How to format a flash drive to make it bootable. How to properly format a flash drive. Programs and formatting methods. How hdd low level format tool works

On our website there are many instructions on how to make a bootable flash drive from a regular flash drive (for example, for installing Windows). But what if you need to return the flash drive to its previous state? We will try to answer this question today.

The first thing to note is that banal formatting will not be enough. The fact is that when a flash drive is converted into a boot drive, a special service file is written to a memory sector that is inaccessible to the user and cannot be erased using conventional methods. This file forces the system to recognize not the actual volume of the flash drive, but the occupied image of the system: for example, only 4 GB ( Windows image 7) from, say, 16 GB (actual capacity). As a result, only these 4 gigabytes can be formatted, which, of course, is not suitable.

There are several solutions to this problem. The first is to use specialized software designed to work with drive layout. Second, use the built-in using Windows. Each option is good in its own way, so let's look at them.

Note! Each of the methods described below involves formatting the flash drive, which will delete all data on it!

Method 1: HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

Despite its cumbersomeness, this method is good with an almost one hundred percent guarantee of a positive result in most cases.

The methods described above are the most convenient for the end user. If you know alternatives, please share them in the comments.

It happens that our beloved friend, the computer, breaks down. Got viruses? Poor quality installation of programs, or just want to change the operating system? And then the attack on the Internet begins, in search of useful information: how to make a bootable USB flash drive? In fact, there is more than one way to create it. In this article we will look at the main and most accessible ones. So, let's begin.

How to make a bootable USB flash drive using the command line

The next method is for those who do not want to use additional programs and utilities. Here only the resources of your own computer are used.

First of all, insert a flash drive with a capacity of at least 4 gigabytes into the USB port desktop computer, or a laptop, or maybe a netbook. Next we need to get to command line. To access the command line, you must press the “Run” key in the Start menu.

If you are familiar with the keyboard shortcut, then of course you know that just press “Win ​​+ R”, the “Run” window will appear. We enter “cmd” into the empty field and then the command line “menu” will appear, which is what we need. In what follows, we will work exclusively with the command line.

In the command line window, enter the value “ diskpart"- command enterprise, it will allow you to manage disks, press the “enter” key. Enter all values ​​without quotes.

After the information has loaded, enter “ list disk", This command will display a list of all devices and disk drives that are connected to your device. Next, press the “Enter” key again.

We are looking for our flash drive, which can have any number. Depending on the number of this digit, we will enter the following value. If your flash drive is number 2, then enter the command “ Select disk 2", 1- " Select disk 1", 5 - " Select disk 5", and so on . You need to accurately determine the flash drive number if you do not want to format the volume of your hard drive.

So, let's enter the command " select disk", and the number that marks our flash drive. Next, press “Enter” again.

Once the flash drive is selected, we can continue further, but first we need to completely delete the files from it and prepare it for further recording. To do this, enter the command “ clean". Press the “Enter” key.

After disk cleanup is completed, enter the command “ Create partition primary". This will create a primary partition. Press "Enter".

Now, we need to format our flash drive and transfer it to an NTFS partition, since the flash drive is initially formatted as FAT32. Let's enter the command " format fs=NTFS" and press the “Enter” key. Let's wait for the formatting to finish. If you're in a hurry and don't have time to wait, you can perform a quick format instead of " Fformat fs=NTFS", you must enter " Format fs=NTFS QUICK". But it is not necessary to resort to this, since formatting does not take long.

After the flash drive is formatted, you can enter the command assign letter= and assign a letter to our flash drive. If you enter the command assign, the letter of the flash drive is assigned automatically.

After this, our flash drive appears. Exit the program by entering the command Exit .

Bootable USB flash drive is ready!

The bootable flash drive is made, and now you need to transfer all the files of the selected operating system.

Important: Files must be transferred only in unpacked form. If you put a disk image, nothing will happen and will not work.

After everything is ready to reinstall the operating system, it is necessary in the system BIOS, select removable media as the primary device. In order for the computer to boot from the bootable flash drive you created... To do this, press one of the keys. Usually this is Delet, F2, or Esc. We set the boot priority to removable media. That's all. Now you can install a new operating system and enjoy the knowledge that you did everything yourself!

How to make a bootable USB flash drive using UltraISO

This is a method for those who are not afraid to use different programs. Program Ultra ISO It’s quite easy to use, and you can easily turn a flash drive into a boot disk. So, let's begin.

First, download the program and install it on your computer. After that, click on the icon right click mouse and select “Run as administrator”.

The program window has opened, and we go to the “file” menu and click “Open.” For those who use the keyboard shortcut, press Ctrl+O. Select the system image you need, select it and click open.

Go to the “Boot” menu and click on the “Burn hard disk image” option. Select a flash drive that will become the boot disk. It is desirable that it be at least 4 gigabytes in size.

In the pop-up window, you need to select the recording method “USB-HDD+”, check that the removable media – flash drive, file – image is specified correctly. Click the “record” button.

A pop-up window will appear saying that all information from the flash drive will be erased! We are not afraid, we confirm that we agree and press the “yes” button.

The recording of information to the flash drive will begin. It may take some time. You can spend it on calling a close friend, or just have some tea.

The message “Recording complete?” appears. Great. The operating system image is recorded. You can exit the program by clicking the “Back” button. The program can now be closed.

The bootable USB flash drive is ready to go!

Also in the BIOS we set the boot priority from a removable drive so that the computer loads the flash drive you created. After everything is ready to reinstall the operating system, it is necessary in the system BIOS, select removable media as the primary device. So that the computer boots from the bootable USB flash drive you created. To do this, press one of the “ ” keys to enter the Bios. Typically these are the keys Delete, F2, or Esc. We set the boot priority to removable media.

How to make a bootable USB flash drive dos (dos)

Another option for creating a bootable flash drive. There are several options for how to make a bootable USB flash drive. Let's start with the simplest thing.

How to make a bootable dos flash drive (DOS) using Rufus

First, let's download a program that will allow us to make such a flash drive from the official website. This program does not require installation and is immediately ready for use. Let's launch Rufus.

Select the Device field, and in it the flash drive that needs to be made the boot disk. Attention: All files from the flash drive will be deleted, so if there is any important information, move it to another place.

In field File System specify the format of the flash drive FAT 32.

Opposite the “create a bootable disk using” item, select MS-DOS or FreeDOS, it depends on which version of DOS you want to run from the flash drive. There's not much difference. Click “Start”.

That's all. The recording process will not take much time.

Bootable USB flash drive Dos - ready!

How to downloadfull flash drive dos (DOS) using the WinToFlash program

Actually, there is nothing complicated here either. Download the program to your computer from the official website. Let's launch the program. In the window that appears, select the “Advanced Mode” tab.

After that, in the “Task” field, select “create a drive with MS-DOS” and click the “Create” button.

The bootable Dos flash drive is ready to go.

Again in the BIOS we set the boot priority from the removable drive so that the computer loads the flash drive you created. After everything is ready to reinstall the operating system, you need to BIOS system, select removable media as the primary device. In order for the computer to boot from the bootable flash drive you created... To do this, press one of the keys. Typically these are the keys, Delet, F2, or Esc. We set the boot priority to removable media.

How to make a bootable USB flash drive for ubuntu (ubuntu)

The first method is suitable for those who use the operating room ubuntu system, or can boot from LiveCD. This operating system has the necessary utility for this. With the help of it we will make a bootable USB flash drive. Its name is “usb-creator-gtk.” You can call it by pressing ALT+F2 and entering the name of the utility. Or go to the applications menu, find the “Create a boot disk” item.

In the program, you need to select the drive device (physical media or image), and then the flash drive device.

Another way to the delight of those who want to make a bootable ubuntu flash drive directly from Windows.

First you need to have the UNetbootin program, in order to use it to create boot disk flash drives. It is also important to format the flash drive in the fat32 file system before working. We launch the program, indicate the path to the image downloaded Ubuntu programs. Select the flash drive you want to use and press the “ok” button. All. You don't need to do anything else. Everything will be done without our help and guidance.

And again we set the priority of loading from a flash drive in Bios.

And the last way we'll look at is...

How to make a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 7 USB/DWD Download Tool

Again, download the program from the official website (so as not to pick up viruses). Let's install it on your Personal Computer. Let's launch the program from a shortcut on the desktop, with administrator rights.

Program for English language(there were no people willing to Russify it), but it is not complicated and quite easy to understand.

Click the “Browse” button and select the image file of the “OS” that we want to install. The image is selected, click Next. Now you need to select the media type. We have removable media, and therefore select “USB device”.

In the window that appears, select the flash drive and click the “Begin copying” button.

Thus, let's start formatting the flash drive.

After some time, when formatting is completed, data recording to the flash drive will begin.

We are waiting for the formatting to complete; when everything is ready, we will receive a ready-made bootable USB flash drive.

And again we visit Bios, set the boot priority from the flash drive.

Now, without any difficulties, you can create bootable flash drives for yourself, or just help your friends. No visit service centers and endless cries for help, you will do it yourself.

To create a bootable flash drive we will use programs from both a third-party manufacturer and a built-in interpreter Windows commands. Each method is different and has its own specifics, but I think that a simple end user will be able to cope with creating a bootable flash drive using any of the proposed methods:

• how to make a bootable USB flash drive using the command line
• how to make a bootable USB flash drive using UltraISO
• how to make a bootable USB flash drive using Windows7 USB/DVD Download Tool

If you are interested in information about creating a bootable USB flash drive for a family of operating systems Linux systems, then you can read the information at this link “bootable USB flash drive for Linux”.

So, I propose to start creating a bootable flash drive in order, as defined in the above list, accordingly we proceed to the first method.

BOOT FLASH DRIVE using the command line (method I)

Next, we will use only those commands that we need when creating a bootable flash drive. Therefore, the figure below shows the sequential entry of commands to create a bootable USB flash drive. And please pay attention to the fact that the commands you enter are indicated by a red underline!

Graphical representation of command input on the command line

Now let's describe the previously entered commands:

DISKPART- launch the program, a text-mode command interpreter that allows you to manage objects (disks, partitions or volumes) using scripts or directly entering commands from the command line.

list disk- display a list of disk drives connected to a personal computer.

select disk 1- select disk number “1”, since in our case it is a removable flash drive.

clean- clears all data from removable media - flash drive.

create partition primary- create a primary partition.

select partition 1- select the created section.

active- make the section active.

format fs=NTFS- format the flash drive in the NTFS file system.

assign letter=T- if necessary, you can assign a letter for the flash drive in this way.

Exit- exit the DISKPART program.

BOOTABLE FLASH DRIVE CREATED!

NOTE: Once you have created a bootable USB flash drive, you need to transfer the operating system files to this removable media. Files must be transferred in unpacked form, do not under any circumstances simply add an operating system image, for example one *.ISO file, it WILL NOT WORK!!!

Full list of commands Diskpart programs you can look at the following table:

Table of commands of the "DISKPART" program

BOOT FLASH DRIVE using the UltraISO program (II method)

The UltraISO program is designed for creating and editing disk images. When creating a bootable flash drive, we will use the built-in functions of this program.

Open the program with administrator rights, as shown in the figure:

Select the required operating system image to create a bootable flash drive, for example, the image is selected here Windows disk Vista:

A pop-up window appears where you need to make sure that the removable media, the image file to be recorded and the recording method are correctly specified (it must be set in USB-HDD+ mode) and click the “burn” button

After clicking the "Write" button, a "Hint" window will appear, prompting you to erase all information on the flash drive. Agree!

Then the data will be written to the flash drive...

And finally, through certain time, the operating system image will be written to the newly created bootable USB flash drive for future installation.

BOOTABLE FLASH DRIVE IS MADE!

NOTE: Don't forget to install on the I/O system BIOS loading primary device, that is, make sure that the computer boots from removable media - the bootable flash drive you created.

BOOT FLASH DRIVE using Windows7 USB/DVD Download Tool (III method)

The Windows7 USB/DVD Download Tool program created by Microsoft for burning operating system disk images to optical and removable media. When creating a bootable flash drive, we will sequentially follow all the instructions of the program.

First you need to download this program from the official Microsoft website. Then you need to install the program following the installer's instructions. After installing the program, a shortcut will appear on the desktop, as shown in the figure:

Run it with "Administrator rights", right-click on the shortcut and click on the line "Run as administrator". The program will start, click the "Browse" button and select the operating system image *.ISO

After you have selected the image of the system to be recorded, click "Next", another window will appear where you will be asked to select the type of media - optical or removable. Since we have a removable storage device - a flash drive, select "USB device"

We select our removable media from the proposed list, i.e. flash drive and press the "Begin copying" button

After clicking the above button, the process of formatting the flash drive will begin...

After some time, the process of writing the disk image data to the flash drive will continue.

We wait some time for the image to be recorded, and eventually we will get 100%, and here we are bootable flash drive formed!

NOTE: Do not forget to set the BIOS input/output system to boot the primary device, that is, make sure that the computer boots from removable media - the bootable flash drive you created.

I will show you 4 ways to help you make a bootable USB flash drive. Usually it is needed to install Windows OS or for a program if it runs before the system boots.

There are many programs to solve this problem, but sometimes you can get by using the system. I will provide instructions that will help you make a bootable USB flash drive with any version of Windows or program. 4 methods, 2 universal and 2 for specific OS.

But before that you need to prepare. You will need:

1. Flash drive with a capacity of 4 GB or more.
2. Image ( iso) operating system or program for which a bootable USB flash drive will be created.

Before creating a bootable USB flash drive, be sure to format it to avoid errors.

Bootable USB flash drive in Windows OS

You can do without third-party programs and do everything in Windows. To do this you will have to use a number of commands. I will demonstrate only the most necessary ones.

First clear your device of all files. To do this, go to the execution line ( Win+R) from the Start menu >> Run, and then enter the command diskpart as in the image below.

In the window that appears, enter list disk to see all devices for further work with them.

In my example, there were 2 devices:

1. 0 - hard drive.
2. 1 - flash drive.

Distinguish a flash drive from hard drives very simple in size. Select it with the command select disk 1.

Be careful, there may be another number instead of 1.

After this, you need to create a primary partition. To do this, enter create partition primary.

Select a section by entering select partition 1 and activate it with the command active.

Then set the letter to the carrier ( automatically) by entering assign and finish the job Exit.

Now be sure to download the files to the USB flash drive unpacked. If you just copy the iso file, nothing will work.

If you don’t understand something, you can watch a video on how to do it using a real example.

Bootable USB flash drive for Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

Download and install the USB/DVD Download Tool. It is made specifically to work with Windows files 7 and absolutely free. Most likely it won't work with others. Total 4 simple steps for creating.

Please note that if you use an image not from the official Microsoft website, problems or errors may occur.

Specify the path to iso file y and go to the next step.

Then select “USB device” for a flash drive or “DVD” for a disk.

Select a flash drive and start copying. It must have at least 4 GB of free space.

Then wait until it is written to the device and you will receive a ready-made bootable USB flash drive.

The instructions are also available in video format.

Bootable USB flash drive for all images in UltraIso

This paid program has a free trial period. Download it from the official website and install. It is multifunctional and in Russian. Suitable for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10.

You can see an example Windows installations XP in the video. With other versions of systems, everything is done similarly.

Once launched, select a trial period.

Then open the image in the program.

Now in the “Bootboot” tab, select the image entry as shown in the example below.

Settings are made here.

1. Disk drive- flash drive.
2. Image file— here check whether the path is specified correctly.
3. Recording method- be sure to use USB-HDD+. Otherwise, in some cases it will not work.

After checking all the settings, start recording.

Wait for it to finish. Time to finish is shown on the right.

Under no circumstances remove the flash drive until the process is completed.

If completed successfully, you will see a completion message. After this, the bootable USB flash drive will be ready. Just close the window and enjoy.

Additional method for Windows XP

Download free utility DirectGrub and unpack the archive. No installation required. Select the iso file, flash drive and click “Start” as in the image below.

Wait while the files are copied. After successful completion, a window will appear.

I hope you don’t have any questions and everything turned out well.

What did you use to create a bootable USB flash drive?

Formatting is the process by which a data storage area is marked up. This area is called file system , and is a table.

Each square of such a table is called a cluster. And when a file is copied to a flash drive, the clusters are filled with data one by one until the file is completely moved.

If information is frequently rewritten to the device, the clusters begin to fill unevenly, since some of them contain remnants of previous files. And new recorded files can occupy clusters at different ends of the “table”, which slows down the operation of the flash drive.

Formatting resets all parameters and re-performs the markup. This has a positive effect on the speed of the device, because the file system is reset. That is, the “table” is cleared.

Why do you need to format

• To quickly destroy all recorded information
• To “kill” all viruses and traces of their activity
• To resolve errors that occur when opening and writing files
• To speed up the device
• When creating a bootable USB flash drive

Formatting erases all data that was written to the flash drive! Therefore, before running it, be sure to transfer all important files to another location (for example, to your hard drive).

How to quickly format a flash drive

This can be done using standard system tools. They are available in any version of Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10).

1 . Insert the flash drive into your computer.

Most likely, an autorun window will open in a second or two. Let's close it.

2. Open Start - Computer.

3. Right-click on the flash drive icon and select “Format...”.

4 . Select parameters or leave everything as is.

File system. You are asked to choose one of three. The default is usually Fat32. It is good if small files will be written to the device, as it interacts with them faster. But if you need to write a file larger than 4 GB, then problems will arise - Fat32 does not support working with such large files.

NTFS is another matter. This system is capable of working with very large files, even more than 1TB. But with small ones it works a little slower than Fat32.

There is also exFAT. This is an upgraded Fat 32 that can handle files larger than 4GB. However, on this moment it is only supported in Windows system 7 and higher, and other devices (for example, TVs) and computers on the previous Windows versions can't work with her.

There are more advanced file systems, for example, ext4, but Windows does not yet support anything better than NTFS and exFAT.

So, if you plan to write small files to a flash drive, then you can leave the default file system (Fat32), and if you need to copy to it separate files more than 4 GB (for example, a movie), then select NTFS.

Cluster size. Minimum data size. It is better not to change anything in this field.

Volume label. The name of the device that will be shown during boot. For example, I want the flash drive to appear as "Neumeka". This means that I erase from this field what is suggested and print the name I need. As a result, it will appear like this:

Formatting Methods. Initially, this item is checked for “Quick (cleaning table of contents)”. This method will overwrite the file system, which is usually quite enough.

If you uncheck the box, a full format will be done, which means that the computer will first check the physical surface of the flash drive and if it finds damage, it will fix it. In fact, they will simply disguise themselves and then it will not be possible to write information there. And only after all this will the file system be written.

5 . Click “Start”.

The system will warn us that it will destroy all information from the device. We agree and wait for the end of the process.

When it finishes, we will see the following window. Click “OK” and close the formatting window.

All! The device is ready for use.

If it didn't work out

Despite the fact that a flash drive is more reliable than a CD and DVD disc However, she also faces problems. For example, it may simply not be displayed in “Computer”.

This happens for several reasons:

• File system is damaged
• The device was not formatted by the manufacturer
• The letter of the flash drive matches the letter of the drive already in use by Windows

To eliminate these reasons, go to Start - Control Panel.

Go to “System and Security” and/or “Administration”.

Open "Computer Management".

Click on “Disk Management” on the left side.

The window takes on the following appearance.

Right-click on the flash drive and select “Format...”.

Formatting using the command line

Another formatting method. But in order to use it, you need to know exactly the letter of the flash drive. Otherwise, you may accidentally delete data from another, desired drive.

1 . Press the keyboard shortcut Win + R.

2. In the Run window, enter cmd and click OK.

3. In the window that appears, enter format G: /FS:NTFS /Q /V:flashka

• format is a command to start formatting
• G is the drive letter under which your computer recognizes the flash drive (do not confuse it!)
• /FS:NTFS - file system in which you want to format the device. If you want fat32, then enter FS:FAT32
• /Q - quick formatting. If you need the complete one, just don't use this command
• /V:flashka - volume label (this name will be displayed when loading in “Computer”).

When everything is ready, a similar inscription will appear.

Low-level formatting or “flash drive treatment”

Use this method should only be done if all of the above did not help.

Download and install HDD program LLF Low Level Format Tool from the official website. During the installation process, select “Continue for free”.

Open the program, select your flash drive and click Continue.

A window with information about the device will appear. Go to the LOW-LEVEL FORMAT tab.

Click on the FORMAT THIS DEVICE button.

A warning appears that all data written to the media will be erased. Click “Yes”.

And we wait for the end of the process: when the window becomes something like this and 100% complete is written.

We close it and do the usual formatting, otherwise the flash drive will not open. To do this, follow the first instructions from this article (Start - Computer - right-click on the flash drive icon - Format...).