Formatting flash memory removes all data.
Flash memory such as memory cards and USB thumb drives are useful for storing data and transferring files between computers. Just as regular hard drives occasionally need formatting, you may find that you'll need to periodically format your flash memory. Sometimes flash memory can become corrupt or perhaps you want to remove all data from the card. Whatever the reason, it only takes a few minutes to format 4GB flash memory devices.
Instructions
1. Insert the flash memory into your computer. USB flash drives plug into the USB ports on the front or back of a computer. If you have a flash memory card, you must plug it into a compatible memory card reader.
2. Navigate to the "Start" menu and select "Computer." Right-click the flash media under "Devices with Removable Storage." Select "Format..." from the pop-up menu.
3. Click "Start" to format the flash memory. Use the default FAT32 file system and allocation unit size of 2048 bytes for better compatibility with other operating systems. Select "Restore device defaults" to format the drive with the default factory settings. Check "Quick format" to speed up the formatting process.
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