How to fix the USB drive format error message in Windows

USB Drives are one of the wonders of modern technology, as they are a way for the users to carry a large amount of data. They can store a good number of movies, data, files, songs and videos in spite of the fact that they are even smaller than our finger. Earlier, they were limited to 32GB or 64GB of USB devices but now with the advancement of technology, the USB devices come with all storage options.

But since it is a piece of technology, it comes with its own fair share of problems. The most common problems the USB drives face with is the error messages which renders the device unreadable and unwritable. Here are the steps by which you can check for errors on your USB drive:

Checking the error via Windows built-in error checking utility tool:

1. Open File Explorer and then right click on the USB Drive.
2. Select ‘Properties’ from the list of options.
3. Go to ‘Tools’ and then click on ‘Check Now’ under the error checking.
4. After that, you need to choose from the option ‘Automatically fix file system errors’ or ‘Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors’. Once selected, you can click on ‘Start’.
5. The tool will then start checking for errors and remove them automatically.

Using Command Prompt to check and fix the errors:

1. Insert the USB drive to your laptop/ PC.
2. Then open Command Prompt from the ‘Windows Home’ button or you can simply type ‘cmd’ in the search bar beside the Home icon to bring the Command Prompt. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
3. After it opens, write ‘diskpart’ and click Enter.
4. Then type ‘list disk’ and press Enter, it will show all the list connected devices with your PC.
5. You will need to write down the disk number of your USB drive. After that type ‘select disk disk_number’.
6. You will need to replace the ‘disk_number’ with the number of the USB drive. Once it is done, press Enter.
7. Then type ‘clean’ and press Enter.
8. Your USB drive will start cleaning.

Update the USB Driver:

1. Open the Run dialog box on the PC by pressing the Windows key + R at the same time.
2. Once the dialog box opens, type devmgmt.msc then press Enter.
3. Once the Device Manager opens, you need to find and expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers.
4. After this, you need to look for Unknown Devices and then right click on it then click on Properties.
5. Once the next window opens, click on the ‘Update Driver’ and select the option ‘Search for updates automatically’.
6. It will search for the newest version of the USB driver and will automatically install on your PC/ laptop.