Kingston Formatting Tool Failed? Fix with Kingston Formatting Utility [2024 Guide]

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on May 9, 2024

If your Kingston formatting tool fails to format the USB drive, this page introduces 3 reliable methods to help you resolve the issue. Follow the solutions provided below to successfully format your Kingston USB drive:

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I'll promptly translate it into Chinese for you.

Error: Kingston Formatting Tool failed to format.

The Kingston USB Format Utility (kingston_format_utility.exe) is a small Windows program that you can download for free from Kingston's official website: Kingston's official download page.

The Kingsting Format Utility is designed specifically to format the Kingston HyperX series (DTHX30/XXGB) USB flash drive. With this utility, you can:

• Fix USB corrupted issues
• Repair RAW formatted USB drive
• Format the compatible USB flash drive and use it like a new one
• Remove unknown viruses and solve various file system related issues

How do I use the Kingston formatting tool?

Step 1: Plug the Kingston USB storage device into the USB port of your computer.

Step 2: Launch the Kingston formatting tool.

Step 3: You should soon see a confirmation that the formatting was successful.

Error: Kingston Formatting Tool unable to format USB Drive

Why does the Kingston formatting tool fail to format? While it is a Kingston brand USB flash drive, there are times when you can't format it within the formatting tool.

All of the following, in short.

• Your Kingston flash drive is not from the HyperX series. You cannot format Kingston DataTraveller 2.0, DT50, DTSE9, DataTraveller G3, and others like these.
• Your Kingston USB flash drive or pen drive is read-only or write-protected. You must unlock the drive to format it successfully.
• Severe damage to the flash drive port, chip, and other components.

So, how to fix the Kingston formatting tool cannot format USB error? Here we collect 3 reliable methods to format your Kingston USB drive without using the Kingston formatting tool:

• Solution 1: Use Third-Party Kingston USB Formatting Tool
• Solution 2: Utilize Disk Management
• Solution 3: Format via CMD Command Prompt

Solution 1: Format the Kingston USB Flash Drive with a Third-Party USB Formatting Tool If the built-in formatting tool in Windows fails to resolve the issue, you can try using a reliable third-party USB formatting tool. Here are a couple of well-known options: 1. **HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool**: The HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a straightforward utility that can help you format various USB drives, including Kingston ones. To use it: - Download the tool from the official website. - Install the tool on your computer. - Connect your Kingston USB flash drive. - Open HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. - Select your Kingston drive from the drop-down menu. - Choose the desired file system (FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT). - Make sure the "Quick Format" option is checked. - Click "Format" to begin. 2. **AOMEI Partition Assistant**: AOMEI Partition Assistant is a powerful disk management tool that also allows for formatting USB drives. Follow these steps: - Download and install AOMEI Partition Assistant from its official website. - Connect your Kingston USB flash drive. - Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. - Locate and select your Kingston drive in the program interface. - Right-click the drive and choose "Format Partition." - In the popup window, select the appropriate file system and allocation unit size. - Confirm the action and click "OK" to start formatting. Please note that formatting will erase all data, so make sure to back up important files beforehand. Also, ensure the formatting tool you choose is compatible with your requirements to avoid further issues.

AOMEI Partition Assistant is a perfect disk formatting tool that can seamlessly solve various problems of formatting failure with Kingston formatting tool.

When a Kingston flash drive fails and stops working, you can't format or repair it, especially when you receive error messages from Windows such as “Windows was unable to complete the format” or “Format did not succeed.”

Fortunately, all the problems you may encounter during Kingston formatting can be perfectly solved by Partition Wizard! It can help you format Kingston USB flash drive with ease when the Kingston formatting utility or Disk Management fails.

The steps to format a Kingston USB flash drive using the Partition Master tool are as follows: 1. First, download and install the Partition Master tool. Make sure you acquire the software from the official website to ensure safety and reliability. 2. After installation, launch the Partition Master application. 3. Connect your Kingston USB flash drive to your computer's USB port. 4. In the Partition Master interface, you will see all the hard drives and partitions connected to your computer. Locate your Kingston USB device, which is usually identified as "Removable Disk" or a similar name. 5. Select the Kingston USB drive that you wish to format, then click the "Format" button on the main interface. 6. A warning window will appear, asking you to confirm if you really want to format the drive since it will erase all data. If you have already backed up important files, click "OK" to proceed; otherwise, back up your data first. 7. In the Format options window that pops up, you can choose the file system (e.g., FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT), allocation unit size, and volume label (optional). Select according to your needs. 8. Click "OK" to start the formatting process. 9. Wait for the formatting to complete. This may take a few minutes, depending on the capacity of the USB flash drive. 10. Once the formatting is finished, you can close Partition Master and begin storing new files on your Kingston USB drive. Please note: Formatting will erase all data, so make sure you have backed up important files before proceeding with this operation.

Step 1: Select the USB drive you want to format.

Plug your USB drive or flash drive into your computer. Download and launch a partitioning tool. Right-click the USB drive that you want to format, then select “Format.”

Step 2: Assign a drive letter and file system to the USB drive.

Enter a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and cluster size for the selected partition, then click “OK”.

Step 3: Check the “Yes” box to confirm that you want to format the USB drive.

If you see any warning windows, click “Yes.” Make sure to back up any important data beforehand, just in case.

Step 4: Apply the changes.

Click “Run 1 Task,” and then click “Format USB Drive” to format the USB drive.

Solution 2: Format the Kingston USB flash drive in Disk Management

Windows Disk Management is a universal way to format internal or external hard drives on your computer. When the official formatting tool fails, you can easily access Windows Disk Management in Windows 7, 8, or 10 to format any series of Kingston USB flash drive.

The steps to format a Kingston USB flash drive in Windows Disk Management are as follows:

Step 1. Go to My Computer (Windows 7) or This PC (Windows 10) > Manage > Disk Management.

Step 2. Right-click on the Kingston USB flash drive and select "Format."

Step 3. Choose the file system you want and perform a quick format. Click «OK».

Note: Though powerful, Windows Disk Management cannot format a Kingston USB drive or SD card larger than 32GB to FAT32. If you intend to format a 64GB USB drive to FAT32, you have to turn to Solution 1 – use a third-party tool, i.e., Partition Manager.

Fix 3: Format Write Protected Kingston Flash Drive

The CMD command line in Windows DOS is one of the ways to fix and resolve write protection issues on memory cards or flash drives, including all series of Kingston flash drives. As a write protection tool, it can help you remove the write protection with simple steps. After that, you can format your Kingston drive with any formatting tool at will.

#1. Remove Write Protection from Kingston USB using CMD

Step 1: Press "Win + R," type "cmd," and open the Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2: Type diskpart, and press Enter.

Step 3. Enter each of the following commands in turn, pressing Enter after each one.

List Disks Select Disk x (where x is the number of your Kingston USB drive that you want to remove the write protection from) Disk Properties Uncheck "Read-only"

If you don't consider yourself a power user or are uncomfortable with the command line, don't worry – there are graphical solutions that can help you unprotect your hard drive, USB drive, or even an SD card.

CleanGenius is one of those tools that can help you fix such issues on your disk without having to resort to the command line.

This is a simple and easy-to-understand guide on how to use this tool to address your concerns:

Step 1: Download and install CleanGenius (a free program) on your computer.

Step 2: Run CleanGenius on your computer, choose Optimization, and select Write Protection mode.

Step 3: Select the device you want to unprotect, and click Disable to remove the protection.

Method 2: Format the Kingston USB Flash Drive Using CMD

Step 1: Connect the USB to your computer and note its drive letter.

Step 2: Open CMD by searching for cmd and right-clicking on "Command Prompt."

Step 3: Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each:

- **diskpart** - **list disk** - **select disk * **（Replace the asterisk with the number of your USB disk）** - **list volume** - **select volume * **（Replace the asterisk with the number of your USB volume）** - **format fs=ntfs quick** or **format fs=fat32 quick** - **exit**

Replace E with the letter assigned to your Kingston USB drive.

Step 4. Close the Command Prompt window when you're done.

All the fixes come with detailed guides. If none of these help, try to remove the virus from your system.

In short

We have provided three effective solutions on how to fix Kingston formatting tool failed issue, which include:

• [1] Format the Kingston flash drive with a formatting tool
• [2] Format the Kingston flash drive in Windows Disk Management
• [3] Remove write protection and format the USB drive using CMD or a removable write protection tool

Among the three methods, using a partition tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant to format Kingston USB drive and other brands of USB drives, external hard drives, and storage devices is the simplest and most efficient way.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kingston Formatting Tool

If you still have questions about the Kingston formatting tool or how to format a Kingston USB flash drive, look for the answer in the list below.

1. Is the Kingston USB in FAT32 format?

It depends. If your Kingston USB flash drive has a capacity larger than 32 GB, its file system format might be exFAT or NTFS.

If your Kingston USB flash drive is 32 GB or less, it will likely be formatted with the FAT32 file system by default.

2. How do I format my Kingston DT50 flash drive?

If your Kingston DT50 is 32GB or smaller, you can format it using File Explorer:

Plug in the Kingston DT50 to your computer. Right-click on the Kingston DT50 in File Explorer and select "Format." Set the File System to FAT32, check "Quick Format," then click "OK" and "Yes."

If your Kingston DT50 is larger than 32 GB, you'll need a third-party USB formatting tool to help out. You can trust the Partition Master tool for this. Just format your drive using the method from Method 2 above.

3. Can the Kingston Format Utility format a write-protected USB flash drive?

No, the Kingston formatting tool, just like Windows Disk Management and File Explorer, cannot directly format a write-protected USB. When your USB shows "The disk is write-protected," you need to remove the write protection from the USB drive first and then use a formatting tool to format the USB back to normal.