Formatting a USB Storage Drive in Windows®

To format a USB storage drive in Windows, connect it via a USB port and follow these steps:

  1. Open your File Explorer. (For Windows 8 and later, hold the Windows key, press "X," and select File Explorer). Then, right-click on the corresponding drive letter.
  2. From the menu, select "Format."
  3. Leave the settings at their defaults or select specific values as needed. For best performance and compatibility, we suggest ExFAT for the file system and GPT for the partition scheme, though specific applications may have other requirements.
  4. Click "Start." A confirmation message will appear when formatting is complete.

©2024 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Neither Crucial nor Micron Technology, Inc. is responsible for omissions or errors in typography or photography. Micron, the Micron logo, Crucial, and the Crucial logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Micron Technology, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.