How To Fix USB Flash Drive Storage or Format 'Windows Cannot Format'

Ruined USB Thumb Drive? Computer Geek to the Rescue!

1. Open Command Prompt by typing CMD into the run box or just the bottom of the Start Menu

2. Open Computer Management by typing COMPMGMT.MSC into run or the bottom of the Start Menu

3. type DISKPART into the CMD prompt window

4. under the DISKPART(CMD) window type LIST DISK

5. select the correct disk by typing SELECT DISK number here

6. select the correct partition (usually only one) by typing SELECT PARTITION number here

7. remove the partition by typing DELETE PARTITION OVERRIDE

8. once that is completed, right click on the unallocated space within the Computer Management tool and select "New Simple Volume."

9. Make sure you have the maximum size listed correctly, then continuously hit next & then finish

10. You are all set! Thanks for watching!

[Non-tzow]

You're the best! FINALY! So many tutorials outside but they didnt work, but this one works perfectly and whitout downloading any fu**ing programs

[Jay-opbe]

Thank You CyberPunk! I am a novice user and always wondered why several of my thumb drives would have a fixed smaller size then when it was originally. I do not usually comment on video's but I thought your was worth an honourable mentioning.

I really liked how you showed what to do and the command you typed came up on the screen. The audio was clear and concise. Also, the listed steps below in the comment section made it crystal clear.

Again, I thank you and really appreciate the time you take to make these types of video's for us less computer literate users. Keep up the great work.

Regards, Jay

[mohammadtazuddin]

for all people who says there is no partition first go to disk part then select your disk then write clean after that check did it came or not if not then go to disk management then select the unallocated drive right click then new simple value then blah then done you are good to go :P if it doesnt work then im really sorry but it freaking worked for me and im HAPPY :)

[robboz]

DISKPART completely slipped my mind on this one, great little video, it worked like a charm, cheers.

[saychinqua]

Buddy you are the bomb. Beautiful and simple. You saved my 2 TB disk. Thank you very much!!

[shihab_irfan]

I literally never comment on videos, but thank you so much! Followed every step and my piece of plastic is back to being a flash drive!

[fliqpythekiller]

For those who are saying "there are no partition selected", that means your USB is empty and you have to skip that whole step!

[MarkLiederbach]

Hey - 4 years later, this just fixed my issue. Nice video.

[janallen]

I have not done this for a while and forgot a step.. So now I got it and saved my 8 gb usb thanks bro...

[mindsterproduction]

the offset is "0" ...whenever I type "select partition 1" it will say "there are no partition selected"

[davidweitzman]

THANK YOU! I spent all day rummaging around support web sites and blogs and finally came across this video that resolved my problem simply and elegantly. I previously ran into a brick wall trying to create a bootable USB drive to restore my Windows 10 operating system. I had no problems with Windows 10. I only wanted the restore drive just in case I needed it in the future. I kept getting error messages and gave up on the bootable restore USB drive but now my SanDisk 128 GB USB only showed 32 GB available. The rest of the space was unallocated. I followed some on-line instructions to "clean" the unallocated partition but now the USB showed no available space at all. Getting space back is what took all day. This video did the trick and I now have the original 128 GB (less the usual small amount of system space).

[blahnika]

Nice, fixed my partition issue for the USB I had

[stonebarnard]

Wow. It was like you were on my computer. Same OS, same partition size, same location. GREAT VIDEO!

[lsofficial]

Hey dear, when i typed "list partition" the massege is "there are no partition on this disk to show".

Please help...

[DBDickerson]

Wouldn't it just make more sense to right click "computer" where you can access "manage" to figure out which disk you need to fix - 1- CMD, 2- diskpart, 3- Select disk (0, 1, 2 etc) then type - "Clean".

Seems like a lot of unnecessary steps in this video. Mine was in five. Great post non the less because it's still helpful to those who don't know. Thumbs up! :-D

[alejandrasg]

I get the message "There is no partition selected" Help me, please

[BakerRoyal]

Very useful. Always used "Disk managment" but didn't know about "diskpart". Many thanks, thumbs up!

[StewartGrinton]

Did this for my Lexar 256GB usb drive and it worked like a charm. Formatted exFAT to move between OSX and Windows. Still don't know how it got messed up in the first place but thank you very much for this video!

[florescul]

Well..I have a problem. My disk have a partition, partition 1. But...when I type "Select partition 1" the next message appears: "There is no partition selected." Can anyone help me, please ? Thnx !

[BostjanCadej]

A problem with my USB disk management couldn't be solved, but this tutorial did. Thank you.