Note: Quick format does not erase data permanently, and you can recover lost data from formatted disk easily using data recovery software, while full formatting takes longer time to complete and wipes data complete. Then Windows will start full formatting the selected drive. Step 6 Unselect 'Quick Format' option and click Start button. If you do not know how to choose, you can follow suggested option. Step 5 Select file system type from drop-down list and set Allocation unit size. Step 4 Right-click on the USB flash drive that you want to wipe and select 'Format' option from the context menu. Step 3 Open the USB flash drive and move the important data to computer hard drive in order to create a backup. Step 2 Open File Explorer by double-clicking This PC and you can find the drive icon of your USB drive. Step 1 Insert the USB flash drive into your computer, wait a few second and let the computer do its job - detect the USB flash drive and install the USB driver. How to clean data completely using the full formatting option? Let's have a close look at the process: Actually, we can perform a full format on USB drive, which is able to erase data byte by byte so that files cannot be recovered by any means. However, many of us format disks by way of quick format which completes within seconds, but cannot clean data for good. Method 1: Wipe USB Flash Drive by Using Inbuilt Format OptionĪll computers using Windows system comes with an inbuilt format option to erase everything from a USB flash drive. In this instruction, I will show you two methods that to erase data on USB flash drive permanently. To completely clear an SD card, hard drive or USB flash drive needs extra operations. USB drive recovery programs can be easily downloaded from the Internet and it is quite easy to retrieve deleted or formatted data from USB drives. You cannot wipe data from the USB flash drive completely with a simple deletion or formatting, because any one can easily recover them with using any data recovery software.

Change file system format, such as change FAT32 to NTFS, convert NTFS to exFAT or Ext4.

Remove unknown virus or malware on USB flash drive.

Secure erase all the data on the USB flash drive before selling the device.

The data is sensitive information that needs to delete permanently.

Erasing USB drive deletes all data on the device and you can get all free space to be reused.

Get some more space to store new data.

Like hard disk, you may need to wipe a USB flash drive sometimes. It is portable, fast and easy to use and carry.

USB flash drive is a miniature high-capacity mobile storage product that uses a USB interface to connect a computer. Method 2: Completely wipe USB Flash Drive with Eassos DiskGenius

Method 1: Wipe USB Flash Drive by Using Inbuilt Format Option

How to clear flash drive