Windows 10: What is a safe way to format an infected USB drive?

Discus and support What is a safe way to format an infected USB drive? in AntiVirus, Firewalls and System Security to solve the problem; - Should I format an infected USB drive and a clean USB drive from an infected PC? - Should I format an infected USB drive from a clean PC? Thank you... Discussion in 'AntiVirus, Firewalls and System Security' started by join, Jun 15, 2021.

  1. join Win User

    What is a safe way to format an infected USB drive?


    - Should I format an infected USB drive and a clean USB drive from an infected PC? - Should I format an infected USB drive from a clean PC? Thank you It is Windows 10 version 20H2

    :)
     
  2. Bree Win User

    clean possibly infected flash drives and CD-RWs

    Your steps in post #1 should work for 99% of viruses that may be on a usb flash drive. However, there are a very few viruses that can infect the MBR of a drive. I would use Diskpart from a command prompt (Admin) to clean them. In the command prompt type DISKPART then, at the Diskpart prompt use the commands:

    LIST DISKnote the disk number of the usb and use it in place of # in the command:SELECT DISK #
    CLEAN
    CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

    After this you will have cleaned the partition table from the usb and created a partition using the whole of the the available space. You can then format this partition in File Explorer.


    For a CD-RW, if you right-click on it in File Explorer there is an Erase option.
     
  3. Lazzer408 Win User
    help. USB drive isn't assigned a drive letter.

    Any usb flash drive I plug into my computer isn't assigned a drive letter. The physical drive shows in the "safely remove hardware" but it doesnt show up in disk management. I have tried to populate the volume thru the safely remove hardware properties window and it does pop up in the list but it doesn't stay there. This isn't a format or assign a letter problem. It's more complicated then that. Maybe one of the services needed for usb drive management was disabled? Suggestions needed. btw external usb harddrives work fine.
     
    Lazzer408, Jun 15, 2021
    #3
  4. Fernandz Win User

    What is a safe way to format an infected USB drive?

    How To Format A Write Protected Flash Memory ?

    ¿You already tried this one?...

    Run CMD


    1. diskpart
    2. list disk

    Then in the 3º step, put the correct number of disk in the list for the usb flash (if it's listed in disk 3, then you'll have to write select disk 3).

    2. select disk #
    3. clean
    4. create partition primary
    5. select partition 1
    6. active
    7. format fs=fat32
    8. assign
    9. exit

    with that commands you will format the flash drive in fat32, if you have a large drive you can select also "format fs=ntfs" in step 7.

    good luck!
     
    Fernandz, Jun 15, 2021
    #4
Thema:

What is a safe way to format an infected USB drive?

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