{"id":450250,"date":"2022-05-20T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-format-a-usb-drive-on-windows-10\/"},"modified":"2022-05-20T22:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T19:00:00","slug":"how-to-format-a-usb-drive-on-windows-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-format-a-usb-drive-on-windows-10\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to Format a USB Drive on Windows 10"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a42c9eec33ad\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a42c9eec33ad\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-format-a-usb-drive-on-windows-10\/#%E2%80%9CHow_to_Format_a_USB_Drive_on_Windows_10%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;How to Format a USB Drive on Windows 10&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-format-a-usb-drive-on-windows-10\/#How_to_Format_a_USB_Drive\" >How to Format a USB Drive<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-format-a-usb-drive-on-windows-10\/#What_File_System_Should_You_Pick\" >What File System Should You Pick?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHow_to_Format_a_USB_Drive_on_Windows_10%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;How to Format a USB Drive on Windows 10&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-740563\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/windows-10-logo.jpeg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/windows-10-logo.jpeg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/windows-10-logo.jpeg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Windows 10 logo\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to use any complex tools to format a USB flash drive. You can do it directly in File Explorer. But what do all of the options mean, and which should you choose? Here is what you need to know.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Format_a_USB_Drive\"><\/span>How to Format a USB Drive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are a few places you can format a USB drive in Windows 10. The easiest is \u201cThis PC.\u201d \u201cThis PC,\u201d like its predecessor \u201cMy Computer,\u201d lists all of the hard drives and external storage devices attached to your computer.<\/p>\n<p>You probably have an icon on your desktop named \u201cThis PC\u201d \u2014 just go ahead and double-click that if you have it. If you don\u2019t, just click the Start button, type \u201cThis PC\u201d into the search bar, and then hit Enter or click \u201cOpen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can also open File Explorer and click \u201cThis PC\u201d in the left pane.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-803536\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/my-pc.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"471\" height=\"500\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You will see a list of your connected drives under \u201cDevices and drives\u201d when it opens.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-803552\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/example-USB.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The USB drive shown in &quot;This PC.&quot;\" width=\"650\" height=\"382\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you aren\u2019t sure which drive is the USB drive, just unplug it and plug it back in again. The \u201cThis PC\u201d window updates whenever there is a hardware change, so you\u2019ll be able to spot it when Windows recognizes the device.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Never &#8220;Safely Remove&#8221; a USB Drive Again on Windows 10<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Right-click the USB drive and click \u201cFormat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-803553\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/click-format.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"335\" height=\"442\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You now have some choices available. The Format screen has several options. For the most part, you can leave them alone, but here is a breakdown of what each option means if you want to change something:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Capacity <\/strong>\u2013 This tells you the size of the drive you have selected.<\/li>\n<li><strong>File System <\/strong>\u2013 This lets you pick between a handful of file systems. They each have different properties that determine maximum file sizes, maximum storage volume, and operating system compatibility. The file system you use is important.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Allocation Unit Size<\/strong> \u2013 The allocation unit size is basically how the space on the USB drive is divided up. Smaller units result in less wasted space, but at a mild performance cost. Leave it alone unless you have a specific need.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Volume Label<\/strong> \u2013 This is just the name of the drive. Set it to whatever you like.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Format Options\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 You can choose between quick format and a full format. A quick format won\u2019t actually wipe any data, it\u2019ll just allow it to be overwritten. A full format will overwrite the entire USB drive. Since flash memory has a limited number of writes, you should avoid full formats unless it is absolutely necessary. (For example, you should run a full format to securely erase any sensitive data\u00a0before disposing of or giving away a USB drive.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-804524\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2022-05-10_17h29_37.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The format screen.\" width=\"253\" height=\"458\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_File_System_Should_You_Pick\"><\/span>What File System Should You Pick?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You should probably pick exFAT If you don\u2019t know which file format you need, or you don\u2019t have any specific use in mind. ExFAT is supported by Linux, macOS, Chrome OS, and Windows, meaning it will work with the overwhelming majority of all computers you will ever encounter. The file system exFat also supports USB drives and files larger than 100 <em>petabytes<\/em>. Needless to say, you won\u2019t have to worry about that limitation with your flash drive any time before 2040 at the earliest. The only downside is that storing lots of small files might result in some wasted space due to the block sizes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Is a File System, and Why Are There So Many of Them?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t expect to need to move any large files, you should consider FAT32. FAT32 is ancient by computer standards \u2014 it has been around since the mid-90s. Its age comes with one major perk and one major downside: It is basically universally supported by all computers and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> consoles, but it can\u2019t handle files larger than four gigabytes.<\/p>\n<p>Other formats, like NTFS, will work well if you\u2019re sticking with just Windows. There are formats specific to macOS too, like APFS. You can try out any number of them to see if you have a preference. Changing the file system is easy, all you need to do is reformat the USB drive again. Just keep in mind that reformatting the drive will \u201cwipe\u201d any data you have stored on the drive.<\/p>\n<p>No matter what file system you choose, remember: USB flash drives are not great long-term storage devices. They\u2019re small, easily lost or damaged, and they tend to be fairly easily corrupted. If you have important data, you should back it up to the cloud and in multiple other places.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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You can do it directly in File Explorer. But what do all of the options mean, and which should you choose? Here is what you need to know. How to Format a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":450251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/windows-10-logo.jpeg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-450250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=450250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450250\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/450251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=450250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=450250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=450250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}