How to Format Kingston Flash Drive Full 16G Datatraveler

If you are having trouble using a Kingston 16-gigabyte Datatraveler flash drive or simply want to erase all of the data on it, you can use the Windows disk utility to format the drive. Formatting your Kingston flash drive will permanently delete all files currently stored on it, so make sure you back up any important data before formatting the drive. In order to format any hard drive, you must be an administrator on the computer you are using.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• PC running Windows XP or later

1. Log on to your PC with an account that has administrative privileges.

2. Insert your Kingston 16-gigabyte Datatraveler flash drive into one of the free USB ports.

3. Open the "Start" menu and click on "Control Panel."

4. Open the "Administrative Tools" folder and then double-click on the "Computer Management" icon.

5. Go to the "Disk Management" tool on the left side of the window. A list with all of the hard drives and flash drives currently connected to your computer will be displayed.

6. Right-click on the Kingston flash drive and select the "Format" option.

7. Choose "FAT32" as the file system and check the box next to "Quick Format." Then hit "Start" to begin the formatting process, which should take less than 15 minutes to complete.

References

• Formatting USB Flash Drives