[SOLVED] Reformat USB Drive?

[tomseurocat]

I have a USB Drive that I made into a Linux OS boot drive that I now would like to reformat so that I can re-use this drive. When I plug it into my PC I get the message 'Please insert a disk in USB Drive (O'. I can't insert a USB in a USB, so I don't know what to do with this USB. Any thoughts?

 

[Barty1884]

Sounds like it's auto-mounting an ISO drive, like a virtual DVD drive (as a poor example).

Can you not simply right click the drive in "This PC" and then 'format'?

 

[tomseurocat]

It just keeps coming back with the message that 'Windows was unable to complete the format.' I wish it were that simple.

 

[Barty1884]

Hmmm, sounds like Windows is seeing it as a drive that's in use.

If you're sure it isn't in use, you could format using Diskpart...

Open Command Prompt (CMD) as an administrator - Search "CMD" then right click and 'run as administrator'.
type "diskpart" and enter
"list disk" and enter
"select disk #" and enter (where # = the corresponding number for your USB)
"clean" and enter
"create primary partition" and enter

At that stage, you can exit diskpart (type "exit" and enter twice) - and assign a drive letter/format a drive from Windows GUI.

 

[tomseurocat]

When I try to execute "create primary partition" command, I get the following result back.

When I try to format via the Windows GUI I get the same 'Windows was unable to complete the format' message. Is the command prompt asking me to choose?

 

[Barty1884]

Try "Create PArtition Primary"

 

[tomseurocat]

Never mind I figured it out. I created a new simple volume in Disk Management, after the cmd prompt steps, and it went through with the format.
Thanks for you help.