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Formatting a USB drive: this is how it works with Windows

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What file system should be used to format a USB memory?
Tutorial: how to format your USB drive

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Formatting a USB drive: this is how it works with Windows

To be able to save files on removable media, such as USB memory sticks, a file system is required . If such a system is not available or the system is damaged, one can be configured manually by formatting the drive. To do this, it must be taken into account, among other things, that the chosen file system must be compatible with the operating system of the computer to which the memory is to be connected. The stick probably already includes a filesystem that you want to replace with another . In this article we show you what file systems you have at your disposal and how to format a USB memory from a Windows computer..

Index
  1. What file system should be used to format a USB memory?
  2. Tutorial: how to format your USB drive

What file system should be used to format a USB memory?

Before getting to work, think about what type of filesystem you want to configure on your external memory. The criteria that most influence the choice of the system are the storage capacity , the size of the files to be saved and the operating system of the device to which the unit is to be connected. Microsoft Windows generally supports the following four formats:

  • FAT16 (File Allocation Table - 16 Bit): The FAT file system has been used in Microsoft operating systems since 1997, but it is also compatible with others, such as macOS or Linux. One of its earliest versions was FAT16, which came into use when floppy disks were still popular. From the Windows versions NT, FAT supports a file size of up to two gigabytes and size of storage media of up to four gigabytes , so it is an appropriate format also sticks small.
  • FAT32 (File Allocation Table? 32 Bit): FAT32 is the next version to FAT16 and differs from it mainly due to its greater capacity: its maximum file size is four gigabytes and, for storage media , 2 terabytes . FAT32 is also compatible with other operating systems, such as macOS and Linux.
  • NTFS ( New Technology File System) : NTFS is another of Microsoft's file systems, added in the first versions of Windows NT as an additional option. NTFS is compatible with any file size and storage medium (the theoretical limitations are not reached in everyday computer use). However, on other operating systems this format is usually partially supported at best (on macOS, for example, NTFS can only be read).
  • exFAT (Extensible File Allocation Table): exFAT is Microsoft's most modern file system and has nothing to envy to NTFS when it comes to storage volume. It is compatible with versions of Windows starting from XP and also with the latest macOS (starting with 10.6.5) and Linux systems. It is especially suited to flash memory , but is not recommended as a file system for internal hard drives.

If you want to format your USB memory so that it works exclusively with Windows devices , the NTFS format is the best choice, since you will not have to worry about the size of the stick or the size of the files you want to save. If, instead, you plan to use memory to transfer data to a Mac computer , it would be best to use one of the two oldest FAT systems (preferably FAT32) to avoid having to depend on an additional program if you want to take advantage of all the functions external drive. Finally, exFAT should only be used when working with devices that have the latest generation of operating systems .

Tutorial: how to format your USB drive

Windows allows you to format a USB drive easily. Doing so, however, erases all the files on the storage media . If the device in question is new, this is not a problem, but if you want to replace the original system of a USB memory in which there are already saved files, you should first make a local copy of these..

Note

If the reason for formatting is a last-ditch attempt to repair a broken USB , you will often have no choice but to go to a professional to save your files.

Once you have decided which file system you want to use and, if necessary, have made a copy of your files, you can start the formatting process by connecting the drive to your computer. Then open Windows File Explorer (by pressing [Windows] + [E] or clicking the icon on the desktop)..

Then, find the corresponding USB memory on the left side of the browser, click on it with the right mouse button and select the option? Format ? (Format):

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Windows will then open the formatting dialog box, the first line of which will show the drive's storage capacity , which naturally cannot be changed. In the second row you can set the file system for the USB, although you can only choose between the FAT16, FAT32, exFAT and NTFS formats, explained previously.

The rubric? Allocation unit size ? (Allocation unit size) allows you to define the size of the clusters of the saved data, but you can leave the size set by default. If you're not sure which setting to choose, just click? Restore defaults ? (Restore device defaults) and Windows will automatically apply the standard settings to the USB stick.

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In the countryside ? Volume label ? (Volume label) you can also assign a new name to the USB stick (or keep the old one). The box? Quick Format? (Quick Format) allows you to decide whether you want Windows to format the USB drive quickly (the files can be recovered using certain tools) or especially exhaustively (recovering the data will then be very difficult or even impossible). If you decide on the second option, uncheck the box. Finally, to start formatting, click? Start ? (Start).

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Once you have clicked "Start", Windows will display the notice of deleting the data stored in memory during formatting. To continue the process anyway, click ? Accept ?

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After this last step, the USB memory format starts.


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