<\/span>Is Reduced Space on a USB Drive a Problem?<\/span><\/h2>\r\nAt the very least, a USB device showing less available space than what it should is restrictive in that you can’t store as much data on it as if it was performing as intended.<\/p>\r\n
However, such problems may also signify a more significant issue that you should address as soon as possible.<\/p>\r\n
<\/span>How Can a USB Drive\u2019s Storage Decrease?<\/span><\/h2>\r\nThere are many reasons a USB Flash Drive could appear as if it had (much) less available storage space than it should.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- 💾 A corrupted file system could mean that it’s not only the free space that doesn’t appear correctly, but your precious data could get “garbled” too.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 🔨 A failing USB Flash Drive could outright stop working, “locking” your files within it forever.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 💀 A virus could expand to other storage devices, affecting their contents.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 📦 If your USB Flash Drive was mispartitioned or wrongly formatted, you won’t be fully taking advantage of its capacity.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
<\/span>How Can You Restore a USB Drive Back to Full Capacity?<\/span><\/h2>\r\nOut of all possible issues you might face with a USB Flash Drive, only one should have you really<\/b> worried: hardware failure.<\/p>\r\n
If you have a rapidly deteriorating device in your hands, the first thing you should do is to take a complete backup of its contents. You can use a dedicated solution for the purpose. Still, it’s worth noting that Disk Drill, which we’ll see a bit below, also offers such functionality among its extra features.<\/p>\r\n
Apart from hardware issues, almost all other problems that could make your USB Flash Drive show a smaller capacity can be dealt with one of the following solutions.<\/p>\r\n
✔ Since the solutions are similar on all<\/b> operating systems, we’ll go over the same processes on the three most popular platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>If You\u2019re on Windows<\/span><\/h3>\r\nNo matter the version of Windows you’re on, you can deal with a USB Drive that shows a diminished capacity using the same methods.<\/p>\r\n
So, the solutions we’ll see next should work on all versions from Windows 8 onwards. If you skip the one regarding secure erasing, they’ll even work on the ancient by today’s standards Windows XP!<\/div>\r\nMethod 1<\/span> Manually Delete the USB Drive\u2019s Contents<\/h4>\r\nThe simplest reason for a USB Drive not having as much free space as desired or advertised may be that you’re using it.<\/p>\r\n
If your USB Flash Drive is filled with old files you aren’t using anymore, deleting them will free up space for other uses. That’s doable with any file manager, like the File Explorer that comes with Windows.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- You can seek File Explorer<\/b> using Search or the Start Menu. However, it’s probably easier to just hit the Windows Key<\/kbd> + E<\/kbd> combination on your keyboard.
\r\n![\"File](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/File-Explorer-On-Windows-11-Desktop.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Click on your Flash Drive<\/b> on the list on the left of the window. The right side of File Explorer’s window will update to show its contents.
![\"Checking](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Checking-Out-Flash-Drives-Contents-In-File-Explorer.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select the files and folders<\/b> you want to remove from your USB Flash drive by left-clicking on it, or use CTRL<\/kbd> or Shift<\/kbd> while clicking to select multiple entries. Then, you can:\r\n\r\n
\r\n\t- Hit the Delete<\/kbd> key on your keyboard to send them to the Recycle Bin.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Use the Shift<\/kbd> + Delete<\/kbd> to fully remove the selected content skipping<\/b> the Recycle Bin.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Right-click on one of the selected entries and choose either the Trashcan icon if you’re on Windows 11 or the Delete<\/b> action in older versions of Microsoft’s OS.
![\"Deleting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Deleting-Content-With-Windows-11-File-Explorer.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIf you “soft-delete” some content by sending it to the Recycle Bin, your USB Flash Drive’s free space might not be fully reclaimed. Not until you empty<\/b> the Recycle Bin by right-clicking on it and choosing that action.<\/div>\r\nMethod 2<\/span> Format the USB Drive<\/h4>\r\nFormatting any storage device is an easy way to “reset it” and have once more access to all the free space it can offer.<\/p>\r\n
The easiest way to do that on Windows is using an app like File Explorer.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- Right-click on your USB Flash Drive and, from the available actions, choose that you want to Format<\/b> it.
\r\n![\"Right](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Right-Click-Format-Drive-With-Windows-11-File-Explorer.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- A window will appear, allowing you to customize the format process. You can change the file system used or assign a new volume label. However, you can simply leave everything as it is, and with Quick Format<\/b> enabled, click on Start<\/b>.
\r\n![\"Formatting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Formatting-USB-Flash-Drive-In-Windows-11-From-File-Explorer.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWhen the process completes, your USB Flash Drive should appear empty, with all its free space available.<\/p>\r\n
💀 Keep in mind that formatting any device removes all its content<\/b>. In other words, don’t<\/b> format a device that includes files you need. At least not before backing them up elsewhere.<\/div>\r\nMethod 3<\/span> Delete Its Partitions<\/h4>\r\nLike any other storage device, a USB Flash Drive can be “split” into partitions. “Partitions” which may also be hidden or not mounted, leaving their space useless.<\/p>\r\n
A more practical problem with partitions is that, since they split the device’s space into many chunks, you can’t use it as a whole. So, a single 40GB backup file could<\/b> fit on a 64GB Flash Drive but won’t<\/b> if it’s split into two 32GB partitions.<\/p>\r\n
To delete all partitions on your USB Flash Drive and re-use all its space as a single whole on Windows 11:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- \r\n
You can search for Disk Management<\/b> using Search, the Start Menu, or type “diskmgmt.msc” in a Run dialog.<\/p>\r\n
We believe it’s quicker pressing Windows Key<\/kbd> + X<\/kbd> to access the Power User tools menu, then choosing the Disk Management<\/b> entry.<\/p>\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Windows-11-Disk-Management.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Find your USB Flash Drive on the list on the left of Disk Management’s window. Then, right-click on each of the partitions on it, and choose Delete Volume<\/b>.
\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Windows-11-Disk-Management-Delete-Volume-On-Flash-Drive.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Answer positively when warned that deleting the volume will erase all data on it. Then, repeat for the rest of the partitions until they’re all gone.
\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Windows-11-Disk-Management-Delete-Volume-Warning.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t - \r\n
When no partitions are left, right-click<\/b> on the “Unallocated” space, and choose New Simple Volume<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
Go through the steps of the wizard that will show up to create a new partition on your USB Flash Drive and then format it.<\/p>\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Windows-11-Disk-Management-New-Simple-Volume.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t
- Make sure to assign all<\/b> of the device’s space to a single partition when at the Specify Volume Size<\/b> step by having “Simple volume size in MB” show the same value as “Maximum disk space in MB”.
\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Windows-11-Disk-Management-New-Simple-Volume-Full-Space.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 4<\/span> Erase Everything Securely<\/h4>\r\nSuppose you don’t only want to reclaim your storage device’s free space but also to ensure its current contents won’t be recoverable afterward. In that case, you have to “secure erase” your device.<\/p>\r\n
There are many third-party tools you can turn to for securely erasing a storage device. For most people, though, the secure erase capabilities baked in Windows should be more than enough.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- \r\n
Right-click<\/b> on your USB Flash Drive from Windows File Explorer<\/b>, or after visiting Disk Management<\/b>, and choose that you want to format<\/b> it. However, make sure to disable the option to Perform a quick format<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
This way, Windows will fill all your storage device’s space with zeroes while formatting it to ensure any data that already exists will be overwritten.<\/p>\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Windows-11-Disk-Management-Full-Format.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t
- \r\n
If you want an even more secure way of erasing your device’s contents, fire up either the “Command Prompt” Terminal or PowerShell.<\/p>\r\n
You can find them on the Start Menu<\/b>, use Search<\/b>, or call the Run<\/b> dialogue with Windows Key<\/kbd> + R<\/kbd> and then type “cmd” or “powershell”, respectively, and hit Enter<\/kbd>.<\/p>\r\nHowever, it’s quicker to access the WinX menu<\/b> using the Windows Key<\/kbd> + X<\/kbd> combination, and then selecting one from there.<\/p>\r\n![\"Running](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Running-Terminal-From-WinX-Menu.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Use the command format DRIVE_LETTER: \/p:NUMBER<\/kbd> to securely format your storage device.<\/p>\r\nReplace “DRIVE_LETTER” with the actual letter assigned to your storage device and “NUMBER” with the number of times you’d like your device to be re-re-overwritten with random numbers to eliminate any trace of its existing contents.<\/p>\r\n
For example, to erase the drive that’s accessible through the letter “E” with two passes, the command would look like: format F: \/p:2<\/kbd>.<\/p>\r\n![\"Secure](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Secure-Format-Device-E-With-Two-Passes-From-Terminal.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAfter your USB Flash Drive is successfully and securely formatted, you’ll have access to its entire storage space. And if your USB Flash Drive falls into the wrong hands, they won’t have a chance of accessing any trace of your old data.<\/p>\r\n
Since this approach demands multiple passes, it also needs more time than your typical format (and especially a “quick” one) to complete.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>If You\u2019re on a Mac<\/span><\/h3>\r\nApple’s Macs are known for being largely trouble-free and effortless. So, even when a USB Drive shows reduced storage compared to its capacity, dealing with such issues proves relatively trivial.<\/p>\r\n
Method 1<\/span> Manually Delete the USB Drive\u2019s Contents<\/h4>\r\nTo remove all contents of your USB Flash Drive and free up its storage space for other uses, you can:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- Connect your USB Drive<\/b> to your Mac, then “open it” or choose it from within Finder<\/b> (macOS’s default file manager).
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Access-USB-Flash-Drive.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select all contents “inside” your USB Drive and drag them to the trash icon<\/b>.
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Move-Files-To-Trash.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAnd with that, all data in your USB Flash Drive will be removed, allowing you to use all of its space however you wish.<\/p>\r\n
Method 2<\/span> Format the USB Drive<\/h4>\r\nRemoving the files from your USB Flash Drive may not thoroughly “clean it”. Hidden files may remain behind, taking up precious space.<\/p>\r\n
You can render them visible to remove those, too. And yet, formatting the drive would be a more effortless solution to reclaim all its space in one move.<\/p>\r\n
To do that on a Mac:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- With your USB Flash Drive connected, run Disk Utility. You can use Launchpad’s Search<\/b> feature to quickly locate it (search for its name, “disk utility”).
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Run-Disk-Utility-From-Launchpad.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Choose your device from the list on its left. Then, click on Erase<\/b>.
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Select-Device-In-Disk-Utility.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Choose the file system<\/b> you’d like to use on your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\n
Go for FAT32 for maximum compatibility<\/b> with various devices, from computers with other OSes (Windows, Linux) to smartphones and tablets.<\/p>\r\n
Finally, click on the Erase<\/b> button to begin formatting your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-Erase-Selected-Device.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
When the process completes, your USB Flash Drive should be “fresh” as new, with all its storage space available.<\/p>\r\n
Method 3<\/span> Delete Its Partitions<\/h4>\r\nSuppose you want to ensure that all your older data’s gone from your USB Flash Drive, and you’ll have all its storage capacity available.<\/p>\r\n
In that case, it’s best to remove any existing partitions. By repartitioning a device, you can be confident you’ll have all<\/b> of your USB Flash Drive’s space available.<\/p>\r\n
On all relatively new versions of macOS, the easiest way to do this is:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- Connect your USB Flash Drive to your Mac. Then, run Disk Utility<\/b>.
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-With-Selected-USB-Flash-Drive.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Expand the View menu<\/b> at the top left of the window, and change the setting to Show All Devices<\/b>.
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-Change-View-Mode.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Right-click on the device itself, not<\/b> the volume(s) within it, and choose Erase<\/b> from the menu that pops up.
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-Erase-Device.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Note that if you want to re-segment your USB Flash Drive into partitions, you’ll have to choose a non-MBR<\/b> partitioning scheme (like GUID<\/b>).<\/p>\r\n
Then, after it’s erased, right-click on it again and choose Partition<\/b> to split it into smaller sections.<\/p>\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-Partitioning-Scheme.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 4<\/span> Erase Everything Securely<\/h4>\r\nProving once again that using a Mac is an effortless affair, securely erasing a device is just as easy as a “plain” erase.<\/p>\r\n
The only extra step needed is stating that you want to securely erase the device and dragging a slider to define the level of security.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- \r\n
Run Disk Utility<\/b>, and right-click on your USB Flash Drive from the list on the left.<\/p>\r\n
Choose that you want to Erase<\/b> it.<\/p>\r\n
Alternatively, you can select your device and click on the Erase<\/b> button on the top-right of the window.<\/p>\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-Right-Click-Erase-Device.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- After entering a name and type of format for your soon-to-be-erased USB Flash Drive, click on Security Options<\/b> on the bottom-left of the window.
\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-Security-Options.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Drag the slider<\/b> to the right to define the level of security<\/b> you prefer.<\/p>\r\n
The closer it is to the right, the higher<\/b> the level of security, and the fewer<\/b> the chances anyone could recover a single bit from the data that already exists on your storage device.<\/p>\r\n
However, higher security also means a slower<\/b> format process. If you can afford the time, though, and don’t mind your device being “locked” for minutes, feel free to move the slider all the way to the right.<\/p>\r\n![\"MacOS](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MacOS-Disk-Utility-Security-Level-Slider.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>When Using Linux<\/span><\/h3>\r\nLinux is widely regarded as a complicated beast, where you must type commands in its terminal to perform even the most basic of tasks.<\/p>\r\n
And yet, as we’ll see next, managing your USB Flash Drive’s storage only requires some clicking. You only have to type commands if you need more than the GUI-based tools offer.<\/p>\r\n
There are dozens of Linux distributions and desktop environments, and their configuration depends on the user. Although they all allow you to perform the same tasks, how that’s done can differ wildly.<\/div>\r\nFor this guide, we’ll be using the popular Ubuntu 22.04 Linux distribution, which comes with the Gnome desktop environment<\/b>. Thus, you can follow along on all Ubuntu-compatible distributions and perform the same steps if using the Gnome desktop (and the apps it comes with).<\/p>\r\n
If you’re on a different setup, you’ll have to adjust the steps accordingly.<\/p>\r\n
Method 1<\/span> Manually Delete the USB Drive\u2019s Contents<\/h4>\r\nWe could go over one or more ways of deleting all of your USB Flash Drive’s contents through the terminal. However, most people today prefer interacting with their OS using a desktop environment, and most popular distributions come with one.<\/p>\r\n
Selecting a bunch of files and folders with a mouse swipe and hitting Delete is much quicker and effortless. On Ubuntu 22.04 with Gnome, it goes like this:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- After connecting your USB Flash Drive, you’ll see an icon for it pop on Ubuntu’s dock<\/b>. Clicking on it will open it with the default file manager<\/b> (Files).
\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-USB-Flash-Drive-On-Dock.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Alternatively, you can launch the file manager yourself.<\/p>\r\n
On Ubuntu 22.04, visit its applications menu, and use the search<\/b> on the top to seek “files”<\/b> (that’s the name of Gnome’s default file manager, which was previously known as “Nautilus”).<\/p>\r\n
Or you could launch any other file manager you prefer – like Dolphin, Konqueror, etc.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Running-Files.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t
- \r\n
Locate your USB Flash Drive on your file manager’s devices\/places list.<\/p>\r\n
On Gnome’s Files, it’s on the left of its window. You might have to scroll down<\/b> to find your USB Flash Drive if you have many storage devices on your PC.<\/p>\r\n
Click on it<\/b>, and when its contents appear on the file manager’s window, drag a box around them<\/b> or click inside the window and hit CTRL<\/kbd> + A<\/kbd> to select all files and folders.<\/p>\r\nThen, either right-click<\/b> on them and choose Move to Trash<\/b> (or Delete<\/b>, the option can change between file managers) or hit Delete<\/kbd> on your keyboard.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Accessing-USB-Flash-Drive.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 2<\/span> Format the USB Drive<\/h4>\r\nFormatting your USB Flash Drive to free all its available space might seem like a “brute force” solution since it recreates its file system and indexes from scratch.<\/p>\r\n
However, it also ensures there won’t be any data leftovers in the volume. As a bonus, you don’t have to deal with individual files and folders.<\/p>\r\n
It feels more like “clicking a single button to solve a problem” – although, admittedly, it involves more than a single click. To do that, on Ubuntu 22.04 with Gnome:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- Run the Disks<\/b> application. You can find it by searching for its name in the activities menu (yes, its name is a plain “disks”).
\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Running-Disks.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Select<\/b> your USB Flash Drive from the list on the left of the Disks’ window.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click the button with the cog icon<\/b> under its volume, and choose Format Partition<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Format-Partition.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Enter a name for the newly formatted volume, and choose its type – or leave it at FAT for broader compatibility.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click on Next<\/b> on the top right.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Format-Options.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
You’ll be given a final chance to cancel the process and reminded it will lead to the removal of all<\/b> data on your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\n
If sure, click on Format<\/b> on the top right corner of the window.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Format-Final-Warning.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 3<\/span> Delete Its Partitions<\/h4>\r\nAre you tired of juggling files between your USB Flash Drive’s partitions, trying to make them fit? Would you prefer to use it as a single, larger storage space, where you can “dump” files without overthinking it?<\/p>\r\n
Or, maybe, the opposite, to create multiple partitions, each with a different file system, to take advantage of the best both Linux and Windows can offer?<\/p>\r\n
You can do it like this:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- \r\n
Fire up the Disks<\/b> application – you’ll find it by searching for it using its name in the apps\/activities menu.<\/p>\r\n
Locate your USB Flash Drive on the list on the left of its window, and click on it<\/b> to select it.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click the button with the minus symbol<\/b> on the right and under the chosen volumes’ graphical representation.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Delete-Partition.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Answer positively when asked if you’re sure you want to delete the selected partition. That is, if you are<\/b> sure, of course, that it doesn’t contain any data you need.
\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Delete-Partition-Confirmation.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
After removing all partitions, your USB Flash Drive will be unusable “as it is”, appearing as a “RAW” device<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
To turn it usable again, you’ll have to add at least one partition to it by clicking on the button with the plus symbol<\/b>, on the left under the volumes’ “bar”.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Create-Partition.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
In the following dialog, you can use the slider or manually type a number to define the size<\/b> and position<\/b> of the partition you’re creating.<\/p>\r\n
Leave both untouched to assign all of the available space to a single partition.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Partition-Settings.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t
- \r\n
The next dialog you’ll meet is identical to the one you see when directly formatting a device.<\/p>\r\n
You can enter a Volume Name and choose its file system.<\/p>\r\n
When ready, click on Create<\/b> on the top right corner of the window to turn those settings into a partition and render your USB Flash Drive usable again.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Partition-Format-Settings.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 4<\/span> Erase Everything Securely<\/h4>\r\nAs evidence that Linux is all about freedom of choice, securely erasing your USB Flash Drive can be as simple or complex as you wish.<\/p>\r\n
For the easy way out, we won’t go over all steps since they’re a variation of the typical format process that we’ve already covered above.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- \r\n
To securely erase your USB Flash Drive, go through the steps for formatting it using the Disks<\/b> app.<\/p>\r\n
Locate Disks, run it, and select your USB Flash Drive from the list on its left.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click on the button with the cog symbol<\/b>, and choose that you want to format the partition<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Device-Menu-Format-Partition.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
The difference between a typical and a “secure” format is the single little switch next to Erase<\/b> when setting up how you want your device formatted.<\/p>\r\n
By flicking this to On<\/b>, instead of a quick format, Disks will go over the whole storage area of your device, filling it with zeroes<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
Finish the process by clicking Next<\/b> on the top right corner and then acknowledging you’re OK with the removal of any data on the device.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Device-Menu-Format-Partition-Erase.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
For an even more secure erasure of your USB Flash Drive’s contents, you’ll have to type a little something on the terminal. Don’t worry; it’s a single command. However, you have<\/b> to ensure you’ll use the correct device ID if you don’t want to erase any of your other storage devices.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- \r\n
Disks can help in that, too, for apart from a graphical bar for the volumes on a device, it also shows some helpful information underneath.<\/p>\r\n
Notice the “dev\/sdXY” bit.<\/p>\r\n
“Dev” is short for “device”.<\/p>\r\n
“sd” comes from “SATA Drive” (it’s used for storage devices even if they aren’t<\/b> connected through SATA).<\/p>\r\n
That’s followed by a letter for the particular drive and a number for the partition.<\/p>\r\n
Since a single drive can have many partitions, if, for example, you see three volumes with IDs sdb1, sdb2, and sdb3, that means they’re three partitions on the SATA Drive “B”.<\/p>\r\n
That part is what you need – the “sda”, “sdb”, “sdw”, etc., for the drive itself, not<\/b> including the number for the partition.<\/p>\r\n
Note that down, for you’ll need it in the next step.<\/p>\r\n![\"Linux](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Disks-Device-ID.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t
- \r\n
Launch the terminal (you can use the CTRL<\/kbd> + Alt<\/kbd> + T<\/kbd> shortcut), and use the following command to securely erase everything<\/b> on your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\nsudo dd if=\/dev\/urandom of=\/dev\/DEVICE_ID bs=4096 status=progress<\/kbd><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n![\"following](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Linux-Terminal-DD-URandom-Secure-Erase.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
Remember to replace DEVICE_ID with the “sda”, “sdb”, or similar, that Disks “told you” is the ID of your USB Flash Drive. So, if your device ID was “sdb”, the command would look like:<\/p>\r\n
sudo dd if=\/dev\/urandom of=\/dev\/sdb bs=4096 status=progress<\/kbd><\/p>\r\nHit Enter<\/kbd>, and soon after, the contents of your USB Flash Drive will have gone extinct beyond recovery.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>Can You Recover Lost Files After Restoring Your USB Drive to Its Full Capacity?<\/span><\/h2>\r\nDid you follow one of the solutions we saw to free up all of your USB Flash Drive’s storage space but remembered afterward you did<\/b> have some data you needed on it?<\/p>\r\n
The bad news is that if you went for a secure erase, it’s not possible to bring any data back. Unfortunately, that’s what a secure erase is all about – eliminating any chances of recovery. Still, even in such cases, maybe recovery professionals, like CleverFiles’ Data Recovery Center, could help.<\/p>\r\n
But there is also good news. Data recovery apps may be able to bring your data back after anything but<\/b> a secure erase, and if you also kept backups, your files are a backup restore away.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>Using Disk Drill<\/span><\/h3>\r\nDid you remove the files from your USB Flash Drive, performed a quick (or “simple”) format, or “merely” re-arranged some partitions? Then, advanced data recovery software like Disk Drill may be able to analyze your USB Flash Drive, locate your precious files, and bring them back from their current nothingness.<\/p>\r\n
To recover your files from your erased USB Flash Drive with Disk Drill:<\/p>\r\n
There are many reasons a USB Flash Drive could appear as if it had (much) less available storage space than it should.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- 💾 A corrupted file system could mean that it’s not only the free space that doesn’t appear correctly, but your precious data could get “garbled” too.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 🔨 A failing USB Flash Drive could outright stop working, “locking” your files within it forever.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 💀 A virus could expand to other storage devices, affecting their contents.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 📦 If your USB Flash Drive was mispartitioned or wrongly formatted, you won’t be fully taking advantage of its capacity.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
<\/span>How Can You Restore a USB Drive Back to Full Capacity?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
Out of all possible issues you might face with a USB Flash Drive, only one should have you really<\/b> worried: hardware failure.<\/p>\r\n
If you have a rapidly deteriorating device in your hands, the first thing you should do is to take a complete backup of its contents. You can use a dedicated solution for the purpose. Still, it’s worth noting that Disk Drill, which we’ll see a bit below, also offers such functionality among its extra features.<\/p>\r\n
Apart from hardware issues, almost all other problems that could make your USB Flash Drive show a smaller capacity can be dealt with one of the following solutions.<\/p>\r\n
✔ Since the solutions are similar on all<\/b> operating systems, we’ll go over the same processes on the three most popular platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>If You\u2019re on Windows<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
No matter the version of Windows you’re on, you can deal with a USB Drive that shows a diminished capacity using the same methods.<\/p>\r\n
So, the solutions we’ll see next should work on all versions from Windows 8 onwards. If you skip the one regarding secure erasing, they’ll even work on the ancient by today’s standards Windows XP!<\/div>\r\nMethod 1<\/span> Manually Delete the USB Drive\u2019s Contents<\/h4>\r\n
The simplest reason for a USB Drive not having as much free space as desired or advertised may be that you’re using it.<\/p>\r\n
If your USB Flash Drive is filled with old files you aren’t using anymore, deleting them will free up space for other uses. That’s doable with any file manager, like the File Explorer that comes with Windows.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- You can seek File Explorer<\/b> using Search or the Start Menu. However, it’s probably easier to just hit the Windows Key<\/kbd> + E<\/kbd> combination on your keyboard.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- Click on your Flash Drive<\/b> on the list on the left of the window. The right side of File Explorer’s window will update to show its contents.
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select the files and folders<\/b> you want to remove from your USB Flash drive by left-clicking on it, or use CTRL<\/kbd> or Shift<\/kbd> while clicking to select multiple entries. Then, you can:\r\n\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Hit the Delete<\/kbd> key on your keyboard to send them to the Recycle Bin.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Use the Shift<\/kbd> + Delete<\/kbd> to fully remove the selected content skipping<\/b> the Recycle Bin.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Right-click on one of the selected entries and choose either the Trashcan icon if you’re on Windows 11 or the Delete<\/b> action in older versions of Microsoft’s OS.
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIf you “soft-delete” some content by sending it to the Recycle Bin, your USB Flash Drive’s free space might not be fully reclaimed. Not until you empty<\/b> the Recycle Bin by right-clicking on it and choosing that action.<\/div>\r\nMethod 2<\/span> Format the USB Drive<\/h4>\r\n
Formatting any storage device is an easy way to “reset it” and have once more access to all the free space it can offer.<\/p>\r\n
The easiest way to do that on Windows is using an app like File Explorer.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Right-click on your USB Flash Drive and, from the available actions, choose that you want to Format<\/b> it.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- A window will appear, allowing you to customize the format process. You can change the file system used or assign a new volume label. However, you can simply leave everything as it is, and with Quick Format<\/b> enabled, click on Start<\/b>.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWhen the process completes, your USB Flash Drive should appear empty, with all its free space available.<\/p>\r\n
💀 Keep in mind that formatting any device removes all its content<\/b>. In other words, don’t<\/b> format a device that includes files you need. At least not before backing them up elsewhere.<\/div>\r\nMethod 3<\/span> Delete Its Partitions<\/h4>\r\n
Like any other storage device, a USB Flash Drive can be “split” into partitions. “Partitions” which may also be hidden or not mounted, leaving their space useless.<\/p>\r\n
A more practical problem with partitions is that, since they split the device’s space into many chunks, you can’t use it as a whole. So, a single 40GB backup file could<\/b> fit on a 64GB Flash Drive but won’t<\/b> if it’s split into two 32GB partitions.<\/p>\r\n
To delete all partitions on your USB Flash Drive and re-use all its space as a single whole on Windows 11:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- \r\n
You can search for Disk Management<\/b> using Search, the Start Menu, or type “diskmgmt.msc” in a Run dialog.<\/p>\r\n
We believe it’s quicker pressing Windows Key<\/kbd> + X<\/kbd> to access the Power User tools menu, then choosing the Disk Management<\/b> entry.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- Find your USB Flash Drive on the list on the left of Disk Management’s window. Then, right-click on each of the partitions on it, and choose Delete Volume<\/b>.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- Answer positively when warned that deleting the volume will erase all data on it. Then, repeat for the rest of the partitions until they’re all gone.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
When no partitions are left, right-click<\/b> on the “Unallocated” space, and choose New Simple Volume<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
Go through the steps of the wizard that will show up to create a new partition on your USB Flash Drive and then format it.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- Make sure to assign all<\/b> of the device’s space to a single partition when at the Specify Volume Size<\/b> step by having “Simple volume size in MB” show the same value as “Maximum disk space in MB”.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 4<\/span> Erase Everything Securely<\/h4>\r\n
Suppose you don’t only want to reclaim your storage device’s free space but also to ensure its current contents won’t be recoverable afterward. In that case, you have to “secure erase” your device.<\/p>\r\n
There are many third-party tools you can turn to for securely erasing a storage device. For most people, though, the secure erase capabilities baked in Windows should be more than enough.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- \r\n
Right-click<\/b> on your USB Flash Drive from Windows File Explorer<\/b>, or after visiting Disk Management<\/b>, and choose that you want to format<\/b> it. However, make sure to disable the option to Perform a quick format<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
This way, Windows will fill all your storage device’s space with zeroes while formatting it to ensure any data that already exists will be overwritten.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t - \r\n
If you want an even more secure way of erasing your device’s contents, fire up either the “Command Prompt” Terminal or PowerShell.<\/p>\r\n
You can find them on the Start Menu<\/b>, use Search<\/b>, or call the Run<\/b> dialogue with Windows Key<\/kbd> + R<\/kbd> and then type “cmd” or “powershell”, respectively, and hit Enter<\/kbd>.<\/p>\r\n
However, it’s quicker to access the WinX menu<\/b> using the Windows Key<\/kbd> + X<\/kbd> combination, and then selecting one from there.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Use the command format DRIVE_LETTER: \/p:NUMBER<\/kbd> to securely format your storage device.<\/p>\r\n
Replace “DRIVE_LETTER” with the actual letter assigned to your storage device and “NUMBER” with the number of times you’d like your device to be re-re-overwritten with random numbers to eliminate any trace of its existing contents.<\/p>\r\n
For example, to erase the drive that’s accessible through the letter “E” with two passes, the command would look like: format F: \/p:2<\/kbd>.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAfter your USB Flash Drive is successfully and securely formatted, you’ll have access to its entire storage space. And if your USB Flash Drive falls into the wrong hands, they won’t have a chance of accessing any trace of your old data.<\/p>\r\n
Since this approach demands multiple passes, it also needs more time than your typical format (and especially a “quick” one) to complete.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>If You\u2019re on a Mac<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Apple’s Macs are known for being largely trouble-free and effortless. So, even when a USB Drive shows reduced storage compared to its capacity, dealing with such issues proves relatively trivial.<\/p>\r\n
Method 1<\/span> Manually Delete the USB Drive\u2019s Contents<\/h4>\r\n
To remove all contents of your USB Flash Drive and free up its storage space for other uses, you can:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Connect your USB Drive<\/b> to your Mac, then “open it” or choose it from within Finder<\/b> (macOS’s default file manager).
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- Select all contents “inside” your USB Drive and drag them to the trash icon<\/b>.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAnd with that, all data in your USB Flash Drive will be removed, allowing you to use all of its space however you wish.<\/p>\r\n
Method 2<\/span> Format the USB Drive<\/h4>\r\n
Removing the files from your USB Flash Drive may not thoroughly “clean it”. Hidden files may remain behind, taking up precious space.<\/p>\r\n
You can render them visible to remove those, too. And yet, formatting the drive would be a more effortless solution to reclaim all its space in one move.<\/p>\r\n
To do that on a Mac:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- With your USB Flash Drive connected, run Disk Utility. You can use Launchpad’s Search<\/b> feature to quickly locate it (search for its name, “disk utility”).
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- Choose your device from the list on its left. Then, click on Erase<\/b>.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Choose the file system<\/b> you’d like to use on your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\n
Go for FAT32 for maximum compatibility<\/b> with various devices, from computers with other OSes (Windows, Linux) to smartphones and tablets.<\/p>\r\n
Finally, click on the Erase<\/b> button to begin formatting your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWhen the process completes, your USB Flash Drive should be “fresh” as new, with all its storage space available.<\/p>\r\n
Method 3<\/span> Delete Its Partitions<\/h4>\r\n
Suppose you want to ensure that all your older data’s gone from your USB Flash Drive, and you’ll have all its storage capacity available.<\/p>\r\n
In that case, it’s best to remove any existing partitions. By repartitioning a device, you can be confident you’ll have all<\/b> of your USB Flash Drive’s space available.<\/p>\r\n
On all relatively new versions of macOS, the easiest way to do this is:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Connect your USB Flash Drive to your Mac. Then, run Disk Utility<\/b>.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- Expand the View menu<\/b> at the top left of the window, and change the setting to Show All Devices<\/b>.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- Right-click on the device itself, not<\/b> the volume(s) within it, and choose Erase<\/b> from the menu that pops up.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Note that if you want to re-segment your USB Flash Drive into partitions, you’ll have to choose a non-MBR<\/b> partitioning scheme (like GUID<\/b>).<\/p>\r\n
Then, after it’s erased, right-click on it again and choose Partition<\/b> to split it into smaller sections.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 4<\/span> Erase Everything Securely<\/h4>\r\n
Proving once again that using a Mac is an effortless affair, securely erasing a device is just as easy as a “plain” erase.<\/p>\r\n
The only extra step needed is stating that you want to securely erase the device and dragging a slider to define the level of security.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- \r\n
Run Disk Utility<\/b>, and right-click on your USB Flash Drive from the list on the left.<\/p>\r\n
Choose that you want to Erase<\/b> it.<\/p>\r\n
Alternatively, you can select your device and click on the Erase<\/b> button on the top-right of the window.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- After entering a name and type of format for your soon-to-be-erased USB Flash Drive, click on Security Options<\/b> on the bottom-left of the window.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Drag the slider<\/b> to the right to define the level of security<\/b> you prefer.<\/p>\r\n
The closer it is to the right, the higher<\/b> the level of security, and the fewer<\/b> the chances anyone could recover a single bit from the data that already exists on your storage device.<\/p>\r\n
However, higher security also means a slower<\/b> format process. If you can afford the time, though, and don’t mind your device being “locked” for minutes, feel free to move the slider all the way to the right.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>When Using Linux<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Linux is widely regarded as a complicated beast, where you must type commands in its terminal to perform even the most basic of tasks.<\/p>\r\n
And yet, as we’ll see next, managing your USB Flash Drive’s storage only requires some clicking. You only have to type commands if you need more than the GUI-based tools offer.<\/p>\r\n
There are dozens of Linux distributions and desktop environments, and their configuration depends on the user. Although they all allow you to perform the same tasks, how that’s done can differ wildly.<\/div>\r\nFor this guide, we’ll be using the popular Ubuntu 22.04 Linux distribution, which comes with the Gnome desktop environment<\/b>. Thus, you can follow along on all Ubuntu-compatible distributions and perform the same steps if using the Gnome desktop (and the apps it comes with).<\/p>\r\n
If you’re on a different setup, you’ll have to adjust the steps accordingly.<\/p>\r\n
Method 1<\/span> Manually Delete the USB Drive\u2019s Contents<\/h4>\r\n
We could go over one or more ways of deleting all of your USB Flash Drive’s contents through the terminal. However, most people today prefer interacting with their OS using a desktop environment, and most popular distributions come with one.<\/p>\r\n
Selecting a bunch of files and folders with a mouse swipe and hitting Delete is much quicker and effortless. On Ubuntu 22.04 with Gnome, it goes like this:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- After connecting your USB Flash Drive, you’ll see an icon for it pop on Ubuntu’s dock<\/b>. Clicking on it will open it with the default file manager<\/b> (Files).
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Alternatively, you can launch the file manager yourself.<\/p>\r\n
On Ubuntu 22.04, visit its applications menu, and use the search<\/b> on the top to seek “files”<\/b> (that’s the name of Gnome’s default file manager, which was previously known as “Nautilus”).<\/p>\r\n
Or you could launch any other file manager you prefer – like Dolphin, Konqueror, etc.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Locate your USB Flash Drive on your file manager’s devices\/places list.<\/p>\r\n
On Gnome’s Files, it’s on the left of its window. You might have to scroll down<\/b> to find your USB Flash Drive if you have many storage devices on your PC.<\/p>\r\n
Click on it<\/b>, and when its contents appear on the file manager’s window, drag a box around them<\/b> or click inside the window and hit CTRL<\/kbd> + A<\/kbd> to select all files and folders.<\/p>\r\n
Then, either right-click<\/b> on them and choose Move to Trash<\/b> (or Delete<\/b>, the option can change between file managers) or hit Delete<\/kbd> on your keyboard.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 2<\/span> Format the USB Drive<\/h4>\r\n
Formatting your USB Flash Drive to free all its available space might seem like a “brute force” solution since it recreates its file system and indexes from scratch.<\/p>\r\n
However, it also ensures there won’t be any data leftovers in the volume. As a bonus, you don’t have to deal with individual files and folders.<\/p>\r\n
It feels more like “clicking a single button to solve a problem” – although, admittedly, it involves more than a single click. To do that, on Ubuntu 22.04 with Gnome:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Run the Disks<\/b> application. You can find it by searching for its name in the activities menu (yes, its name is a plain “disks”).
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Select<\/b> your USB Flash Drive from the list on the left of the Disks’ window.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click the button with the cog icon<\/b> under its volume, and choose Format Partition<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
Enter a name for the newly formatted volume, and choose its type – or leave it at FAT for broader compatibility.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click on Next<\/b> on the top right.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
You’ll be given a final chance to cancel the process and reminded it will lead to the removal of all<\/b> data on your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\n
If sure, click on Format<\/b> on the top right corner of the window.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 3<\/span> Delete Its Partitions<\/h4>\r\n
Are you tired of juggling files between your USB Flash Drive’s partitions, trying to make them fit? Would you prefer to use it as a single, larger storage space, where you can “dump” files without overthinking it?<\/p>\r\n
Or, maybe, the opposite, to create multiple partitions, each with a different file system, to take advantage of the best both Linux and Windows can offer?<\/p>\r\n
You can do it like this:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- \r\n
Fire up the Disks<\/b> application – you’ll find it by searching for it using its name in the apps\/activities menu.<\/p>\r\n
Locate your USB Flash Drive on the list on the left of its window, and click on it<\/b> to select it.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click the button with the minus symbol<\/b> on the right and under the chosen volumes’ graphical representation.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- Answer positively when asked if you’re sure you want to delete the selected partition. That is, if you are<\/b> sure, of course, that it doesn’t contain any data you need.
\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
After removing all partitions, your USB Flash Drive will be unusable “as it is”, appearing as a “RAW” device<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
To turn it usable again, you’ll have to add at least one partition to it by clicking on the button with the plus symbol<\/b>, on the left under the volumes’ “bar”.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
In the following dialog, you can use the slider or manually type a number to define the size<\/b> and position<\/b> of the partition you’re creating.<\/p>\r\n
Leave both untouched to assign all of the available space to a single partition.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
The next dialog you’ll meet is identical to the one you see when directly formatting a device.<\/p>\r\n
You can enter a Volume Name and choose its file system.<\/p>\r\n
When ready, click on Create<\/b> on the top right corner of the window to turn those settings into a partition and render your USB Flash Drive usable again.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMethod 4<\/span> Erase Everything Securely<\/h4>\r\n
As evidence that Linux is all about freedom of choice, securely erasing your USB Flash Drive can be as simple or complex as you wish.<\/p>\r\n
For the easy way out, we won’t go over all steps since they’re a variation of the typical format process that we’ve already covered above.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- \r\n
To securely erase your USB Flash Drive, go through the steps for formatting it using the Disks<\/b> app.<\/p>\r\n
Locate Disks, run it, and select your USB Flash Drive from the list on its left.<\/p>\r\n
Then, click on the button with the cog symbol<\/b>, and choose that you want to format the partition<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t- \r\n
The difference between a typical and a “secure” format is the single little switch next to Erase<\/b> when setting up how you want your device formatted.<\/p>\r\n
By flicking this to On<\/b>, instead of a quick format, Disks will go over the whole storage area of your device, filling it with zeroes<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
Finish the process by clicking Next<\/b> on the top right corner and then acknowledging you’re OK with the removal of any data on the device.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nFor an even more secure erasure of your USB Flash Drive’s contents, you’ll have to type a little something on the terminal. Don’t worry; it’s a single command. However, you have<\/b> to ensure you’ll use the correct device ID if you don’t want to erase any of your other storage devices.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- \r\n
Disks can help in that, too, for apart from a graphical bar for the volumes on a device, it also shows some helpful information underneath.<\/p>\r\n
Notice the “dev\/sdXY” bit.<\/p>\r\n
“Dev” is short for “device”.<\/p>\r\n
“sd” comes from “SATA Drive” (it’s used for storage devices even if they aren’t<\/b> connected through SATA).<\/p>\r\n
That’s followed by a letter for the particular drive and a number for the partition.<\/p>\r\n
Since a single drive can have many partitions, if, for example, you see three volumes with IDs sdb1, sdb2, and sdb3, that means they’re three partitions on the SATA Drive “B”.<\/p>\r\n
That part is what you need – the “sda”, “sdb”, “sdw”, etc., for the drive itself, not<\/b> including the number for the partition.<\/p>\r\n
Note that down, for you’ll need it in the next step.<\/p>\r\n
<\/li>\r\n\t - \r\n
Launch the terminal (you can use the CTRL<\/kbd> + Alt<\/kbd> + T<\/kbd> shortcut), and use the following command to securely erase everything<\/b> on your USB Flash Drive.<\/p>\r\n
sudo dd if=\/dev\/urandom of=\/dev\/DEVICE_ID bs=4096 status=progress<\/kbd><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
<\/p>\r\nRemember to replace DEVICE_ID with the “sda”, “sdb”, or similar, that Disks “told you” is the ID of your USB Flash Drive. So, if your device ID was “sdb”, the command would look like:<\/p>\r\n
sudo dd if=\/dev\/urandom of=\/dev\/sdb bs=4096 status=progress<\/kbd><\/p>\r\n
Hit Enter<\/kbd>, and soon after, the contents of your USB Flash Drive will have gone extinct beyond recovery.<\/p>\r\n
<\/span>Can You Recover Lost Files After Restoring Your USB Drive to Its Full Capacity?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
Did you follow one of the solutions we saw to free up all of your USB Flash Drive’s storage space but remembered afterward you did<\/b> have some data you needed on it?<\/p>\r\n
The bad news is that if you went for a secure erase, it’s not possible to bring any data back. Unfortunately, that’s what a secure erase is all about – eliminating any chances of recovery. Still, even in such cases, maybe recovery professionals, like CleverFiles’ Data Recovery Center, could help.<\/p>\r\n
But there is also good news. Data recovery apps may be able to bring your data back after anything but<\/b> a secure erase, and if you also kept backups, your files are a backup restore away.<\/p>\r\n
<\/span>Using Disk Drill<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Did you remove the files from your USB Flash Drive, performed a quick (or “simple”) format, or “merely” re-arranged some partitions? Then, advanced data recovery software like Disk Drill may be able to analyze your USB Flash Drive, locate your precious files, and bring them back from their current nothingness.<\/p>\r\n
To recover your files from your erased USB Flash Drive with Disk Drill:<\/p>\r\n
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- Answer positively when asked if you’re sure you want to delete the selected partition. That is, if you are<\/b> sure, of course, that it doesn’t contain any data you need.
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- After entering a name and type of format for your soon-to-be-erased USB Flash Drive, click on Security Options<\/b> on the bottom-left of the window.
- Expand the View menu<\/b> at the top left of the window, and change the setting to Show All Devices<\/b>.
- Choose your device from the list on its left. Then, click on Erase<\/b>.
- Select all contents “inside” your USB Drive and drag them to the trash icon<\/b>.
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- Find your USB Flash Drive on the list on the left of Disk Management’s window. Then, right-click on each of the partitions on it, and choose Delete Volume<\/b>.
- A window will appear, allowing you to customize the format process. You can change the file system used or assign a new volume label. However, you can simply leave everything as it is, and with Quick Format<\/b> enabled, click on Start<\/b>.
- Use the Shift<\/kbd> + Delete<\/kbd> to fully remove the selected content skipping<\/b> the Recycle Bin.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Click on your Flash Drive<\/b> on the list on the left of the window. The right side of File Explorer’s window will update to show its contents.
- You can seek File Explorer<\/b> using Search or the Start Menu. However, it’s probably easier to just hit the Windows Key<\/kbd> + E<\/kbd> combination on your keyboard.
![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sidebar-ban-96.png\")
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