USB to NTFS, format USB to FAT32, etc. on all Windows OS.
Although CMD is capable of formatting USB flash drive, it's not user-friendly for most Windows beginners. Also, it requires users to remember all command lines while executing operations in Command Prompt.
Also, any importer operation may cause data loss on other storage devices. Here, we would like to recommend you try third-party CMD alternative software - EaseUS free partition manager.
EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition is a perfect CMD alternative tool for USB formatting. With an easy-to-use interface and precise operation, you can use it to format USB easily in only a few clicks.
Tutorial - 4 Steps to Format USB via CMD Alternative in Windows 10/8/7
All levels of users can apply this tool and format USB to usable again in Windows 10/8/7:
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition on your external hard drive/USB/SD card which you want to format and choose the 'Format' option.
Step 2. Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click 'OK'.
Step 3. In the Warning window, click 'OK' to continue.
Step 4. Click the 'Execute Operation' button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click 'Apply' to start formatting your external hard drive/USB/SD card.
Part 3. Bonus Tips to Fix Errors While Formatting USB Using CMD
According to some USB users, they reported that they encountered some errors while formatting USB in CMD.
Here, we've collected two common errors in formatting USB using CMD, if you get the same errors, don't worry. You can follow the provided solutions to resolve them:
Error 1: Diskpart format fs=ntfs stuck at 0, 10, 11, 12...
If the formatting process gets stuck in DiskPart, as the shown message, don't worry. You have two ways to go:
- #1. Just wait for the formatting process to complete.
- #2. Close CMD, turn to EaseUS Partition Master in Part 2 to format your drive.
Error 2: Diskpart has encountered an error: Access is denied. See the System Event Log for more information.
If you come across this issue, click the link below to get rid of the problem:
Data Recovery is not a challenge anymore. EaseUS serves as a dependable data recovery application to retrieve lost data within simple clicks.
The End Line
Due to its portability, flexibility, large storage size, and reasonable price, USB flash drive is still the No.1 external storage device around the world.
While using USB for data transferring or storage, problems with USB flash drives also increase. Formatting USB flash drive is one of the top issues.
On this page, we included two USB formatting tools to help you format USB using CMD or CMD alternative - EaseUS Partition Master. You may pick up a suitable tool and follow the respective tutorial guide to make your USB flash drive work normally.
For an easy and free formatting resolution, take EaseUS Partition Master as your first choice. It's a perfect CMD alternative tool that can help you anytime.
People Also Ask About Format USB Using CMD
Some of you may have more questions about formatting USB. Here we collected some top concerned questions and listed answers below. If you have the same doubts, check out the answers now.
1. Why do you need to format USB flash drive?
Usually, HDDs and SSDs are widely used for OS installation and data storage and removable storage devices like USB flash drives are more used for data transferring and storage. But the USB flash drive may become inaccessible, and you'll need to format it so as to make it work again.
Here is a list of reasons why do you and other USB users need to format the flash drive:
- 1. RAW, invalid, or unrecognized USB file system
- 2. USB flash drive corruption
- 3. Virus infection
- 3. USB is write-protected
- 3. Change USB file system to NTFS, FAT32, or Ext 2/3/4 by formatting
2. How to format bootable USB using cmd？
The process of formatting a bootable USB flash drive is almost the same as the process shown on this page. You can apply CMD to format it with the listed steps here:
- Step 1. Connect the bootable USB drive to your PC.
- Step 2. Open Command Prompt.
- Step 3. Type diskpart and hit Enter.
- Step 4. Type list disk and hit Enter.
- Step 5.Type select disk + number and hit Enter. (Replace 2 with the number of your USB drive.)
- Step 6. Type list volume and hit Enter.
- Step 7. select volume + number and hit Enter. (Replace 10 with the volume number of your USB flash drive.)
- Step 8. Type format fs=ntfs quick and hit Enter. (You can also replace NTFS with FAT32 or exFAT.)
- Step 9. Type exit and hit Enter.
3. How to format write-protected USB using cmd?
Here are the steps that you can follow to format a write-protected (read-only) USB using the command lines below:
- Step 1. Press 'Win + R', type cmd to open 'Command Prompt'.
- Step 2. Type diskpart and hit Enter.
- Step 3. Type list disk and hit Enter.
- Step 4. Type select disk 2 and hit Enter. (Replace 2 with the write-protected device number) and hit Enter.
- Step 5. Type attributes disk clear readonly and hit Enter.
- Step 6. Type exit to close the diskpart window.
Once the write protection removing process completes, you can format the USB drive again. You can either apply EaseUS Partition Master, Windows File Explorer, or even the CMD command as shown in Part 2 to format the USB drive.
4. Windows was unable to complete the format, how to fix it?
When you use File Explorer to format the USB flash drive, it warns you that 'Windows was unable to complete the format', don't worry. Here are 7 ways that you can try to fix this error:
- #1. Use EaseUS Partition Master
- #2. Use Diskpart Command
- #3. Use Disk Management
- #4. Clear Virus and Complete the Format
- #5. Remove Write Protection and Complete the Format
- #6. Fix Disk Errors and Complete the Format
- #7. Repair Bad Sectors and Complete the Format
Note that you can try the above two tutorials to format your USB flash drive and resolve this issue. You can also follow this link to get rid of the Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format error immediately.
Summary :
When you get a new USB drive and want to format it, you may wonder: what is the best format for USB drive? Well, the best format for USB drive is different for different operating systems and devices. This article will show you how to choose the best format for USB flash drive.
Quick Navigation :
Nowadays, USB flash drive is widely used on various electronic devices due to its portability. Before you use a new USB drive, you need to first format it. Well, what is the best format for USB drive? How to choose the best format for USB drive?
Before you try to choose the best format for your USB drive, you need to know what file system it is in.
What Is File System?
What is file system?
In computing, a file system or filesystem controls how data is stored and retrieved. With a file system, the information placed in a storage medium will be separated into pieces and each piece will have a name, so the information is easily isolated and identified this way. Each group of data is called a file.
File system is the structure and logic rules used to manage groups of information.
File systems can be used on a numerous variety of storage devices and media types. There are many different types of file systems; each of them has different storage devices that they are the most suitable for.
What is the best format for USB drive? Well, it depends on how you plan to use your USB drive.
How to Choose the Best Format for USB drive
Basically, to choose the best format for USB flash drive. The two most important things you need to consider are the operating systems you plan to use it with and the sizes of the files that you are most likely to transfer and store.
The following contents list some commonly used file systems. To better understand which one is the best file system for USB drive according to your needs, you can view the compatibility, pros and cons of these file systems one by one.
When you get a new USB drive, you can follow this guide to choose the best thumb drive file system for your portable drive.
NTFS vs HFS+ vs FAT32 vs exFAT vs Ext 2,3,4
1. NTFS: The New Technology File System (NTFS), a proprietary journaling file system developed by Microsoft, is the default file system of the Windows NT family.
- Compatibility: Windows XP/7/8/10, Linux (read-only for some distributions), MacOS(read-only), Xbox One
- Pros: journaling, no realistic file size limitations; support for file compression, high security
- Cons: can be read-only for Mac OS, or be written by Mac with the help of third-party software
2. HFS+: The Hierarchical File System (HFS+) is the file system modern MacOS versions use by default. If you want to use your USB drive on Mac devices, you can format USB to HFS+.
- Compatibility: MacOS, Linux(readonly), Xbox 360/One
- Pros: journaling, encrypt or compress files or folders
- Cons: cannot be read by the Window unless using third-party software
3. FAT32: The File Allocation Table 32 (FAT32) was the standard Windows file system before NTFS. And it is widely recognized by almost all operating systems. Most portable devices also support FAT32.
- Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, Chrome OS, Android, Xbox 360/One, PS3, PS4, printers, projectors…
- Pros: compatible with almost all versions of Windows, Mac, Linux and practically any device with a USB port
- Cons: cannot store a single file which is larger than 4GB; cannot create a FAT32 partition that is larger than 8 TB (Windows only recognizes 2TB)
4. exFAT: The extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) is similar to FAT32, but does not have the limits of FAT32 file system. It can be used where NTFS is not a feasible solution, but a greater file-size limit than the standard FAT32 file system is required.
- Compatibility: Windows, Mac OSX 10.6.5 and above, PlayStation 4 (with MBR, not GUID), Xbox One, Android
- Pros: good for larger file sizes and drives, compatible with both Windows and Mac OS
- Cons: Microsoft restricts its usage by license obligations.
5. Ext 2/3/4: The extended file system (Ext) was the first file system created specifically for Linux. If you plan to use the USB drive on Linux computers, you can format it to this file system.
- Compatibility: Linux, Xbox 360/One
- Pros: support for large file sizes and large drives
- Cons: cannot be read and written by Windows unless with third-party software, Ext 2 lacks journaling.
After the comparison, have you picked your best format for USB drive?
All in all, FAT32 is actually compatible for the most types of systems. It’s practically compatible with any device with a USB port, while NTFS and exFAT are not so much. HFS+ is specially used on MacOS, and Ext 2, 3, 4 file systems are created by Linux.
FAT32 - The Best Format for USB Drive
As you can see from above, FAT32 is supported on almost all devices, which makes it the choice of file system format selected by the most people for USB drive.
As long as you don't use it to transfer a single file larger than 4 GB, FAT32 is perfect and can be the best portable file system for USB drive due to its compatibility.
So we draw the conclusion that although FAT32 has its limits, it’s the best file system to use for most portable drives like USB drive, SD card, etc. Besides, most USB drives have small capacity because they are hardly ever used as the main data storage. Therefore, they will not be used to store large files. The limit will not affect you too much.
How to Format USB Drive in Windows or Mac
After choosing the best format for USB drive according to your needs, you might start to wonder: how do I format USB drive to NTFS/FAT32/exFAT/EXT 2,3,4/HFS+ in Windows operating system or Mac? Well, don't worry. if you need to format USB drive to NTFS/FAT32/exFAT/EXT 2,3,4/HFS+ file system, please follow the steps as below.
Well then, how to format USB drive to FAT32/NTFS/exFAT/EXT 2,3,4/HFS+ if you have the need. Don't worry, the following part will show you the solution for Windows and Mac OS users.
The process for formatting a drive is different depending on the system you’re using. Let’s see how to format USB drive on a Windows PC first.
Format USB drive on Windows Operating System
To format USB drive in Windows operating system, it is recommended to use the free USB formatter MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition.
MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition is a free partition manager & USB formatter. It can help you resize partition, extend partition, format partition, convert FAT32 to NTFS, check file system, copy partition, migrate OS to HD/SSD and so on. As a free partition manager, it is equipped with many advanced features that cannot be found in Disk Management.
With its user-friendly interface, this free partition manager is worth trying.
First, you need to connect the USB drive to your Windows PC. Then you can follow the steps as below to format USB drive for Mac and Windows on a Windows PC.
Formatting Flash Drive On Mac
Step 1. Download MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition by clicking the following button. Install and launch it to get its main interface.
Step 2. Right-click the drive you want to format and select Format Partition from the left action panel.
Step 3. At this page, specify the partition label, file system as well as cluster size. The cluster size is set by default.
Step 4. After resetting these parameters, you can click OK.
Step 5. Click Apply button on the upper left corner to allow the pending operations.
If you need to format USB drive to FAT32/NTFS/exFAT/Ext2/Ext3/Ext4, MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition can be your best USB formatter. You can also change your USB format with this tool at ease. Try it now!
Format USB Drive in Mac
If you want to use the USB drive on your Mac computer only, formatting it to be entirely Mac compatible file system is highly recommended, such as HFS+ file system. If you want to use the drive between a Windows and Mac machine, you can format it to FAT32.
You can follow the steps as below to format USB drive to HFS+ or FAT32 in Mac. Here I will format the drive to FAT32 for demonstration.
Step 1. Connect the USB flash drive to your Mac computer.
Step 2. Go to Applications and then click Utilities.
Step 3, Double click Disk Utility to open it.
Step 4. Select your USB flash drive on the sidebar, choose Erase.
Step 5. Name the USB drive, choose the MS-DOS (FAT) for Format, Master Boot Record for Scheme. Then click Erase.
Step 6. When it is finished, your USB drive will be formatted to FAT32 as the file system.
Wrapping Things Up
If you don't know how to choose the best format for USB drive, this article could be a big help. If you don't know how to format USB drive to the best file system, this article can also resolve this issue for you.
Using Flash Drive On Mac
If you have a different opinion about the best format for USB drive, please don't hesitate to share it with us. If you need any help formatting USB drive in Windows, you may leave it in the following comment zone. And we will reply you as soon as possible. You may also contact us via [email protected] if you need help.