How to make low-level flash drive formatting. Programs and utilities for low-level flash drive formatting

If the flash drive loads for a long time, resets or opens files, this is a clear sign that its sectors and tracks are damaged. This problem is solved quite simply - low-level formatting of the flash drive is performed.

This formatting provides a new layout for sectors and tracks with recording of service information for the device. Principle of operation: deleting all files that were or are on the media, the values of the sectors acquire "zeros", and as a result, data can not be restored in the future, which is very important if you want to avoid the leakage of confidential information when transferring the device to other people.

Why does the flash drive get buggy and how can it fix low-level formatting?

The fact is that while recording files through a computer or any other device, recording can be performed on the damaged sectors. As a rule, modern flash drives are skipped, but older producers do not.

How it works?

Low-level formatting allocates corrupted sectors, blocks them and optimizes the work of the flash drive. It is worth noting that full formatting at home is impossible - this should happen at the factory. But the utility of low-level flash drive formatting simulates this process, which is quite enough if you need to block sectors and gratuitously delete information for its confidentiality.

Low-level flash drive format: a program suitable for this process

The simplest and most common solution is to use the HDD Low Level Format. First you need to download it. After the download is installed in free mode (you can safely refuse to offer a paid version), the only difference is that there will be no updates. For those who do not know English, we specify: you need to click "Continue for free" (from English "Continue for free").

After installation, a list will be displayed with all the flash drive models that the program supports. Select the desired one by specifying the parameters in the column "Capacity" and "Model". Having chosen the necessary model and volume, click the button "Continue". How to determine the model - below in the material.

In a new window, information about the selected storage device will be displayed. From all the parameters you should select "Device details", the general and detailed information on the flash drive will be displayed, and among these settings you should select the tab: "Low-level format" (Low-level format of the flash drive). The formatting process starts and the main screen of the program shows all the processes that the HDD Low Level Format program is executing and the percentage of formatting.

Remarque

For high-level formatting, select "Perform quick wipe". After selecting the action, a window will be displayed stating that all data will be deleted without the possibility of re-recovery. You need to click "OK".

After the start of the flash drive formatting, the screen will show the percentage of sectors passed, at this time you do not need to try to open the flash drive, write or read files from it, and do not get the device out of the socket. At the end of the operation, the installation strip will turn yellow: the low-level formatting of the flash drive is finished. Now you need to perform high-level formatting - this will record the file table, otherwise the flash drive will not work.

How to identify a device model

For the program to format the drive, you need to specify its volume and model. Volume can specify the computer itself, but with the definition of the model the situation is somewhat more complicated. In this case, only a special utility can help the user.

A popular program is ChipGenius. It does not require installation, just load it and open it, but before that you need to insert the device into the USB port. In the program window, select the desired drive. The utility will provide a lot of unnecessary information, so you need to skip everything and pay attention to two fields:

• Controller Part-Number - model of the device;
• Flash ID code - shows the memory capacity of the flash drive, type and model of flash memory.
That's all, if you know these parameters, low-level formatting of the flash drive is not a problem.

The standard method did not help: other methods of formatting the flash drive

Having carried out all the above procedures and coming to a standstill, do not get upset. Sometimes the device needs a special utility from the manufacturer or just created for it. For example, the low-level formatting of the Kingston flash drive can only be done after a high-level through the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. In the Device field, select the desired drive, then click the "Start" button at the bottom of the field. Perform the formatting discussed at the beginning of the material.

Remark: do not forget to repeat the high-level formatting at the very end, otherwise the device will not work.

This way, you can also perform low-level formatting of the Transcend flash drive or any other, if the first method did not help.

Special use of low-level formatting: several partitions on one flash drive

First, why is it necessary?

1. The presence of multiple operating systems on a single drive.
2. Actions and manipulations with one section do not affect the other.
3. You can create several independent file systems.
4. Based on the paragraph "3", fragmentation can be carried out within only one section, thereby reducing the time-cost, because the file can only be in one file system, and the program is easier "to put everything in its place."
5. Regardless of the type of file systems, information can be stored in sections with different clusters. It is very convenient, for example, to store large video files separately from small ones. The size of the cluster, respectively, will be larger and smaller - this allows you to read files faster, upload them and upload.

Which program to choose?

BOOTICE - a universal utility that can both make low-level formatting of the flash drive, and break it into several sections, and also manipulate them.

So, for example, we break the Kingston flash drive by 7.5 GB. We divide into two sections with the file system (File System) FAT 32 with Vol Label (1: BOOT, 2: DATA) and 4000 and 3500 MB, respectively.

1. Open the program.
2. Find the "Destination Disk" line and select the desired drive in it.
3. Click on the Parts Manage window.
4. An empty tab will appear, and at the bottom there will be a button "Parts Manage" - select and press.
5. In the new tab, select "ReFormat USB disk".
6. In the window that appears, select USB-HDD Mode (Multi Partitions) and below specify Align to 1 MB.
7. Click Next and in the new window set the previously mentioned data: Size: 4000 and 3500, FileSystem: FAT 32 for both, Vol Label: BOOT and DATA.
8. Press "Okey" and wait for the completion of the procedure.

Kingston Technology

In conclusion, let's say a few words about one of the industry leaders, the company "Kingston Technology". This is an American private international corporation that develops, maintains, sells and produces flash memory, as well as other computer devices that are associated with memory. Headquartered in California, USA. It is curious that Kingston employs over 4,700 people all over the world. The company has production facilities and offices in the United States, China, Taiwan, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Currently, it is Kingston that has managed to become the second largest supplier of flash memory, as well as the first distributor of USB-drives and the third - flash cards. Kingston Technology Corporation is one of the leading memory developers in the world, so if it were not for this digging, we probably would not have wondered at the beginning of the article. And what is the manufacturer of the flash drive, which you decided to format?