Windows 10: How to Restore Storage Capacity to a Flash Drive that has been used as media

CAUTION: This document assumes the drive was formatted to a smaller disk size for a specific purpose, like to create OS media. If it is being used to store data for ANY reason, BACK UP YOUR DATA before attempting any of these steps. Any data that is not backed up will be lost upon completion.
Although it might look like a flash drive used as media has lost storage, it has actually been partitioned using Disk Management. To reformat the flash drive to its original capacity, take the following steps on your Windows 10 computer:

1. Load Windows to the desktop as normal.
   
2. Insert your affected flash drive into a USB port on the computer.
   
3. Search Control on the Start menu and run the Control Panel.
   
4. Set the Control Panel to Large Icon view.
   
5. Open Administrative Tools.
   
6. Select Disk Management.
   
7. Select your flash drive and delete its existing partition.
   
8. Format and reset your flash drive to its full capacity with Disk Management.

The process takes time for the drive to reset, but afterwards it should work normally again.

:)

 

Flash Drive Capacity Problem

Thanks for the info. I took the other flash drive back. I checked the capacity on the new one before I backed up my files. The 128GB flash drive gave me a capacity of 115GB. Kind of threw me when I checked the capacity after the back up was completed
and the total capacity read 32GB. Now I know the reason why.

 

KINGMAX Unveils 128 GB High Capacity USB 3.0 Flash Drive

KINGMAX, a renowned leading memory and flash drive manufacturer, has recently unveiled 128GB huge capacity USB 3.0 flash drive, the ED-01. With huge capacity, the ED-01 flash drive not only meets the market’s demands for large media file storage and transferring, but also transports the user to a super-speedy experience that every second counts.

The ED-01 sports a sleek contoured design that stands out from its competitors and wins design award from media. It has a delicate read/write LED indicator to display the flash drive’s status while in use and the unique Clip-Cap design that prevents the cap from accidental drop-offs or loss. Besides, made with durable plastic combined with a special finishing procedure, the leather-like texture of the ED-01 is warm and smooth to the touch. Its elegant, low-profile design will demonstrate your taste for luxury and that you appreciate and use only the latest in technological advances.







When the era of USB 3.0 comes, the demands of super speed and huge capacity storage device increased. Using USB 3.0 full-duplex bidirectional synchronization data transfer technology, the ED-01 read speed at 66 MB/sec and write speed at up to 41 MB/sec. Moreover, its capacity upgrades to 128GB and backward-compatible with USB 2.0. Whether data is HD movies, photos or large presentation files with rich media, the ED-01 will transfer and storage large data in a short period of time.

The ED-01 USB 3.0 flash drive is fully compliant with the European Union’s RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) standards. It also passed CE certification in the EU, met the United States’ FCC criteria and was awarded the latest Windows 7 certificate that guarantees its compatibility with operating systems. All KINGMAX products are manufactured under the most stringent quality control measures and rigorous tests, to ensure each and every product meets the highest standards for quality. The ED-01’s product warranty further ensures consumers that they’ve purchased a reliable and reassuring experience.

Specifications:

• Interface: USB 3.0
• Storage: 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB
• Dimensions: 74.5 x 20 x 9 mm (L x W x H)
• Weight: 10.5 g
• Color: Black

Features:

• Compatible with USB 2.0
• LED light indicator
• Clip-Cap design to prevent cap loss
• 5-year product warranty

 

Flash Drive Capacity Problem

I recently purchased from Costco a SanDisk Ultra 3.0 128 GB flash drive to create a Windows 10 recovery backup.

After performing the backup, I checked the properties on the flash drive and it said that the total capacity on this drive was only 32 GB.

I re-formatted the flash drive and also did a dos chkdsk and the capacity still shows 32 GB.

Another question ... should the flash drive be formatted as NTFS or the Fat32 default.

Before I take it back to Costco, am I missing something.