How to format a USB flash drive in NTFS using Windows?

Finally, all those long hours spent behind the computer screen in search of information about the flash drives were left behind. Now, having started a conversation with friends and acquaintances, you can not transfer it to storage and transfer devices. It's simple - a long-awaited USB flash drive was bought! Now you can go to your friends, see from their computer excerpts from the new movie and, quite by accident, remember the new flash drive in your pocket. Here on these thoughts, usually the joy of the owner of flash memory ends - at the first attempts to write to it any file larger than 4 gigabytes (GB). And again reading forums, searching for recommendations on how to format a USB flash drive in NTFS, etc. Actually, everything is simple. Everybody encounters this, therefore, as long as a person does not know how to properly format an NTFS flash drive system, he can not consider himself versed in this matter. Next, we'll tell you why you need to format a new flash drive and how to do it correctly.

Any new USB flash drive: realized both in the form of OEM (in a polyethylene bag), and Retail version (in the factory sealed package) is already fully ready for work. To be able to copy files, just connect it to a compatible device. At first glance, it may seem that the manufacturer prudently formats the USB flash drive, allowing the owner to simply enjoy the good work, rather than thinking how to format the USB flash drive in NTFS. In practice, everything is a little different.

At the moment there are several main file systems: FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT. Linux adds its own systems, but there's no question of backward compatibility with Microsoft products is not talking, so let's leave them for professionals. A file system is a set of rules that determine how to store, store, and interact with data written to a storage medium. In order for the operating system to work with the medium, it needs to be formatted, that is, to create the desired file system (structure). Each of them has certain advantages and limitations. For example, a simple FAT (File Allocation Table) is one of the first systems, the use of which on capacious modern devices is inexpedient.

The newer FAT32 was first introduced in 1995 and since then has not undergone any significant changes. It is the development of the old FAT16, increasing the partition's size limit and making some other improvements. Most flash drives are formatted by manufacturers in this system, which allows them to connect to any other digital devices, as well as show high speed characteristics. FAT32 - a universal system, supported by a variety of equipment. In fact, it's an unspoken standard for flash-memory. One of the disadvantages of it - the impossibility of writing a file more than 4 GB. At such attempt the message on shortage of an empty seat will be given out though it can still remain.

This problem is not present in the new NTFS. This is a rather complicated system, which differs significantly from FAT. In it, the file is represented not by name and size, but by a set of attributes. The restriction on the file size is removed (it is, but so large that it will not be achieved in the near future). It is understandable that the user wants to learn how to format a USB flash drive in NTFS. Performing this operation makes it possible to use the flash drive as a small hard disk and not worry that a large file can not register.

How to format a USB flash drive in NTFS? This can be done by means of Windows. We connect it to the computer, open the folder "My computer", select the flash drive, we call its properties. The menu will be "Formatting". You can select FAT32 or NTFS. When formatting, all data will be erased, so you need to save them first.

Also, you can convert FAT32 to NTFS without formatting, which guarantees data security, you need to do this:

Start - Run - convert "drive letter": / FS: NTFS

In addition to the standard method, the format of flash drives in NTFS is often performed by the popular program Format Tool (developer - HP). By the way, for flash memory devices it is recommended to use exFAT, not NTFS, as this system is specially developed for them.