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134 lines
3.4 KiB
134 lines
3.4 KiB
# Guide for Reformatting USB Drives
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This guide provides instructions for reformatting USB drives on Linux and Windows platforms.
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## Table of Contents
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- [Linux](#linux)
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- [Identify the USB Drive](#identify-the-usb-drive)
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- [Unmount the USB Drive](#unmount-the-usb-drive)
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- [Format the USB Drive](#format-the-usb-drive)
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- [Create a File System](#create-a-file-system)
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- [Mount the USB Drive](#mount-the-usb-drive)
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- [Windows diskpart](#windows-diskpart)
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## Linux
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### Identify the USB Drive
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First, you need to identify the drive you want to reformat. You can list all the storage devices in your computer with the following command:
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\`\`\`bash
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lsblk
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\`\`\`
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This will give you a list of devices along with their mount points. Your USB drive will usually be something like `/dev/sdb` or `/dev/sdc`.
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### Unmount the USB Drive
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Before reformatting, you should unmount the drive. This can be done with the following command:
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\`\`\`bash
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sudo umount /dev/sdX
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\`\`\`
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### Format the USB Drive
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Now you can start the process of reformatting. You can use `fdisk` to manage the partitions on your USB drive. Use the following command to start `fdisk` for your drive:
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\`\`\`bash
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sudo fdisk /dev/sdX
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\`\`\`
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Once you're in the `fdisk` utility, you can use the following commands:
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- `p` - Display the partition table to confirm you're working with the correct drive.
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- `d` - Delete a partition. If there are multiple partitions, it will ask you which one you want to delete. Repeat this step until all partitions are deleted.
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- `n` - Create a new partition. Follow the prompts to accept the defaults.
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- `t` - Change the partition type. If asked for a code, use `b` for FAT32 or `83` for Linux.
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- `w` - Write changes and exit.
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### Create a File System
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Now that you have a new partition, you can format it with a file system. If you want a FAT32 file system, you can use the following command:
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\`\`\`bash
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sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdX1
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\`\`\`
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Or if you want an ext4 file system, use this command instead:
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\`\`\`bash
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sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX1
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\`\`\`
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### Mount the USB Drive
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Now you can mount the drive again:
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\`\`\`bash
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sudo mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt
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\`\`\`
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Now your USB drive is reformatted and ready to use!
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> **IMPORTANT:** Be very careful when using these commands, as choosing the wrong drive can result in data loss. Always double-check the drive name (`/dev/sdX`) before running these commands.
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## Windows diskpart
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1. Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
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\`\`\`powershell
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diskpart
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\`\`\`
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2. List all the connected storage devices.
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\`\`\`powershell
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list disk
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\`\`\`
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3. Identify your USB drive by its size and replace X with its disk number.
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\`\`\`powershell
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select disk X
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\`\`\`
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4. Delete all data and partitions on the drive.
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\`\`\`powershell
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clean
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\`\`\`
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5. Create a new primary partition.
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\`\`\`powershell
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create partition primary
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\`\`\`
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6. Select the newly created partition.
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\`\`\`powershell
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select partition 1
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\`\`\`
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7. Format the partition to FAT32 or NTFS (replace "fs=fat32" with "fs=ntfs" if you want NTFS file system).
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\`\`\`powershell
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format fs=fat32 quick
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\`\`\`
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8. Assign a drive letter to the partition (replace "Y" with your desired drive letter).
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\`\`\`powershell
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assign letter=Y
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\`\`\`
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9. Exit DiskPart.
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\`\`\`powershell
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exit
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\`\`\`
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> This guide will completely erase all the data on your USB drive and prepare it for fresh use. Be sure to replace X with your disk number and Y with the desired letter for your drive.
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