7+ Fixes for Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format in 2022

The "Windows was unable to complete the format" error can be frustrating, but there are practical solutions to help you format USB flash drives, SD cards, external hard drives, and other devices. If you're unable to format a device, don't worry - following the guidelines on this page can help you complete the format with ease. Whether it's a USB or SD card, you can find a solution to get rid of this error and have your device ready to use again.

PAGE CONTENT:

Causes of Windows Unable to Complete Format Error
7 Fixes for Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format Error
Bonus Tip: Recover Lost Data after Completing Windows Format

Error: Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format

Formatting a Micro SD card, USB flash drive, pen drive, hard drive, or SSD is a quick process to change the file system and restore full capacity, but sometimes users may fail to complete the format on a Windows computer due to various issues.

Case 1 - Windows cannot complete format on USB

"You're experiencing issues formatting your USB flash drive to FAT32. Try running the Disk Management tool (Press Win + R, type 'diskmgmt.msc', and press Enter) to see if the drive is listed. If it is, try deleting the partition and reformatting it to FAT32. If not, try using a third-party formatting tool like Rufus or H2OFFormat.

Case 2 - Windows was unable to complete the format on the SD card

Try using a third-party formatting tool like Qiling Disk Master or DiskGenius, or use a Linux live USB to format the micro SD card. If the issue persists, it may be a hardware problem with the card itself.

The error "Windows was unable to complete the format" occurs when Windows is unable to format a device, such as an external hard drive or USB drive, due to various reasons like hardware issues, corrupted file system, or insufficient permissions. This error prevents the device from being used again, and users are prompted with this error message in a window, indicating the failure of the formatting operation.

When you're unable to complete formatting an SD card, USB, external hard drive, or other devices on your Windows PC, stay calm and check the causes of the error. Once you've identified the issue, you can follow the respective fix and refer to the guide steps to remove the "Windows was unable to complete the format" issue from your device, ultimately completing the format.

Causes of Windows Unable to Complete Format Error

Here are the main reasons why Windows is unable to format a USB, SD card, or external hard drive:

#1. The device contains the file system error

When a storage device shows up as RAW or has an unsupported file system like Linux Ext2/3/4, Windows can't directly format it using File Explorer or Disk Management. A third-party formatting tool is needed to resolve this issue.

#2. Presence of bad sectors on USB, SD

If a storage device has a certain number of bad sectors, you won't be able to format it using Windows' built-in tools. To make the device accessible again and complete the format on a USB/SD card, you can run disk error checking and a bad sector repair tool to clear the errors on your device. This allows you to restore the device to a working state and format it successfully.

#3. Virus or malware infection

When your storage device is infected with a virus or malware, you can't access the data or format it normally. First, you need to remove the virus, and then you can safely format the device.

#4.The device is locked or write-protected by third-party software

If a USB or SD card is locked or write-protected by third-party software, you can't format it. To resolve this, you need to remove the write protection first, then format the device.

#5. Physical damage

When your storage device is physically damaged, it's either repair it at a local manual repair center or buy a new one to replace the damaged device.

7 Fixes for "Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format" Error

To fix the 'Windows was unable to complete the format' error, check and follow the right solution based on the cause. The error can be resolved in 6+ practical ways, each addressing a different reason for the issue. By identifying the root cause and applying the corresponding solution, you can easily get rid of this error and complete the format process with ease.

Method 1. Use Qiling Partition Master to Fix Windows Unable to Complete Format Error

A file system error or unsupported file system on a USB, SD card, or hard drive can cause Windows to be unable to complete the format process, resulting in an error message. To resolve this issue, you can try using a third-party formatting tool, such as Qiling Partition Tool, to format the drive.

If your storage devices, like a USB drive, are showing up as RAW in Disk Management due to file system errors, Qiling Partition Master can help format them to a Windows-supported file system like NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT, making them usable again.

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You can fix file system errors on your SD or USB drive using software that will complete the formatting process in just a few simple clicks. Follow the software's instructions to fix the errors and format the drive, and you'll be able to use it again for storing files.

Step 1. Open Qiling Partition Master, go to the "Disk management" page, select the hard drive partition you want to format, and click "Format".

Step 2. Set the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3), and Cluster size for the partition to be formatted, then click "Proceed".

Method 2. Fix "Windows Was Unable to Format" Error Using Diskpart Command

The error "Windows unable to format USB, SD, or other device" typically occurs due to file system or bad sector issues on the device. This prevents the operating system from properly formatting the device, leading to the error message. To resolve this issue, you can try running a disk check or formatting the device in a different mode, such as using a third-party formatting tool or a command-line interface.

When you're unable to format a USB, SD card, or other storage device using Windows File Explorer, you can use the Diskpart formatting command to achieve the same result in a different way. This command can be used as an alternative to the standard formatting process through File Explorer.

Here are the steps:

Step 1. Right-clicking on Windows icon, type command prompt in Search, right-click on Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type diskpart in Command Prompt and hit Enter.

Step 3. Hit Enter each time when you type below command lines in DiskPart to quick format hard drive:

list disk
select disk 2 (Replace 2 with your disk number)
list volume
select volume 10 (Replace 10 with the volume number of the device that you want to format)
format fs=ntfs quick To format a storage device to NTFS, you can follow these steps:
Step 4. Type exit and hit Enter to close the program when DiskPart reports it has successfully formatted the volume.

Method 3. Remove "Windows Unable to Format" Error on RAW Device in Disk Management

"Windows was unable to complete the format" error can occur due to RAW file system errors on USB drives, SD cards, hard drives, and other storage devices. This issue can be caused by various factors such as file system corruption, virus infections, or incorrect formatting procedures.

If your storage device becomes RAW and Windows is unable to complete the format, you can try using Windows Disk Management to complete the formatting.

Step 1. Connect your device to your PC if you want to format a removable device.

Step 2. Right-click on This PC and click "Manage", and select "Disk Management".

Step 3. Locate and right-click on your USB flash drive or external hard drive, and then select "Format".

Step 4. To format a USB drive, SD card, or hard drive, set its file system to NTFS or FAT32, check the "Quick Format" box, and click "OK" to confirm.

Method 4. Clear Virus and Complete the Format on Windows

To resolve the "Windows was unable to complete the format" issue on a locked device due to a virus or malware infection, you can try booting the device in safe mode and then running a full system scan with an anti-virus software to remove the infection. If the issue persists, you can try booting the device from a Windows installation media and then performing a system restore to a previous point when the device was working properly.

If your device is locked or infected by a virus or unknown malware, Windows won't be able to format your USB, SD card, or other storage devices. You can resolve this by running virus cleaning software and unlocking the device.

Step 1. Connect your external storage device like USB or SD card to your PC.

Step 2. Run a virus cleaner, malware removal tool, or antivirus software on your PC to remove existing viruses and malware from the target device.

Step 3. After this, you can reformat the device again using Windows File Explorer or the former three formatting tools.

You can remove a virus without antivirus by using Windows Defender and enabling its real-time virus protection feature, which also protects your device and data against viruses and malware.

Method 5. Remove Write Protection from Device and Complete the Format

To remove write protection from a device such as a USB, SD card, or external hard drive, and enable Windows to complete the format, follow these steps: Right-click on the device in File Explorer, select "Properties," and then click on the "Security" tab. Look for the "Write" permission and select "Everyone" or "Users" to give them full control. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

If your target device is locked or write-protected, Windows can't format it directly. You'll need to unlock the device first and then format it.

First. Remove Device Write Protection

#1. Unlock USB/SD card

Step 1. Connect your device to your PC.

Step 2. Remove the switch of your USB or SD card to the OFF side.

To format the device, open File Explorer, right-click on the drive you want to format, and select "Format" from the context menu. Follow the prompts to complete the formatting process.

#2. Unlock device using a password or third-party software

If your storage device is write-protected, you'll need to enter the password or use the third-party software again to unlock it.

Next. Format the Device - Complete Windows Formatting

You can reformat a device using various methods, including Windows File Explorer, Disk Management, Diskpart command, or Qiling Partition Master.

Step 1. Connect USB, or SD card that you want to format to your PC and open up Windows Explorer.

Step 2. Run Qiling Partition Master, select the connected device in the "Disk management" page and click "Format".

Step 3. Set the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3), and Cluster size for the partition to be formatted, then click "Proceed".

Method 6. Check and Fix Disk Errors that Prevent Windows from Completing the Format

To resolve the "Windows unable to format" device error caused by a disk error, run a disk check on the affected drive using the built-in Check Disk utility in Windows. This can be done by right-clicking on the drive in File Explorer, selecting "Properties," and then clicking on the "Tools" tab. From there, click on "Check" and let the process complete.

Step 1. Open File Explorer, connect your device to PC and right-click on the problematic device, select "Properties".

Step 2. Under the Tools tab, click the Check button under "Error checking".

Step 3. Next, you can choose to Scan drive if wanted or Repair drive if errors were found.

Wait for the process to finish.

Step 4. Now, you can right-click on your device and complete the format using Windows File Explorer.

Method 7. Repair Bad Sector that Disallows Windows to Format Storage Device

This fix is for users who are unable to format a device due to soft bad sectors, which can cause Windows to fail formatting. The solution aims to repair and fix these soft bad sectors, allowing the device to be formatted successfully.

When a storage device has a few soft bad sectors, the Windows formatting tool can't format it. You can either use Qiling Partition Master's File System Checker to repair the bad sectors or run a CMD command to repair the soft bad sector first, then format the device.

Step 1. Run CHKDSK command to fix soft bad sectors.

1. To run the Command Prompt as administrator, you can type cmd in the Search box, right-click "Command Prompt" and choose "Run as administrator".

2. To run a full disk check on your storage device, open Command Prompt as an administrator, type `chkdsk E: /f /r /x` (replace E with the drive letter of your storage device), and press Enter. This command will check the disk for errors, fix any that it finds, and then run a full scan to ensure the disk is in a healthy state. The `/f` option tells the command to fix any errors it finds, the `/r` option tells it to run a full scan, and the `/x` option allows the command to run even if the disk is currently in use.

Step 2. Format storage device to usable again

1. To access and manage your hard drive, you can open Windows File Explorer, locate your hard drive, and right-click on it. This action will bring up a context menu with various options, such as "Properties," "Manage," and "Open with," allowing you to perform tasks like checking the drive's storage capacity, managing storage spaces, or opening it with a specific application.

2. To format a drive, select "Format" from the options, set the file system to NTFS, check the box for "Quick Format", and then click "Start".

Bonus Tip: Recover Lost Data after Completing Windows Format

To resolve the "Windows cannot complete the format" error and format a faulty storage device, you can use a third-party formatting tool or a Linux live USB to bypass the Windows error. Once the device is formatted, you can use data recovery software to scan the device and recover any lost data.

When formatting a faulty storage device that Windows couldn't format, you risk losing saved data. The only option is to use reliable data recovery software to restore the precious data as soon as possible.

Here, we recommend trying Deep Data Recovery, which can scan and restore all your data in just 3 steps, as long as the device can be detected by a Windows computer.

Step 1. Select files types to start scanning.

Launch Deep Data Recovery, you can see all supported file types listed. Uncheck unwanted file types and click "Next".

Step 2. Select the hard drive partition

From the next window, the Deep Data Recovery scans all the partitions of the internal hard drive and connected hard drives, and then chooses the hard disk as the location and clicks the "Scan" button to continue.

Step 3. Select the files you want to recover

After the scanning process is complete, select the files you want to recover and click "Recover". Then, choose a location on another device to save the photos.

Note: If you're not satisfied with the Deep Scan results, click on the result window to rescan the hard drive.

Once you've restored your data, you can save it back to the USB or SD card.

Conclusion

If you're experiencing the issue of "Windows was unable to complete the format" on your USB, SD card, external or internal hard drive, there are 7 solutions to help you resolve this problem effectively. These solutions include checking the disk for errors, running the built-in Check Disk utility, using a third-party disk formatting tool, formatting the drive in a different file system, checking for malware, running a disk cleanup, and finally, seeking professional help if none of the above solutions work. By trying out these steps, you should be able to successfully format your drive and get rid of the error message.

For a reliable and effective formatting software, Qiling Partition Master is recommended. It makes formatting devices in Windows PCs easy, and also offers advanced partitioning capabilities if needed.

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FAQs about Formatting Hard Drive

Here are some FAQs about formatting devices:

1. How do I fix a hard drive that won't format?

You need to check the hard drive state to see if Windows can detect it. If it can't, it may be a hardware issue.

If you need to format your hard drive, you can use Qiling Partition Master to directly format it with the steps provided in Method 1 on this page.

If your hard drive is not showing up or is displaying as unknown or unallocated, you can try creating a new partition and formatting the hard drive to resolve the issue.

2. Why can't I format my hard drive?

When your hard drive is locked, damaged, or has file system errors, bad sectors, or is virus-infected, you can't directly format it, making it inaccessible.

To resolve this issue, you can try the three methods:.

1). Unlock hard drive using password or third-party software;

2). Clean up virus and malware from the hard drive;

Format the hard drive using a formatting tool such as Qiling Partition Master, Diskpart, or Disk Management to prepare it for use.

For more details, follow the provided methods on this page for a guide.

3. How do I fix my flash drive unable to format?

Here are the steps to try when unable to format a flash drive:

Step 1. Connect the flash drive to the PC and unlock the USB if it's locked.

Step 2. Run virus cleaner software to remove hidden viruses, malware.

Step 3. Run Windows Disk Management or Qiling Partition Master

Step 4. Right-click the USB flash drive and select "Format". Set a new file system for the drive.

Step 5. Reset the file system for the flash drive and click "OK" to confirm.

After the data transfer is complete, you can reuse the flash drive to transfer data and save files again.