"Windows was unable to complete the format" - Can't format flashdrive!!!

Posted by Jake on Super User See other posts from Super User or by Jake
Published on 2010-02-12T20:41:00Z Indexed on 2010/03/28 11:33 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 357

Filed under:

formatting

|

usb-flash-drive

|

ntfs

|

fat32

I have a 8GB Sandisk Cruzer USB flash drive that I had ruined a while back trying to make it bootable. Anyway now when I click on it I get a message that it needs to be reformatted to be used. So when I try to do that, the formatting starts and suddenly ends with the message "Windows was unable to complete the format". This happens no matter which file system I choose (NTFS, FAT32, exFat) and also which computer I try this on. I am now on a Windows 7 32 bit OS and before tries it on a Vista Home Basic machine.

Anyone know any way around this issue? Many thanks.

© Super User or respective owner

Related posts about formatting

C++ Formatting like visual studio c# formatting

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
I like the way Visual studio (2008) format C# code; unfortunately it seems it doesn't behave in the same way when writing C++ code. For example, when I write a code in this way: class Test { public: int x; Test() {this->x=20;} ~Test(){} }; in C# (ok this is C++ but you can understand… >>> More
Why do XSLT editors insert tab or space characters into XSLT to format it?

as seen on Programmers - Search for 'Programmers'
All XSLT editors I've tried till now add tab or space characters to the XSLT to indent it for formatting. This is done even in places within the XSLT where these characters are significant to the XSLT processor. XSLT modified for formatting in this way can produce output very different to that of… >>> More
Excel: conditionally format a cell using the format of another, content-matching cell

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
I have an Excel spreadsheet where I’d like to be able to create a “key” of formatted cells with unique values, and then in another sheet format cells using the key formatting. So for example, my key is as follows, with one value per cell and the visual formatting indicated in parentheses: A (red… >>> More
Globalize your Web Applications: PHP's Locale Formatting Classes

as seen on Internet.com - Search for 'Internet.com'
In part 3 of the Globalize your Web Applications series, we'll be exploring PHP's I18N_Number and I18N_Currency classes, both of which are part of the I18N Libraries. >>> More
Tip#102: Did you know… How to specify tag specific formatting

as seen on ASP.net Weblogs - Search for 'ASP.net Weblogs'
Let’s see this with an example. I have the following html code on my page. Now if I format the document by selecting Edit –> Format document (or Ctrl K, Ctrl D) The document becomes I want the content inside td should remain on the same line Read More......(read more) >>> More

Related posts about usb-flash-drive

16GB Usb Flash Drive shows as 16MB and is unusable

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
i have a sandisk Cruzer 16GB usb flash drive but it started to show up as 16MB. and i cant use it , it tells me that i need to format the drive or "Please insert a disk into drive X" does anyone have any recommadation for any software so i can check the flash drive? Edit: i cant format it since… >>> More
How to boot Linux from a 16gb USB flash drive

as seen on Server Fault - Search for 'Server Fault'
I'm trying to install Linux on a single partition of a USB flash drive that's larger than 4gb. The first place I went to is http://pendrivelinux.com. I can follow these instructions for installing Xubuntu 9.04 perfectly, which unfortunately break down when I try to scale it up beyond 4gb. There… >>> More
Create a Bootable Ubuntu 9.10 USB Flash Drive

as seen on How to geek - Search for 'How to geek'
The Ubuntu Live CD isn’t just useful for trying out Ubuntu before you install it, you can also use it to maintain and repair your Windows PC. Even if you have no intention of installing Linux, every Windows user should have a bootable Ubuntu USB drive on hand in case something goes wrong in Windows… >>> More
Create a Persistent Bootable Ubuntu USB Flash Drive

as seen on How to geek - Search for 'How to geek'
Don’t feel like reinstalling an antivirus program every time you boot up your Ubuntu flash drive? We’ll show you how to create a bootable Ubuntu flash drive that will remember your settings, installed programs, and more! Previously, we showed you how to create a bootable Ubuntu flash drive that would… >>> More
How does a hard drive compare to Flash memory working as a hard drive in terms of speed?

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
Some experiment I did with hard drive read/write speed was 10MB/s write and 40MB/s read, and with a USB Flash drive, it can be 5MB/s write and 10MB/s read. Also, if I put a virtual hard drive .vhd file in a hard drive or in a USB Flash drive and try a Virtual Machine using it, the one using the hard… >>> More