How to Fix "Format Failed" Issues on Windows 11

Updated by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 22, 2024

USB flash drives or SD cards can store a great deal of data, but sometimes you may encounter an error that says "Windows was unable to complete the format" when trying to format these devices. If you're facing a similar issue, we've got some effective quick solutions that can help you resolve this problem within minutes. However, before attempting any method, make sure you recover data from the inaccessible drive first.

Let's get started!

What does the "Windows was unable to complete the format" error message mean?

Before diving into possible solutions to the "Windows was unable to complete the format" error, let's explore some reasons that might cause it. This way, you can prevent such issues from occurring in the first place. Generally, there are five main reasons that might lead to this error on a Windows 11 computer, which include: 1. **Damaged or Corrupted File System**: If the file system of the storage device is damaged or corrupted, Windows may fail to format it. 2. **Bad Sectors**: The presence of bad sectors on the drive can hinder the formatting process, as data cannot be written to these areas. 3. **In Use or Locked by Another Program**: If the drive is in use by another program or process, Windows won't be able to format it until it's released. 4. **Unsupported File System**: Trying to format a drive with an unsupported file system can also trigger this error. 5. **Hardware Issues**: Sometimes, hardware problems like loose connections, failing controller chips, or damaged storage devices can cause formatting errors. Now that we've identified the potential causes, let's look at some methods to resolve the issue: 1. **Use built-in Disk Management Tool**: - Press `Win + X` and select "Disk Management". - Right-click the problematic drive and choose "Format". - Ensure the correct file system (usually NTFS for most用途) and allocation unit size are selected. - Check the "Quick Format" option and click "OK". 2. **Command Prompt Formatting**: - Open Command Prompt as an administrator. - Type `format X: /FS:NTFS /Q`, replacing "X:" with the actual drive letter. - Press Enter and wait for the process to complete. 3. **chkdsk Utility**: - Open Command Prompt as an administrator. - Type `chkdsk X: /f /r`, replacing "X:" with the drive letter. - Press Enter and let it fix any detected issues. - Try formatting the drive again after chkdsk finishes. 4. **Unlock or Close Running Programs**: Make sure no program is using the drive. You can use Task Manager to end processes that might be accessing it. 5. **Update or Reinstall Drivers**: Update your storage controller drivers or reinstall them if they're outdated or corrupted. 6. **Physical Inspection**: If the above steps don't work, check for physical damage to the storage device or ensure it's properly connected. 7. **Third-party Tools**: Use disk utility software, such as tools Partition Master or MiniTool Partition Wizard, to format the drive. Remember to backup any important data before attempting to format the drive. If none of these solutions work, it might be time to consider professional assistance or replacing the affected storage device.

• The drive is write-protected.

Formatting is a write operation, so you'll need to remove write protection before you can format the drive. Try copying something to the drive and look for the message "The disk is write protected." If you see this, the drive has write protection enabled, and Windows won't be able to format it.

• Drive is empty

Another reason that might cause this issue is if your hard drive has no partitions and is blank, yet you find it has a drive letter assigned. Since formatting is based on partitioning and not unallocated space, Windows is unable to complete the formatting process.

• The drive has physical damage.

Physical damage is another reason that can render a storage device inaccessible, and thus require formatting by Windows. Bad sectors can be easily repaired by a specialized service center, but at a cost.

• Hard disk has bad sectors

Normally, all files stored on a hard drive occupy multiple sectors. So, if a sector becomes damaged and is unreadable or unwriteable, it's called a bad sector. Bad sectors can affect formatting and data recovery operations.

• The drive is infected with viruses or malware.

Lastly but equally important, the reason behind the “Windows was unable to format the drive” error is that the drive is infected with viruses and malware. Viruses and malware often fill the USB drive with dangerous files, making it unusable.

Now that you're familiar with the reasons behind the “Windows was unable to complete the format” error on your Windows 11 computer, it's high time you learned effective ways to fix this issue!

How do I fix the "Windows 11 cannot format" issue?

Aside from Windows Explorer, you can use other effective methods to perform a quick format, including the Windows Disk Management and the Windows Command Prompt. Apart from these built-in Windows programs, third-party partition management tools can also help format a drive within minutes.

So, let's see how to use these methods to fix the “Format Failed” issue on your Windows 11 PC.

Solution 1: Format with Partition Master

In this part, we will show you how to fix the “Windows 11 cannot format” issue with the help of a professional and powerful partition management tool, like tools Partition Master.

When your storage device fails to format due to file system errors (like showing USB as RAW in Disk Management), tools like Partition Master can easily format your drive to a file system supported by Windows, such as FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT, with minimal hassle. To learn more about how this partition management tool works, check out the step-by-step guide below:

Step 1. Launch Partition Master, right-click the partition of the external hard drive/USB/SD card you want to format and choose “Format”.

Step 2: Specify a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size for the selected partition, then click “OK”.

Step 3: Click Yes in the warning dialog to proceed.

Step 4. Click on the “Perform 1 Task” button at the top left corner to review the changes and hit “Apply” to start formatting the external hard drive/USB/SD card.

Aside from fixing the "Format Failed" error on Windows 11 computers, the Partition Master tool can also effectively help you resolve similar issues on external storage devices, such as:

Solution 2: Format in Windows 11 Using Disk Management

If a RAW file system error is causing the "Windows 11 couldn't format" issue, you can try fixing it using Disk Management. Sometimes, your storage device might switch to RAW format, and Windows 11 will warn you that it can't complete the formatting; in this case, you can attempt to use Windows Disk Management to go through the entire formatting process.

Here's a guide on how to format using Disk Management in UTF-8 encoding: 1. **启动磁盘管理**: - 在键盘上按下 `Win + X` 组合键，然后选择“磁盘管理”。 - 或者，你也可以右键点击任务栏左下角的Windows图标，然后在弹出菜单中选择“磁盘管理”。 2. **识别要格式化的磁盘**: - 在磁盘管理窗口中，你会看到所有连接到电脑的硬盘和分区。找到你想要格式化的磁盘。 3. **初始化磁盘**（如果尚未完成）: - 如果新磁盘未初始化，右键点击该磁盘，然后选择“初始化磁盘”。选择合适的分区样式（MBR或GPT）然后点击“确定”。 4. **创建新的简单卷**: - 右键点击未分配的空间，然后选择“新建简单卷”。 - 按照向导的步骤操作，接受默认设置或自定义卷大小、驱动器字母和文件系统类型（如NTFS或FAT32）。 5. **格式化磁盘**: - 在新创建的简单卷上，右键点击并选择“格式化”。 - 在弹出的对话框中，确认文件系统是UTF-8兼容的（通常NTFS是默认选项）。 - 确认分配单元大小，默认通常是最佳选择。 - 勾选“快速格式化”以加快过程，除非你需要完全零化磁盘。 - 点击“开始”开始格式化过程。 6. **确认操作**: - 注意，格式化会删除磁盘上的所有数据，所以请确保已备份重要文件。 - 点击“确定”后，格式化进程将开始，完成后磁盘将以UTF-8编码的新格式可用。 请注意，虽然UTF-8是文本编码的标准，但文件系统如NTFS或FAT32并不直接支持UTF-8编码。然而，这些文件系统能够存储和处理UTF-8编码的文件名。

Step 1: Connect the removable device to the Windows 11 computer you want to format.

Step 2: Right-click on "This PC" and select "Manage," then choose "Disk Management."

Step 3: Right-click on your USB flash drive or external hard drive and select "Format."

Step 4: Set the "File System" of your SD card, USB drive, or hard disk to either FAT32 or NTFS, check the "Quick Format" box, and then click "OK" to confirm.

Format the storage device via Disk Management

If that doesn't work, try the next method!

Fix 3: Format using Windows Command Prompt

If the "Windows 11 couldn't format the drive" issue is due to file system issues or bad sectors, you can try formatting the drive using the Windows Command Prompt.

When you can't format an SD card or USB flash drive in File Explorer, the Diskpart format command can help you get the job done.

And here's how it works!

Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon, and then type "Command Prompt" in the search box. Right-click "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator."

Step 2: Type “diskpart” in the Command Prompt, and press Enter.

Step 3: Type each of the following Diskpart commands on a separate line, pressing Enter after each one to quickly format the hard drive:

• list disk
• select disk 2 (replace "2" with the number of your disk)
• list volume
• select volume 10 (replace "10" with the drive number you want to format)
• format fs=ntfs quick (if you need to format the device to FAT32 or another file system, replace "NTFS" with "FAT32"/"exFAT", etc.)

Step 4: When Diskpart confirms that the disk partition has been successfully formatted, type “exit” and press “Enter” to quit the program.

There you go! You've successfully formatted the drive using the Command Prompt.

Conclusions

With these effective solutions, fixing the "Windows 11 cannot format" issue is no longer a daunting task. Regardless of which method you choose, each one is efficient and effective in its own right. However, if you're looking for a high-tech tool with multiple features, don't miss the opportunity to try out the Partition Master utility.

With its set of features and affordable price, Partition Master is a result-oriented tool that can easily help you resolve the “Windows 11 failed to format” error with just a few clicks.

Frequently Asked Questions About "Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format"

If you're still wondering about the “Windows 11 can't format USB drive or other storage device” error, read on and find your answer here:

< strong > 1. How to fix a USB flash drive that won't format?

• Eject the USB drive and try a different USB port.
• Change the drive letter of the USB to get it to show up in Windows.
• Remove viruses or malware from the USB.
• Run the chkdsk command to fix file system errors on your USB.
• Format the USB using Disk Management or the Partition Master tool.

How to Fix "Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format" Issue?

1. First, run an antivirus software to clean viruses and malware. 2. Run the chkdsk command to fix file system errors on the target partition. 3. Disable write protection in Windows. 4. Format the hard drive partition on Windows using Disk Management or tools like Partition Master.

3. How to Force Format Windows 11?

1. Go to Settings, then click on "System," and subsequently choose "Storage." 2. Access advanced storage settings by clicking on "Disks & Volumes." 3. Select the drive you wish to format, and then click on "Properties." 4. Click on "Format," confirm or change the drive label and file system. 5. Check the box for "Enable file and folder compression," and then click "Format."