Not possible to format some USB sticks to NTFS?

I'm not sure if this is hardware or software, so forgive me if this is the wrong place. I've tried everything I can think of to format my USB stick to NTFS from FAT32 and nothing is working. I'm wondering if it's possible that some cheap, unbranded USB sticks can't be formatted that way, any clues?

On XP it wouldn't let me choose the option, so I set the USB to optimize performance. It then gave me the option, but I keep getting an "Unable to complete the format" error message.

I've tried using various software to do it and I get the same message. I tried to do it through CMD and got the message "The second NTFS boot sector is unwriteable"

I've run out of ideas, it's 1am, I'm cranky and my college tutor isn't going to be happy that I spent all night trying to do this when it should've been a simple job lol. Sorry for my first post being a problem but I've lurked here for a while and the forums have helped me in the past, and I hope they can now.

Thanks!

 

Hi Diamondis, welcome to majorgeeks.

This is an easy one, and common aswell

With the USB device plugged in:

Go to run and type

This will bring up your device manager, expand the disk drive section and find the USB device...

Right click the device and select "properties"

Then go to the "policies" tab and select he "optimize for performance" option....

Click OK.

Then go to "my computer" and right click the USB device and select format, now it should format to NTFS.

Please note: Having it set this way may cause it to take longer to eject the drive, and ther is no way round this!

Q

 

Sadly, I've tried that numerous times already. I tried it once more just in case and got the "Windows is unable to complete the format" message again. Highly annoying! >< I thought it would be a two minute job lol.

 

Hmm

Have you tried using G-Parted?

Q

 

I may just give up on it =( The problem I have with the thing is that if I put a video file on it, it corrupts it. I thought a reformat would fix it but no luck. Then I needed to transfer a file over 4GB and that's where the NTFS trouble started.

I took it to a guy on my course at college who knows more than I ever will about computers and he formatted it in a way I've never even seen before. I think he did it with some CD from boot up and that didn't work either. He seems to think it is a hardware problem because as far as he knows, no USB stick is locked to one format.

He suggested making a partition on it and making that NTFS, but I don't think I can do it on Windows XP.

Anyway, thanks for the help Q, I think I'll just send it back. I have a years warranty on it and the corruption of any video files warrants a send back anyway.

Cheers.

 

No prob's diamondis, sorry i couldn't be more help


I agree with your friend, you *should* be able to format it as you like.

You could maybe pop into the IT department of your college and show it to them, im sure someone would like a challenge

Q

 

Lol I would, but I know more than the tech support at my college Plus it took them over a year to fix a CD drive that was only missing a rubber band on the inside. Really hoping I can send it back, not sure I want to store my work on a USB that corrupts video files and doesn't allow you to format it how you want lol.

 

Sending it back is probably best, i always like to buy stuff like this from a local shop....

...So i have someone to shout at (possibly throw it at!) if it doesn't work properly

Q

 

My localest place (is that a word?) to get one is ASDA, which rip you off big time. It's something like £8 - £10 for 1-2GB of memory. My brother got a stick from eBay which still works fine, so I decided to get one. Just my luck that mine is faulty rolleyes £17 for 16GB was just too tempting though.

 

I have to say that Q is right on -- I've been trying to format a USB drive and never had any luck but following Q 's advice it worked perfect -- have to say thanks