9 Ways to Fix Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format

When you connect a USB storage device but Windows fails to format it, there are few fixes you can try before completely giving upon them.

In these cases, plugging it into a different USB port will not work. Even if you’ve tried connecting to different PCs with little success, if there’s no physical damage, you might be able to use it if you fix it correctly.

We’ve provided some troubleshooting tips below to assist you in identifying and resolving the problem. The fixes provided are compatible with all USB thumb drives, SD cards, and external hard drives.

Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format

Using Format Command

1. Right-click on the Start Menu and select Windows Powershell run as administrator.
2. Type the following command: format G: /fs: NTFS
3. This command Formats drive G as file system NTFS.
4. Change NTFS to FAT32 for thumb drives or memory cards below 4gb size.
5. Press Enter and wait until the format is complete.

Using DISKPART Command

1. Right-click on the Start Menu and select Windows Powershell(Admin).
2. Type diskpart and press Enter to enter interactive mode.
3. Then Type list disk to bring up a list of all connected disk drives.
4. Make a note of the drive number you want to format.
5. Now type select disk 2, replacing 2 with the drive number from Step 4.
6. Type clean and press Enter to erase all data in the selected drive.
7. Type create partition primary to create a new primary partition.
8. Type format fs=FAT32 to format the new partition file system. Replace FAT32 with NTFS for hard disk drives.
9. Type assign letter G to assign a letter to the drive.
10. Type exit to complete the format process.

Using CHKDSK Command(NTFS only)

1. Right-click on the Start Menu and select Windows Powershell(Admin).
2. Type chkdsk G: /f /r to run the chkdsk utility for any bad sectors causing the problems.
3. Chkdsk command also attempts to repair bad sectors and hopefully fix the error.

Using Disk Management Window

1. Press Win key + R together to bring up the Run window.
2. Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter to bring up the disk management window.
3. Under the list of drives, right-click on the drive you want to format.
4. Select Format option. If the drive shows up as unallocated, choose New Simple Volume instead.
5. Select File system as FAT32 or NTFS as needed. Leave other settings to default.
6. Uncheck Perform a quick format to turn it off.
7. Select Next and wait until the format is completed.

Using Scan And Repair

1. Open the File Explorer window and go to This PC.
2. Under the list of drives, right-click on the drive having issues.
3. Select Properties.
4. Go to the Tools tab.
5. Under Error-checking, click on the Check button.
6. Select Scan drive and wait until the scan and fix process is completed.

Removing Write Protection

1. First, make sure that a physical lock does not protect the device.
2. Press Win key + R together to bring up the Run window.
3. Type regedit and press Enter to bring up the Registry Editor window.
4. From the left navigation pane, go to the following location. COMPUTER\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control 
5. Right-click on the Control list and Select Key under New.
6. Type the name StorageDevicePolicies for the new key.
7. Right-click on it and select QWORD(64-bit value) under New. If running on 32 bit, choose DWORD 32 bit instead.
8. Type the name WriteProtect for the new registry entry.
9. Double-click on the WriteProtect and enter 0.
10. Select Hexadecimal under the Base section.
11. Press OK and reboot your PC before trying again.

Updating The USB Drivers

1. Remove the USB disk drive that is having the issue.
2. Right-click on the Start Menu and select Device Manager.
3. Under Universal Serial Bus controllers, choose Scan for hardware changes.
4. Plug back the USB drive-in.
5. Wait until the system detects the drive and installs the latest USB driver on its own.
6. After completion, your disk should be ready.

Using SD Formatter For Memory Cards (SD/SDHC/SXDC)

1. Click on the Start menu and search for PC info.
2. Select About your PC.
3. Under Windows specifications, note down the version number.
4. Download the official SD card formatter.
5. Download for the right version according to the version number in Step 3.
6. After the download completes, run the setup to install a new application.
7. After installation, open SD Card Formatter.
8. Select the SD card letter.
9. Select Overwrite format under Formatting options.
10. Click on Format to start formatting.

Scanning for Malware

1. Go to Start Menu and type Security to bring up Windows & Security options.
2. Select Virus & threat protection.
3. Select Quick scan to do a quick check for any malware.
4. If you have any other anti-virus programs, make sure to do a scan from there as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Causes The Windows To Be Unable To Complete The Format Error Message?

Some of the common causes of this error message are given below:

1. File system error due to unsupported file systems
   Windows supports a standard set of file systems. If a particular disk doesn’t fall under the list, Windows becomes unable to recognize the disk. Thus it throws the error message. 
2. Write-protected locks.
   Some SD cards or disk drives have hardware lock features. This prevents you from removing the files. These locks differ from each manufacturer and can be as simple as just moving a slider switch. When trying to format a Write-protected disk, Windows gives the error message.
3. Physical damage of the disk drive.
   If the disk or the card is physically damaged, Windows cannot read the drive. This causes the system to prompt you to format the drive for usage. But, the process never completes because Windows cannot format the drive.
4. Bad sectors in the disk.
   Because of overuse or physical wear and tear, some of the sectors in the magnetic disk may have worn out. This causes the system to not respond to the device when plugged in. Thus Windows will show the error message.
5. Virus in your system preventing formats.
   Malware in the device or your system may be preventing formats. Some malware is highly resilient and will use any tactic to keep itself on the system. These viruses can prevent disk formats or even prevent you from accessing the files in them. 

Can I use Linux To Format A Corrupt Storage Device?

Linux has a powerful set of tools to help you format and use all file systems. If the file system is ext4 or ext3, Windows is unable to read from this file system. Thus, plugging the device into a Linux system can work to read and write from the storage.

The most popular Linux tool for disk management is GParted. It comes equipped with a graphical interface to configure your disks easily. If the storage device has become corrupt due to physical damage, you may not be able to format the device. But you should still give it a try nonetheless.

What Is The File System In My Storage?

The default file systems in external storage devices can vary from the type of device. Normally, Windows can determine the file system of a readable storage drive.

1. Plugin the storage device.
2. Go to File Explorer and select This PC.
3. Under the list of drives, do a right-click on the storage device.
4. Select Properties.
5. Under General, the File system should show the type of file system.
   • If it shows an unknown filesystem, you can format it to any supported file system.
   • SD cards, thumb drives are generally FAT32.
   • External storage drives are NTFS.

Finally,

When Windows throws this message, most of the time it’s due to physical damage. Software or program fix generally does not work for hardware faults. Even formatting the drive can only do so much to help the issue.

After trying all the above fixes, if the issue is not resolved you should treat it as a hardware issue. You need to explore other options such as warranty claims. If the device is well beyond the warranty period, you will have to consult a tech repair expert.

The other option is to replace the device altogether. Sometimes replacing the device is much cheaper than repairing your existing device. At the end of the day, you should be the one to decide which is the right option for you.