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External Storage Devices
2 Simple Ways to Erase and Format a USB Flash Drive Download Article A complete guide to preparing and formatting removable USB drives on a PC or Mac Co-authored by Scott St Gelais and Rain Kengly
Last Updated: January 10, 2025 Fact Checked
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This article was co-authored by Scott St Gelais and by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Scott St Gelais is an IT Consultant and the Owner of Geeks in Phoenix, Arizona. With over two decades of experience, Scott specializes in computer service and repair, development, computer graphics, and website authoring. Scott received his Technical Associates Degree from High Tech Institute and completed the IT Support Professional Certificate by Google. Geeks in Phoenix is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network and an Intel Technology Provider Gold Partner. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,279,183 times.
When you format a pendrive, all files and folders on the drive are removed and replaced with a new file system. This can help repair any issues with the flash drive itself or make it compatible with new files you want to transfer. Be sure to back up your files before formatting your drive. This wikiHow will teach you how to format a USB flash drive using your Windows or Mac computer.
How to Format a USB Pen or Drive
Connect the USB drive to a USB port on your computer.
Open the File Explorer and select "This PC" from the menu.
Right click on the USN drive and choose "Format".
Click on "File System" and choose the NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT format.
Select "Start" and click "OK" to finish formatting your flash drive.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 2:
Using Windows
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1 Connect the USB flash drive to your computer. Plug the USB into one of your PC's USB ports, which resemble thin, rectangular slots on your computer's housing.[1]XResearch source
If you have any files stored on your flash drive, transfer the data to a computer. Formatting a flash drive will delete all its contents and give it a new file system.
2 Open the File Explorer and click This PC. You can find this option in the left panel, next to a monitor icon.[2]XResearch source
On Windows 7, click Computer on the right side of the Start window.
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3 Right-click the flash drive's icon. It's beneath the "Devices and drives" heading in the middle of the page. This will bring up a drop-down menu.
4 Click Format…. This option is near the middle of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Format window.
5 Click the "File System" box. It's below the "File System" heading near the top of the page. A drop-down menu will appear with the following options:
NTFS - The default Windows operating system format. If you're using your drive as a secondary Windows drive, you'll need to choose this option.
FAT32 - The most widely compatible format. Works with most computers and gaming consoles.
exFAT - Similar to FAT32, but designed for external hard drives (e.g., flash drives) and quicker use. It's a universal format that is most common across Windows, Linux, and Mac.
6 Click a format option. The option you pick will depend on what you plan on using the drive for. For example, choose FAT32 if you're formatting the flash drive for use with a gaming console, or choose NTFS if you're creating a Windows-only backup drive.
If you've formatted your drive before and you're positive that it isn't broken, you can also check the Quick Format box.
7 Click Start, then click OK. Windows will begin formatting the flash drive.
8 Click OK when prompted. Your flash drive has successfully been formatted.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 2:
Using Mac
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1 Connect the USB flash drive to your computer. To do so, plug it into one of your Mac's USB ports, which resemble thin, rectangular slots on your computer's housing.
Formatting a flash drive will delete all its contents and give it a new file system. Be sure to transfer any files to your computer or a new USB if you want to keep them.
Some Macs don't have USB ports, so you'll need to purchase an adapter.
2 Click Go. It's a menu item in the top-left side of the menu bar.
If you don't see Go, you can use the Finder, which resembles a blue face in your Mac's dock.
3 Click Utilities. This option is in the Go drop-down menu.
4 Double-click Disk Utility. You'll likely find this option in the middle of the Utilities page.[3]XResearch source
5 Click your flash drive's name. It's on the far-left side of the Disk Utility window.
6 Click the Erase tab. This option is at the top of the Disk Utility window.[4]XResearch source
7 Click the "Format" box. It's in the middle of the page. This will bring up a drop-down menu with the following options:
Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)
Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)
Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted)
MS-DOS (FAT)
ExFAT
8 Click a format option. You'll generally use one of the Mac OS options for a Mac-only flash drive (e.g., a backup drive), though you'd choose MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFat for greater compatibility.[5]XResearch source
9 Click Erase, then click Erase again when prompted. This will begin the formatting process. Once the formatting is complete, you'll see an icon for your flash drive appear on your Mac's desktop.[6]XResearch source
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Community Q&A
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Question How do I do this in Windows 10? There is no Format option when I right click on my flash drive. I've tried clicking almost everything and can't find anything that changes the format. I can't make an system image until I can change my format to NTFS. Community Answer Search for "My PC" in the bottom LHS search window. W10 responded with "This PC" and displayed a schematic which will be familiar to you. Right click on the USB drive icon and select format from the tabulation. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 15
Question Where is the delete or format option located? Community Answer A format option should appear on your screen once you plug in your flash drive and it needs to be formatted. To delete a file on your flash drive, look at My Computer and you will see it listed in the list of Drives. Then delete it as you would any other file. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 12
Question I know that a "Quick Format" takes just a minute or two, but how long does a "Regular Format" usually take? Community Answer It might take up to half hour, but it depends on your USB and PC. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 6
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Tips
The formatting process will likely take some time if your flash drive has a lot of information on it. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Warnings
You should not re-format your computer's internal hard drive. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Formatting a flash drive will remove all of its contents and give it a new file system. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Co-authored by: Scott St Gelais IT Consultant This article was co-authored by Scott St Gelais and by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Scott St Gelais is an IT Consultant and the Owner of Geeks in Phoenix, Arizona. With over two decades of experience, Scott specializes in computer service and repair, development, computer graphics, and website authoring. Scott received his Technical Associates Degree from High Tech Institute and completed the IT Support Professional Certificate by Google. Geeks in Phoenix is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network and an Intel Technology Provider Gold Partner. This article has been viewed 1,279,183 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 16Updated: January 10, 2025 Views: 1,279,183 Categories: External Storage DevicesArticle SummaryX
1. Connect the drive to the PC. 2. Open the Windows search bar. 3. Type "this pc" and click This PC." 4. Right-click the flash drive. 5. Click Format. 6. Select a file system. 7. Check the "Quick format" box. 8. Click Start. Did this summary help you?YesNo
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"The instructions and descriptions were both helpful and easy to understand. I loved the use of diagrams, which made things very easy to follow."..." more
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Download Article A complete guide to preparing and formatting removable USB drives on a PC or Mac Co-authored by Scott St Gelais and Rain Kengly 
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Co-authored by: Scott St Gelais IT Consultant This article was co-authored by Scott St Gelais and by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Scott St Gelais is an IT Consultant and the Owner of Geeks in Phoenix, Arizona. With over two decades of experience, Scott specializes in computer service and repair, development, computer graphics, and website authoring. Scott received his Technical Associates Degree from High Tech Institute and completed the IT Support Professional Certificate by Google. Geeks in Phoenix is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network and an Intel Technology Provider Gold Partner. This article has been viewed 1,279,183 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 16 Updated: January 10, 2025 Views: 1,279,183 Categories: External Storage Devices Article SummaryX
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1 Connect the USB flash drive to your computer. Plug the USB into one of your PC's USB ports, which resemble thin, rectangular slots on your computer's housing.[1] 
2 Open the File Explorer and click This PC. You can find this option in the left panel, next to a monitor icon.[2] 
3 Right-click the flash drive's icon. It's beneath the "Devices and drives" heading in the middle of the page. This will bring up a drop-down menu. 
4 Click Format…. This option is near the middle of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Format window. 
5 Click the "File System" box. It's below the "File System" heading near the top of the page. A drop-down menu will appear with the following options: 
6 Click a format option. The option you pick will depend on what you plan on using the drive for. For example, choose FAT32 if you're formatting the flash drive for use with a gaming console, or choose NTFS if you're creating a Windows-only backup drive. 
7 Click Start, then click OK. Windows will begin formatting the flash drive. 
8 Click OK when prompted. Your flash drive has successfully been formatted. Advertisement 
1 Connect the USB flash drive to your computer. To do so, plug it into one of your Mac's USB ports, which resemble thin, rectangular slots on your computer's housing. 
2 Click Go. It's a menu item in the top-left side of the menu bar. 
3 Click Utilities. This option is in the Go drop-down menu. 
4 Double-click Disk Utility. You'll likely find this option in the middle of the Utilities page.[3] 
5 Click your flash drive's name. It's on the far-left side of the Disk Utility window. 
6 Click the Erase tab. This option is at the top of the Disk Utility window.[4] 
7 Click the "Format" box. It's in the middle of the page. This will bring up a drop-down menu with the following options: 
8 Click a format option. You'll generally use one of the Mac OS options for a Mac-only flash drive (e.g., a backup drive), though you'd choose MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFat for greater compatibility.[5] 
9 Click Erase, then click Erase again when prompted. This will begin the formatting process. Once the formatting is complete, you'll see an icon for your flash drive appear on your Mac's desktop.[6] Advertisement 
Community Answer Search for "My PC" in the bottom LHS search window. W10 responded with "This PC" and displayed a schematic which will be familiar to you. Right click on the USB drive icon and select format from the tabulation. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 15 
Community Answer It might take up to half hour, but it depends on your USB and PC. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 6