Step 1: Plug in your USB flash drive
Before formatting your USB flash drive, make sure it’s plugged into your computer. Once you’ve done that, open the command prompt by typing “cmd” in the search bar and selecting “Command Prompt” from the search results.
Step 2: Identify the drive letter of your USB flash drive
In the command prompt window, type “diskpart” and press Enter. Next, type “list disk” to see a list of all the storage devices connected to your computer. Identify the disk number of your USB flash drive and remember it.
Step 3: Select your USB flash drive
Type “select disk X” (replace X with the disk number of your USB flash drive) and press Enter. This will select your USB flash drive as the disk that you want to work on.
Step 4: Clean the USB flash drive
Type “clean” and press Enter. This will remove all partitions and data from your USB flash drive.
Step 5: Create a new partition on the USB flash drive
Type “create partition primary” and press Enter. This will create a new partition on your USB flash drive.
Step 6: Format the USB flash drive
Type “format fs=fat32 quick” and press Enter. This will format your USB flash drive in the FAT32 file system. If you want to format it in a different file system, replace “fat32” with the file system of your choice.
Step 7: Assign a drive letter to the USB flash drive
Type “assign letter=X” (replace X with the drive letter of your choice) and press Enter. This will assign a drive letter to your USB flash drive, making it visible in File Explorer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Can I format my USB flash drive using File Explorer?
A: Yes, you can. Right-click on your USB flash drive in File Explorer and select “Format”. However, using the command prompt is faster and more efficient. - Q: Will formatting my USB flash drive erase all data on it?
A: Yes, formatting your USB flash drive will erase all data on it. Make sure to back up any important files before formatting. - Q: Can I format my USB flash drive in NTFS file system?
A: Yes, you can. Replace “fat32” with “ntfs” in step 6 to format your USB flash drive in the NTFS file system.
That’s it! You’ve successfully formatted your USB flash drive via command prompt in Windows 10. Remember to safely eject your USB flash drive before removing it from your computer.