You want to format a flash disk but are confused about the correct and safe way? If so, in this article GadgetLogi will provide an illustrated guide as well as a video on how to properly and safely format a flash drive on laptops and Android phones.
Curious how? keep reading this article, yes.
Before going into the guide, it’s a good idea to know some of the problems that cause the flash drive to need to be formatted
1. Flash memory is full (full) with unused data.
2. Flashdisk hit by a virus so that strange files appear in it. Well, a flash like this is also dangerous if used on another computer or laptop because it can transmit the virus.
3. Flashdisk is hit by a virus where the virus makes our flash memory seem to be full (full) so that we can’t save new files on our flash.
if you are experiencing problems with the flash as above or are experiencing other similar problems, the solution to the problem that you can try is to format your flash drive.
What is Flashdisk Format?
Flash format is to restore the conditions and settings of the flash to be like new by resetting and deleting all data in the flash.
Flashdisk Format Terms
Before going into the guide on how to format the flash, it’s a good idea to know that in the process, formatting the flash drive will erase all stored data. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you backup (save data to another place) important data on the flash drive.
Well, there are 2 ways you can choose to format the flash properly, correctly and safely. The first way is to use a computer (PC) or laptop.
The second way is to use an Android cellphone with the addition of a small tool called USB OTG which is useful as an adapter to be able to connect the flash to the HP USB port so that the flash can be detected and opened on the cellphone.
If you don’t have USB OTG, then you can buy it at mobile accessories stores or online at Tokopedia, Bukalapak and Shopee.
Don’t worry, the price of USB OTG is not expensive, in fact some are very cheap depending on the durability. Don’t forget to make sure first what type of USB port your cellphone has. Is the port USB type B (regular USB) or USB type C.
Well, after confirming it, you have to buy a USB OTG according to the type of USB port on your cellphone.
Before buying USB OTG, it’s a good idea to make sure in advance whether your Android phone supports the use of USB OTG.
Information on whether your cellphone supports USB OTG can be found by going to gsmarena.com and searching for your cellphone model through the search box.
But if you can’t find this information, you can search for it on Google with the keywords “(HP brand) (model) usb otg”. For example, if you use a Samsung brand cellphone with an S8 model, the google search keyword is “samsung s8 usb otg”.
Preparation Before Format Flashdisk
In order to safely format the flash drive, you must first backup the data on the flash that will be formatted.
Backup on a flash disk means copying some or all of the important data on your flash and saving it to other storage media such as a hard disk on a computer, laptop, cellphone or other flash.
You can use any storage space as long as the available memory must be larger than your flash memory.
Here’s an example of Gadgetlogi how to back up all flash data into a computer:
1. The first step is to insert the flash drive into the USB port of your computer or laptop and then open File Explorer.
2. If the flash has been detected, the name of your flash will appear. Right-click the mouse button on the name of your flash drive and select copy.
3. Open the drive on your computer or to make it easier you can use the Desktop then right click the mouse button and select paste.
4. Wait for the backup process to complete.
5. Done, all your flash data is backed up safely.
If before formatting the flash drive and you will be backing up all flash data into an Android cellphone, the method is as follows:
.1 The first step is to connect the flash to the Android phone using USB OTG.
.2 After that, please open the File Manager application. If the application is not yet available, you can first install an application called Mi File Manager via google playstore.
.3 If the flash has been detected, the name of your flash will appear.
.4 Then open the flash drive and mark all existing files and folders and select the copy menu.
.5 After copying, make sure you don’t exit the File Manager application then open the internal memory or external memory (memory card) on your Android phone using the application and select the paste menu.
.6 Wait for the backup process to complete.
.7 Done, all your flash data is backed up safely.
Well, the next important thing so that the flash format process is successful and safe is to make sure you don’t remove or move the flash drive from the USB port on your cellphone / laptop during the formatting process. This is very important so that your flash is not damaged.
After the preparation is complete, you can start following the steps on how to format the flash drive according to the device you are using below:
# 1.How to Format a Flash Drive on a Windows Laptop via File Explorer
You can use the following flash format method on laptops with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 operating systems.
But if you use a laptop with another operating system such as Linux or MacOS then the method will be slightly different but basically the same.
In this guide you only need the File Explorer software which is already available on every Windows laptop so you don’t need to install any software anymore.
Don’t worry because you don’t need to use the troublesome CMD because File Explorer in the latest version of Windows is enough to format a flash drive with problems such as a write protected flash and an unreadable flash.
Here are the steps:
1. The first step is to insert the flash drive into the USB port of your computer or laptop and then open File Explorer.
2. If the flash has been detected, the name of your flash will appear. Right-click the mouse button on the name of your flash drive and select Format….
3. After that a small window will appear containing the format settings. In general, you don’t need to change any existing settings except for the Volume Label which will be the new name of your flash drive after formatting. Click the Start button to start the flash format process.
4. The last step is a warning that all data on the flash will be erased. If you are sure you want to format the flash then click the OK button.
5. Wait for the formatting process to finish.
# 2.How to Format a Flash Drive on an Android Phone With USB OTG
This flash format method can be very useful if you don’t have a laptop but need to format the flash as soon as possible.
In this guide, Gadgetlogy uses a xiaomi brand android phone. First, make sure that your cellphone supports USB OTG in the way that GadgetLogi has listed at the beginning of the article.
Here are the steps:
1.Prepare USB OTG and flash which will be formatted and HP android
2.If so, plug the flash drive into the cellphone port using USB OTG. Wait a few moments until a message appears that the flash has been detected by your cellphone.
3. Enter the Settings menu (Settings).
4. Then look for the Storage menu in the SYSTEM SETTINGS section.
5. Then search for “USB DRIVER (Your Flashdisk Brand)” and select Clean USB storage to format the flash drive.
6. Then you will enter the Format as portable storage section. Here there is also a warning that all data on the flash will be deleted without exception. Make sure to first backup important data on the flash if you don’t want to lose important data. If you are sure, please press the Delete & format button.
7. Wait for the formatting process to finish.
If you are still confused, you can watch the video “how to format a flash drive correctly and safely” on the GadgetLogi youtube channel
Good luck and hopefully useful.
