Step 2: To start the formatting process, right-click and select Format.Ī pop-up should appear with formatting options, including changing the default file system of the USB drive. If your flash drive is already plugged in, you should see your USB drive listed. Step 1: Start by launching File Explorer by pressing Windows + E and clicking “This PC”. The most well-known method to format USB drives in Windows is through File Explorer. USB flash drives often become corrupted, meaning that even if the device appears intact, your system will not be able to read and provide access to files.įortunately, Windows makes it incredibly easy to format USB sticks. How to format a flash drive on Windowsīefore formatting USB flash drives, it’s important to understand why it’s required in the first place. Nowadays, this has become relatively easy with the help of file recovery software. So, the good news is you can still recover data lost after a format. However, in a full format, USB drives are ‘zeroed’ and all data is permanently erased without any means to retrieve it. But that’s not always the case if you know what happens when you format a flash drive.Ī quick format deletes the filesystem identifier or link to the data but the files can still be retrieved. MacOS can read and write the HFS+ and APFS file system, and only read NTFS.ĭoes formatting a flash drive erase the data?Īt first glance, it may seem that there is no way to format a USB without deleting everything.Windows can read and write the following file systems: FAT32 and NTFS.To change the default file system, formatting USB flash drives is required.Ī file system simply defines how a device organizes and stores data, and both Windows and macOS support different file systems. These devices run on unique file systems that must be compatible with your OS. A full format, on the other hand, not only erases files but also checks the device for bad sectors, or storage space that is defective or damaged.īut freeing up space is not the only reason to format USB drives.
Let’s understand what happens when you format a flash drive using these two options.Ī quick format simply deletes the files on a USB so they are not visible again upon reuse. If you’re a Windows user, you have two options ― quick format and full format.
On the surface, reformatting thumb drives means erasing all the data it holds, including temporary files, hidden documents, and malware.
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