Currently, one of the most common and universal storage media is a flash drive. Users know how to fill their USB drive with the necessary information, but are at a loss if the device is infected with viruses or if a question arises regarding changing the file system format. Therefore, we will devote today’s article to such an important concept as formatting.

Let's look at what programs exist today for formatting flash drives and how to use them. When formatting a USB drive, most users resort to using standard means Windows. To do this, just insert the flash drive into the port and right-click on it, then select “Format” and determine the format of the required file system.

However, please note that using the tools built into the operating system, it is not always possible to search for bad sectors, set volume labels and resize clusters. Therefore, advanced users download special programs to format your flash drives.

The name of the program	Short description
JetFlash Online Recovery	Universal program, ideal for Transcend and ADATA models. This utility will be useful in cases where your USB drive constantly produces failures and errors and does not allow information to be read. The process of the program is to scan and search for non-working memory blocks. Formatting is possible for two file systems- FAT, NTFS. There is also automatic error correction with saving data without deleting all documents from the flash drive.
HP Drive Key Boot Utility	This program is one of the most powerful programs designed to format damaged flash drives. One of its advantages is that it is designed to work with hundreds of models of USB drives. The user will have the opportunity to select a file system: FAT, NTFS or FAT32. You can also create a bootable DOS flash drive, which not many formatting programs can boast of.
USB Disk Storage Format Tool	A simple and easy-to-use utility is compatible with flash drives of different brands. It supports FAT, FAT32, exFAT and NTFS file systems. The program scans and corrects errors, sets labels for volumes, and also performs low-level formatting at high speed. Unlike other formatters, it can create bootable USB flash drive for Windows.
HDD Low Level Format Tool	Perhaps this is one of the most universal programs, capable of formatting both flash drives of different models and hard disks, memory cards. The utility is different high speed works and does not require installation. If you want to “bring back” your flash drive to life, then try this program!
MiniTool Partition Wizard	One of the simplest managers that allows you to format partitions and erase clusters. TO additional features include: splitting and hiding some sections, copying, resizing and assigning letters. Compatible with tables MBR partitions and GPT. Supports NTFS, FAT, EXT, as well as Linux Swap.
Aomei Partition Assistant	This utility can be called a large free “combine” that combines a huge number of functions and capabilities for working with hard drives and USB media. The program is compatible with all popular Windows operating systems and supports the Russian language. According to the developers, the utility works using a unique algorithm, which allows it to recognize even “very problematic” media.
MyDiskFix	Using this utility, you can restore the real size of “fake” Chinese flash drives, which are often sold with an inflated amount of memory.

Choose a program that matches your request and the parameters of the USB drive. Carefully and carefully approach the issue of choosing a utility for formatting a flash drive, and then the process of erasing data will not take you more than five minutes!

Introducing programs for reliable formatting of flash drives

In this article we will look at the following question: which program to choose for formatting flash drives. Nowadays, flash drives of various types are used everywhere.

ATTENTION! We highly recommend reading the note about cleaning laptops. This is one of the main problems of beech trees breaking as a result of overheating! If all the heated air does not escape from the beech, do you think the internal parts could burn out from the elevated temperature? Of course yes, that is why this issue needs to be known very well.

Let's get down to business...

Introduction

In terms of convenience and speed of operation (in moving information), you cannot find a device better than a flash drive. But like any device, a flash drive can fail, that is, break. Their breakdowns are different.

For example, if it is a mechanical malfunction, such as a flash drive fell on the floor and became unreadable, or the flash drive was in water, and so on. Such breakdowns usually cannot even be repaired, unless they undergo specialized repairs.

But since the prices for them are now very low, repairing them in a specialized service is not profitable, unless the flash drive contained very important data, which can often be recovered.

From this we can conclude that a flash drive is a fairly fragile device and careless use of it can lead to its breakdown and loss of all data on it.

Formatting a flash drive

But it also happens that a flash drive just needs to be formatted in order to improve its performance or change the file system, install ntfs or fat32. This can of course be done in a standard way in the operating system ( go to my computer - right-click on the flash drive "properties" - format), but this doesn't always help.

But in this case there is a lot various programs, which help not only change the file system but also bring the flash drive back to “life” or improve its speed. We will analyze these programs in this article.

This advice is that if you decide to find a program for formatting a flash drive, then it is advisable to use the same one as the manufacturer of the flash drive. For example, if you have a Kingston company, then it is advisable to select a utility for Kingston flash drives, but this is only possible, if not or do not want to bother searching, then just use the ones presented below.

But this is not always possible to do, so you can completely use drives that are universal for all types of drives.

Let's move on to downloading programs for formatting a flash drive - we present below the 2 most effective and popular

The first program we will analyze will be HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. Very good tool to fulfill our goal.

You can also download it from the official website. The program can be downloaded from this link http://www.teryra.com/articl_comp/kak_otformatirovat_fleshky/HPUSBFW.ZIP (copy, paste into the browser and press enter). There is no need to install the program, just run it.

It is packaged in an archive; in order to run it, you may need an archiver; in general, this is a standard program; how and where you can download it, see the article on how to open a rar file.

And so, HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a very easy to use program. All you need is:

1. Launch it
2. Indicate your flash drive in the first line
3. Next, specify the file system, preferably NTFS, although FAT32 is also possible
4. And put a tick in the Quick Format line. There is a small nuance here. If you just need to change the file system, for example from FAT32 to NTFS, then check the box. A tick indicates that formatting will be quick. If we need to correct the incorrect operation of the flash drive or it is impossible to write files to it at all, then we do not check the box. This means that the formatting will be complete. With full formatting, in simple terms, some errors accumulated on the flash drive are corrected and perhaps after this process it will work better.

Don't forget that formatting deletes all information from the flash drive, so copy it if there is anything important

If everything is specified, then click “Start”:

The following program is hdd low level format tool

To download it, click here:

Install hdd low level format tool

The installation process is standard, click next and next everywhere, only in the window license agreement click “Accept”.

The entire program is installed, the only thing is that it is paid and when you start it a window will appear asking you to pay or use limited time. But it will be enough for us to perform several operations.

If you don't want to pay, then choose trial version, that is, click the bottom line “Continue for free”:

The program looks like the figure below. In our case, as we see, the program has identified two devices, these are HDD at 1.5 Tr. and a 16 GB flash drive:

How hdd low level format tool works

This program approaches the formatting process more thoroughly. It performs low-level formatting (as stated, although there is an opinion that this process can only be started in factory conditions, but we still try).

During this formatting, sectors are edited and bad zones are eliminated. It can show the technical condition of the hard drive (only for hard drives), to do this, in the initial device selection window, select your hard drive and click “Continue”, and then go to the S.M.A.R.T tab. and click on the “Get Smart Data” button:

In order to format a flash drive, select it in the initial window ( ATTENTION! WE ARE VERY CAREFUL HERE, WE CHOOSE Slowly, Otherwise, you will format your hard drive and lose all the data accumulated over a long time), click “Continue”:

In the next window, go to the LOW-LEVEL FORMAT tab and click on “Format This Device” at the bottom. The low-level formatting process will begin and will take from 40 minutes to several hours:

This program often helps to cope with a problem such as a flash drive that has stopped being read or has started to work slowly. It is very important to do everything slowly and thoughtfully. If you doubt something, it is better to ask someone again than to later regret hasty actions.

So we looked at such an interesting and popular question as a program for formatting flash drives. This is very helpful information. Thanks to it, in many cases you can save a flash drive from emerging problems.

Any of the applications we reviewed effectively deletes information completely, connects via usb port To external devices, HDD, SD memory cards, etc. The most popular ones are able to find bad sectors, resize volumes, and format flash drives for Unix systems. But each special program has its own audience, so we will select the best in several categories.

We really liked the tools Flash Memory Toolkit. Using the utility is a pleasure. Its context menu gives access to all necessary functions. The developers even screwed up the benchmarks, which already deserves respect! However, it was not without its drawbacks - latest version program dates back to sometimes Windows XP, which means that the utility’s operating algorithms are outdated. Its high cost is also a deterrent.

An alternative is the combination D-Soft Flash Doctor And MiniTool Partition Wizard Free. Both tools are free. You can download programs from the official website in the latest edition; updates are released regularly; functionally they complement each other.

For home use will do JetFlash Recovery Tool – proprietary utility for flash drives and hard drives Transcend. Its interface is intuitive and simplified as much as possible. But again, the only limitation is that only branded devices and a number of compatible chips are supported.

Has no such shortcomings USB Disk Storage Format Tool. It was developed by HP, but is compatible with any equipment. The program not only restores flash drives, but also erases all information from any HDD at a low level, which will be useful, for example, as part of the pre-sale preparation of a laptop.

It's a pity, but the HP application does not always find damaged devices. For this there is a “one-button” EzRecover. The algorithm of its operation is simple - we find the device, click on it, reset it programmatically and overwrite it with default settings.

Main features of the program Low Level Format Tool professionals will appreciate it. It most likely detects a damaged drive, meticulously formats and remaps sectors, but does not know how to do banal things - create partitions. The application will be able to add functionality MiniTool Partition Wizard or Acronis Disk Director.

I would also like to draw attention to SD Formatter– this specialized service software was developed for memory cards of cameras and smartphones. He himself will select the best recovery algorithm and carry it out efficiently. Fine tuning is present.

And if you are engaged not only in repairing flash drives, but also carry out testing, you cannot do without Flash Memory Toolkit. The utility is a little outdated, but its benchmarks and diagnostic methods are up to date.

Usually, if it is necessary to format a flash drive, we use the standard procedure provided in the Windows operating system. But this method has a number of disadvantages. For example, even after cleaning the storage media, special programs can restore deleted information. In addition, the process itself is completely standard and does not include fine adjustments for a flash drive.

Low-level formatting is used to solve this problem. In some cases this is the most ideal option.

The most common reasons for needing low-level formatting are as follows:

1. The flash drive is planned to be transferred to another person, and personal data was stored on it. In order to protect yourself from information leakage, it is best to perform a complete erasure. This procedure is often used by services that work with confidential information.
2. I can’t open the contents on the flash drive, it’s not detected operating system. Therefore, it should be returned to the default state.
3. When accessing a USB drive, it freezes and does not respond to actions. Most likely, it contains broken areas. Low-level formatting will help restore information on them or mark them as bad blocks.
4. When a flash drive is infected with viruses, sometimes it is not possible to completely remove the infected applications.
5. If the flash drive served as an installation distribution for the operating system Linux systems, but is planned for future use, it is also better to erase it.
6. For preventive purposes, to ensure the reliability and performance of the flash drive.

In order to perform this process at home, you need a special software. Among the existing programs, 3 cope best with this task.

Method 1: HDD Low Level Format Tool

Method 2: ChipEasy and iFlash

This utility is very helpful when the flash drive fails, for example, it is not detected by the operating system or freezes when accessing it. It’s worth saying right away that it does not format the flash drive, but only helps you find a program for its low-level cleaning. The process of using it is as follows:

You can read more about using the iFlash website in the article on restoring Kingston drives (method 5).

If there is no utility for your flash drive in the list, then you need to choose another method.

You can argue, but flash drives have become one of the most (if not the most) popular storage media. It is not surprising that there are quite a lot of questions regarding them: especially important among them are the issues of recovery, formatting and testing.

In this article I will present the best (in my opinion) utilities for working with drives - that is, those tools that I have used myself many times. The information in the article will be updated and expanded from time to time.

The best programs for working with a flash drive

Important! First of all, if you have problems with a flash drive, I recommend visiting the official website of its manufacturer. The fact is that the official website may have specialized utilities for data recovery (and not only!), which will cope with the task much better.

For testing

Let's start with testing drives. Let's look at programs that will help determine some of the parameters of a USB drive.

H2testw

Very useful utility to determine the actual volume of any media. In addition to the storage capacity, it can test the actual speed of its operation (which some manufacturers like to overestimate for marketing purposes).

Important! Pay special attention to testing those devices on which the manufacturer is not indicated at all. Often, for example, Chinese flash drives without markings do not correspond to their declared characteristics at all.

Check Flash

Free utility which can quickly check your flash drive for performance, measure its real read and write speed, complete removal all the information from it (so that no utility can recover a single file from it!).

In addition, it is possible to edit information about partitions (if they exist on it), make backup copy and reanimate the image of an entire media partition!

The speed of the utility is quite high and it is unlikely that at least one competing program will do this job faster!

HD Speed

This one is very simple, but very convenient program for testing flash drives for read/write speed (information transfer). In addition to USB drives, the utility supports hard drives and optical drives.

The program does not require installation. Information is presented in a clear graphical representation. Supports Russian language. Works in all Windows versions: XP, 7, 8, 10.

CrystalDiskMark

One of best utilities to test the speed of information transfer. Supports various media: HDD (hard drives), SSD (newfangled solid state drives), USB flash drives, memory cards, etc.

The program supports the Russian language, although running a test in it is as easy as shelling pears - just select a carrier and press the start button (you can figure it out without knowledge of the great and mighty).

An example of the results can be seen in the screenshot above.

Flash Memory Toolkit

Flash Memory Toolkit - this program is a whole set of utilities for servicing flash drives.

Full set of functions:

• a detailed list of properties and information about the drive and USB devices;
• test to find errors when reading and writing information to the media;
• quick data clearing from the drive;
• search and recovery of information;
• backup of all files to media and the ability to restore from a backup copy;
• low-level testing of information transfer speed;
• measuring performance when working with small/large files.

FC-Test

A benchmark for measuring the real read/write speed of hard drives, flash drives, memory cards, CD/DVD devices, etc. Its main feature and difference from all utilities of this kind is that it uses real data samples to work.

Of the minuses: the utility has not been updated for quite some time (problems with newfangled media types are possible).

Flashnul

This utility allows you to diagnose and test USB Flash drives. By the way, during this operation, errors and bugs will be corrected. Supported media: US and Flash drives, SD, MMC, MS, XD, MD, CompactFlash, etc.

List of operations performed:

• reading test - an operation will be carried out to determine the availability of each sector on the media;
• recording test - similar to the first function;
• information integrity test - the utility checks the integrity of all data on the media;
• saving a media image - saving everything that is on the media into a separate image file;
• Loading the image into the device is similar to the previous operation.

For formatting

Important! Before using the utilities listed below, I recommend trying to format the drive in the “normal” way (Even if your flash drive is not visible in “My Computer,” you may be able to format it through computer management).

HDD Low Level Format Tool

A program that has only one task - to format the media (by the way, hard drives are also supported HDDs, and solid state drives - SSD, and USB flash drives).

Despite such a “meager” set of capabilities, it is not for nothing that this utility is in first place in this article. The fact is that it allows you to “bring back” to life even those media that are no longer visible in any other program. If this utility sees your drive, try low-level formatting it (attention! all data will be deleted!) - there is a good chance that after this format, your flash drive will work as before: without failures and errors.

USB Disk Storage Format Tool

A program for formatting and creating bootable flash drives. Supported file systems: FAT, FAT32, NTFS. The utility does not require installation, supports USB 2.0 port (USB 3.0 is not visible. Note: this port is marked in blue).

Its main difference from standard tool in Windows for formatting drives - this is the ability to “see” even those media that are not visible regular means OS. Otherwise, the program is quite simple and concise, I recommend using it to format all “problem” flash drives.

Format USB Or Flash Drive Software

This is a simple yet neat application for quickly and easily formatting USB Flash drives.

The utility will help in cases where the standard formatting program in Windows refuses to “see” the media (or, for example, will generate errors during operation). Format USB Or Flash Drive Software can format media into the following file systems: NTFS, FAT32 and exFAT. There is a quick formatting option.

I would also like to note the simple interface: it is designed in a minimalist style, it’s easy to understand (the screenshot is shown above). In general, I recommend it!

SD Formatter

A simple utility for formatting various flash cards: SD/SDHC/SDXC.

The main difference from the standard program built into Windows is that this utility formats the media according to the type of flash card: SD/SDHC/SDXC. It is also worth noting the presence of the Russian language, a simple and understandable interface (the main program window is shown in the screenshot above).

Aomei Partition Assistant

Aomei Partition Assistant is a large free (for home use) “combine” that provides a huge number of functions and capabilities for working with hard drives and USB media.

The program supports the Russian language (but is still set to English by default), works in all popular Windows operating systems: XP, 7, 8, 10. The program, by the way, works according to its own unique algorithms (according to at least, according to the developers of this software), which allows it to “see” even “very problematic” media, be it a flash drive or HDD.

In general, a whole article would not be enough to describe all its properties! I recommend you try it, especially since Aomei Partition Assistant will save you not only from problems with USB drives, but also with other media.

Recovery programs

Recuva

One of the best free programs to recover files. Moreover, it supports not only USB drives, but also hard drives. Distinctive features: fast scanning of media, a fairly high degree of search for “remains” of files (that is, the chances of returning a deleted file are quite high), a simple interface, a step-by-step recovery wizard (even complete “beginners” can handle it).

R Saver

Free* (for non-commercial use in the USSR) program for recovering information from hard drives, flash drives, memory cards and other media. The program supports all the most popular file systems: NTFS, FAT and exFAT.

The program sets the media scanning parameters independently (which is also another plus for beginners).

Program features:

• recovery is accidental deleted files;
• the ability to reconstruct damaged file systems;
• recovering files after formatting the media;
• data recovery using signatures.

EasyRecovery

One of best programs for data recovery, supports a wide variety of media types. The program works in all versions new Windows: 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bits), supports Russian language.

One cannot fail to note one of the most important advantages of the program - the high degree of detection of deleted files. Everything that can be “pulled out” from a disk or flash drive will be presented to you and offered to be restored.

Perhaps the only negative is that it is paid...

R-STUDIO

One of most popular programs for data recovery, both in our country and abroad. A large number of different media are supported: hard drives (HDD), solid-state drives (SSD), memory cards, flash drives, etc. The list of supported file systems is also amazing: NTFS, NTFS5, ReFS, FAT12/16/32, exFAT, etc.

The program will help in the following cases:

• accidentally deleting a file from the trash (this happens sometimes...);
• formatting hard drive;
• virus attack;
• in the event of a computer power failure (especially important in Russia with its “reliable” power grids);
• in case of errors on the hard drive, if there are a large number of bad sectors;
• if the structure of the hard drive is damaged (or changed).

In general, a universal harvester for all kinds of cases. The only negative is that the program is paid.

This concludes the report. Good work and good luck everyone!