USB Disk Storage Format Tool

Name: USB Disk Storage Format Tool
Availability: InStock
Author: Authorsoft Corporation

USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a free formatting utility by Authorsoft that formats USB flash drives, memory cards, and external storage devices to FAT, FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT. It handles drives that Windows' built-in formatter refuses to process, including those with corrupted file systems or write protection issues.

What it does

The interface is a single window. Select your USB device from the dropdown, pick a file system, and click Format. Quick Format erases the file table in seconds, while the full format option writes zeros to every sector, which is slower but more thorough for drives with bad sectors. Before formatting, you can run an error check that scans for file system corruption and bad sectors, then attempts to repair them.

The tool also creates DOS bootable USB drives. Check the "Create a DOS startup disk" box, point it to a folder with DOS system files, and the formatted drive becomes bootable. This is useful for BIOS updates and running DOS based diagnostics on machines that cannot boot from their main drive.

It works with USB devices from most major manufacturers including SanDisk, Kingston, Transcend, Corsair, HP, Toshiba, and PNY, as well as Compact Flash and SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.

Advantages

Formats drives that Windows' built-in tool cannot handle
Supports FAT, FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT
Built-in error scanning and repair before formatting
Can create DOS bootable USB drives for BIOS updates and recovery

Drawbacks

Cannot create modern bootable USB (Windows installer, Linux) like Rufus can
No support for internal hard drives or SSDs
DOS boot creation requires you to supply system files separately
Interface has not been updated in years and looks dated

Who it is for

I keep this tool around for one specific situation: when Windows tells me it cannot format a USB drive. It has saved several flash drives I was about to throw away. If you regularly deal with USB drives that stop working or show incorrect capacity, this utility is worth having on hand. For creating bootable Windows or Linux installers, Rufus is the better choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can USB Disk Storage Format Tool fix a corrupted USB drive?

Yes. The tool can format drives that Windows' built-in formatter refuses to process, including those with corrupted file systems. It also has an error check feature that scans for bad sectors before formatting.

Does it support exFAT?

Yes. The tool formats USB drives to FAT, FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT. Choose the file system based on your needs: FAT32 for broad device compatibility, exFAT for large files, NTFS for Windows permissions.

Can it create a bootable USB drive?

It can create DOS bootable USB drives for BIOS updates and diagnostics. For creating bootable Windows or Linux installers, use Rufus instead, which supports modern boot methods.

Is USB Disk Storage Format Tool free?

Yes. The tool is free for personal use. It works with USB flash drives and memory cards from most manufacturers including SanDisk, Kingston, Transcend, and Corsair.

Features & How-To Guide

#	Feature	How to use
1	Paragraph formatting and styles	Connect USB stick › Choose device from list › Choose file system (FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT) › Click Format.
2	Quick Format	Check Quick Format option before clicking Format - takes seconds instead of minutes.
3	Text formatting	Formats USB drives that Windows cannot format with standard tool (e.g. damaged file system, write protection).
4	Bootable USB with DOS	Check Create a DOS startup disk › Point to folder with DOS system files › Format. Creates bootable USB stick.
5	Error checking and repair	Check Correct errors and Scan drive before formatting - tool will check sectors and repair file system errors.
6	USB malware removal	Tool detects and removes malicious software that may hide on USB drive during formatting.