Format a USB Using CMD (Command Prompt) in Windows

Steps to Format a USB Using CMD:

1. Insert the USB Drive:

   • Plug the USB drive into your computer.

2. Open Command Prompt:

   • Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
   • Alternatively, you can search for cmd in the Start menu and select "Run as administrator" to ensure you have the necessary permissions.

3. List All Drives:

   • In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter : 

					                        
					                        diskpart					                      
					                    

Next, type:

					                        
					                        list disk
					                      
					                    

This command lists all the disks connected to your computer, including the USB drive. Identify your USB drive by its size. It will be labeled as Disk X (where X is the number corresponding to your USB drive).

4. Select the USB Drive:

• Type the following command and press Enter (replace X with your USB drive number):

					                        
					                        select disk X					                      
					                    

You’ll see a message confirming that Disk X is now selected.

5. Clean the Drive (Optional):

• To remove any existing partitions and data, you can use the clean command. This step is optional but recommended for a fresh start:

					                        
					                        clean					                      
					                    

Warning: This will erase all data on the USB drive.

6. Create a New Partition:

• Create a primary partition by typing

					                        
					                        create partition primary					                      
					                    

7. Select the Partition:

• Select the newly created partition : 

					                        
					                        select partition 1					                      
					                    

8. Format the USB Drive:

• Format the drive with the desired file system (e.g., NTFS, FAT32, exFAT). For example, to format as FAT32, type:

					                        
					                        format fs=fat32 quick					                      
					                    

• For NTFS:

					                        
					                        format fs=ntfs quick					                      
					                    

• For exFAT:

					                        
					                        format fs=exfat quick					                      
					                    

• The quick option speeds up the process by performing a quick format. Remove it if you want a full format.
  

9. Assign a Drive Letter:

• Assign a drive letter to the USB drive by typing : 

					                        
					                        assign					                      
					                    

10. Exit DiskPart:

• Type exit to leave the DiskPart tool.
• Type exit again to close the Command Prompt.

Your USB drive is now formatted and ready to use!