How to Format a Corrupted Jump Drive

Corrupt jump drives can often be repaired through formatting.

USB jump drives offer a convenient method of data transfer between computers or data access when traveling. Although these devices are versatile, their file structure can become corrected by inappropriate use, such as yanking out the device while your computer is accessing data on it. Although you can sometimes correct such problems without formatting, formatting the drive will remove all data and reconfigure the file system.

Instructions

1. Insert the USB jump drive into your computer.

2. Click "Open Folder to View Files" from the AutoPlay menu.

3. Right-click its drive letter from the left pane and select "Format."

4. Uncheck "Quick Format" from the Format window. This allows more comprehensive formatting, which tests each data sector.

5. Click the "File System" drop-down menu and select "FAT32," which is the most versatile file system for USB jump drives.

6. Click "Start" and then "OK" in the confirmation window. The drive will then be formatted. This procedure will take a few minutes because you disabled the Quick Format option.

7. Click "OK" in the notification window, informing you formatting is complete. Click "Close" to close the Format window.

8. Right-click the drive letter again and select "Eject." You can now safely remove the device from your computer.