The need to format a USB drive is often caused either by the fact that it has just been purchased and the file system needs to be changed, or by the fact that it needs to be sold and the data must be completely cleared before selling. Be that as it may, working with a USB disk is virtually no different from a regular HDD.
Instructions
Step 1
In order to format the USB disk, make sure that the power is not disconnected before completing this operation. Therefore, if you are using a laptop, make sure it is plugged in and the battery is charged. Otherwise, if the formatting is not completed to the end, it is recommended to perform it again.
Step 2
Determine the purpose of the formatting. Formatting is fast and complete. The difference between these modes is that fast formatting normally deletes data and, if necessary, rebuilds the partition format (for example, from FAT32 to NTFS). In case of full formatting, the data is erased in the most careful way. In addition, a full read of the hard disk partition is performed.
Step 3
Consider also how much free time you have available. Together, full formatting operations take quite a long time. For example, with the fastest USB connection (usually external hard drives have 2 USB cables, and in this case it means that both are connected, and other USB channels are not busy with data transfer), formatting 500GB can take from four and a half hours …
Step 4
Go to the "Start" menu and select "My Computer", or use a similar shortcut on the desktop (if available). Select your USB HDD from the list of drives. Right-click on the disk icon and select the "Format" menu item.
Step 5
Set the formatting options in the window that appears. However, it is not recommended to change the cluster size if you do not understand this. At the same time, in most cases it is more expedient to set the file system to the “NTFS” mode, because it supports file sizes in excess of 4 gigabytes, which the FAT system cannot.
Step 6
Check the box next to "Quick Format" if you need a quick formatting option. Then click on the "Start" button and wait for the end of the operation.
