create a partition on a flash drive

[Guest]

I am having problems with my flash drive. It is recognized by Windows as my
f: drive. When I do a properties on it, it says the file system is RAW and
that the used space is 0 bytes and the free space is 0 bytes. I can not
format the drive. I had read online where creating a partition through
computer management might fix the problem. When I right click on the f: drive
under disk management, create a new partition is not an option. (in computer
management, the drive is showing a capacity of 124 mb and 124 mb of free
space. ) Where exactly on that screen am I supposed to right click? Why is
create a new partition not an option?

Thanks,
ngg

 

[Ghostrider]

I am having problems with my flash drive. It is recognized by Windows as my
f: drive. When I do a properties on it, it says the file system is RAW and
that the used space is 0 bytes and the free space is 0 bytes. I can not
format the drive. I had read online where creating a partition through
computer management might fix the problem. When I right click on the f: drive
under disk management, create a new partition is not an option. (in computer
management, the drive is showing a capacity of 124 mb and 124 mb of free
space. ) Where exactly on that screen am I supposed to right click? Why is
create a new partition not an option?

Thanks,
ngg

Is there the option to delete the current partition? If yes, might as
well do it since the partition is toast, along with the files that are
in it. Once the partition is deleted, then it will be possible to create
a new partition and format it.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

check here
http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2005/08/fix-format-usb-flash-drives/

flash drives can fail quickly especially if used a lot.

 

[M.I.5¾]

I am having problems with my flash drive. It is recognized by Windows as my
f: drive. When I do a properties on it, it says the file system is RAW and
that the used space is 0 bytes and the free space is 0 bytes. I can not
format the drive. I had read online where creating a partition through
computer management might fix the problem. When I right click on the f:
drive
under disk management, create a new partition is not an option. (in
computer
management, the drive is showing a capacity of 124 mb and 124 mb of free
space. ) Where exactly on that screen am I supposed to right click? Why is
create a new partition not an option?

It is quite possible that the FLASH drive has failed. This is not as
uncommon as you may think. I have several that install as apparently a
removeable disk that has no media in it (and thus has 0 bytes of storage).
It is not possible to create a partition or format the device because
Windows believes that there is no media to do this on. Disk Manager shows
the unpartitioned FLASH memory size. This sounds remarkably similar (if not,
identical) to your problem.

Ditch the FLASH stick and replace with a new one, there is nothing you can
do.

 

[M.I.5¾]

check here
http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2005/08/fix-format-usb-flash-drives/

flash drives can fail quickly especially if used a lot.

Indeed the life of FLASH memory cells is limited. They are good for an
average of 1000 erase/write cycles. However, one problem is that they are
not byte eraseable, they are only block eraseable. So changing one byte in
a file requires the whole memory block to be erased and then rewritten.
FLASH memory is able to handle all of this internally with the user being
unaware what is going on. The memory also ensures that the memory blocks
are used rotationally so that one block doesn't get used more than any
other.

But the main point is that that 1000 cycles is an average - some last longer
and some shorter, with the occasional one lasting a very short life.

 

[Guest]

I tried many things last night to no avail. My daughter was using this flash
drive so I gave her the honor of taking a hammer to it. I had an extra 512 mb
flash drive that I gave to her. Thanks for your responses!!


ngg

 

[FeMaster]

I tried many things last night to no avail. My daughter was using this
flash
drive so I gave her the honor of taking a hammer to it. I had an extra 512
mb
flash drive that I gave to her. Thanks for your responses!!

If it happens again, try to format while in the Disk Manager. I had an SD
Card (plugged into the computer through a USB card reader) that was having
similar problems. I was unable to format it under My Computer, however, it
DID format when I formatted from the Disk Manager. I don't know what the
difference is, but it worked, and has been going strong now for over a
month...