"Windows Can't Complete the Format"

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    17
    Years
    • Age 27
    • Seen Dec 22, 2024
    My grandma bought me a memory stick for my PSP like a year ago, but I didn't have to use it until now. My computer says I need to format it before using it but it keeps giving me an error saying it can't complete the format. After that it tells me to go to the Help Center and search "read-only files". So I decided to go and search read-only files. Almost automaticly I see "How to change a read-only file/folder" I click on that. After that it tells me to click "Properties", click the "General" tab, and check/uncheck the "Read-Only" box. I click Properties but I can't find the General tab! Somebody Help me!
     
    Right-click your target folder

    Click on properties

    General MUST be the default and first tab opened up.
     
    I doubt this has anything to do with read-only files. Windows help is notoriously dumb. Open up a command prompt (start, then type cmd) and enter the following (where $DRIVE is the letter assigned to your flash drive followed by a colon):
    Code:
    format $DRIVE /fs:fat32 /x
    That should properly format your flash drive. Make sure to use the letter assigned to your flash drive and not the letter assigned to any other drive (the letter will NOT be C, as that is your primary hard disk; formatting that will result in data loss on your computer).

    If you are still having problems, PM me and I will try to help.
     
    Or you could..y'now, format it in the PSP? :3
     
    Or you could..y'now, format it in the PSP? :3
    lol, that would be the logical thing to do.
    If for some reason that doesn't work, I'd look into 3rd Party Formatting software. From what I've seen, the default Windows Formatter isn't the best.

    twocows, that's a rather dangerous command to be suggesting if the user isn't totally sure of what they're doing =/
     
    lol, that would be the logical thing to do.
    If for some reason that doesn't work, I'd look into 3rd Party Formatting software. From what I've seen, the default Windows Formatter isn't the best.

    twocows, that's a rather dangerous command to be suggesting if the user isn't totally sure of what they're doing =/
    Not really; I gave him (or her?) clear instructions. Here's what the result of the format was, according to a screenshot in a private message:
    Code:
    Format failed.pleted.
    That is not a typo. My guess is that either the format utility is broken or the flash drive is broken. I recommended doing the same thing on another computer to be sure. If it were a hard drive, I'd recommend running Drive Fitness Test as well, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work with flash drives.
     
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