# Can't FORMAT MY FLASH DRIVE!



## mcescoli (Dec 15, 2010)

Hey everyone im completely new to this forum but from what iv seen so for, you guys look like a great bunch!

As for my problem, i have a 16GB patriot rage flash drive that was previously used for a school assignment which allocated the entire drive. when i tried to format it, according to computer disk management, it says there are 2 different volumes, 1 which is 125MB and another that is roughly 15GB. What i am trying to do is to free up the ENTIRE 16GB of space. but unfortunately it will only let me do one or the other, either the 125mb or the 15gb. I do not know how to get around this 

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

Here is what my disk management looks like in the following image:


----------



## leroys1000 (Aug 16, 2007)

In disk management,see if you can right click each of the volumes
on the drive and delete the volumes/partitions.
The unallocated space doesn't have a volume.
Make sure to do this on the flash drive only.
Don't want to take a chance on messing the system drive.
If that goes ok,right click the unallocated space and create a new
volume/partition.
Basic should be fine.
Then right click it and click format.
FAT is usuallt the file system used for cross compatability.


----------



## mcescoli (Dec 15, 2010)

hey leroys1000, thnx for the reply.

I have already deleted the partitions on those portions and it gives me what u see in the picture. If i right click either of them now it only allows me to creae a new simple volume. Unfortunately if i try to on the left one for example, i can only make it a max of the 125MB it shows. What i need is to make the entire 16 GB whole again.


----------



## mcescoli (Dec 15, 2010)

oh and when i tried to create a simple volume on either of them, i get the following error alert "The operation is not supported on a non-empty removable disk"


----------



## leroys1000 (Aug 16, 2007)

Your picture shows a large free space.
That is actually a volume/partition that needs to be delete.
From the error you are getting,it sounds like the computer
has decided that the drive is a removable disk drive,not
a flash drive.
Try going to computer,right click on the drive and click eject.
Remove the drive,restart the computer,then try again.


----------



## mcescoli (Dec 15, 2010)

hey! i tried what u suggested but im in the same boat. it still wont let me delete the free space volume, it only lets me create a new simple volume, and when i try to create new volumes on either of them, i get that same alert.


----------



## mcescoli (Dec 15, 2010)

Hey leroys100 thanks for all the help but i manged to get it working using a program i discovered called "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool" its somehow recombined the two volumes into one and reformatted it into fat32 as a whole 16gb 

Thanks again for taking the time to help me! Much appreciated.


----------



## leroys1000 (Aug 16, 2007)

That is a good tool.
I haven't used that for a couple of years.
Glad you got it going.


----------

