How to Format a USB Flash Drive in Ubuntu

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Click the Dash button and search for "disks."

   You'll see Disks appear in the Applications results.
2. 2

   Step 2: Launch Disks from the search results.

   A list of connected devices will appear in the left frame. , Its details will appear in the right frame. , Most USB drives will only have one volume, but if yours has multiple volumes you can select one or all of them. , This will open the formatting options. , A Quick format will not erase any data on the drive.
   
   A Slow format will erase all of the data and check for errors on the drive. , There are several different file systems that you can choose from.
   
   For maximum compatibility with other devices, select "FAT" (FAT32).
   
   This will work on all computers and virtually any other device that works with USB drives.
   
   If you're just planning on using the drive with Linux, select "ext3." This will allow you to use Linux's advanced file permissions. , Click the Format button and wait for the USB drive to be formatted.
   
   This may take a while for larger drives, and erasing all of the data will add to the time it takes.
3. 3

   Step 3: Select your USB drive from the list of devices.

4. 4

   Step 4: Select at least one volume on the USB drive.

5. 5

   Step 5: Click the Gear button underneath the Volumes and select "Format."

6. 6

   Step 6: Select what you want to erase.

7. 7

   Step 7: Select the file system.

8. 8

   Step 8: Format the drive.

Detailed Guide

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