Linux Lite Forums

Hardware - Support => Hard Drives and SSDs => Topic started by: param96 on August 22, 2021, 04:21:35 AM

Title: Formatting a USB drive
Post by: param96 on August 22, 2021, 04:21:35 AM

I started the process of formatting my USB drive (64 gb) through GNOME Disk. 2 hours have elapsed and still the process has not completed. Previously I had formatted my 4gb Sony pen drive which formatted in a few minutes. I have also changed the file system to Ext4. Does it usually take this long or should I kill the process?

Title: Re: Formatting a USB drive
Post by: Artim on August 22, 2021, 05:46:04 AM

Omygosh! Yes, kill it. It should be a matter of seconds, not hours!

I actually use MintStick for formatting USB thumb drives. In the application menus it shows up as Menu -->Accessories --> USB Formatter. You can download it from here (https://mint.pkgs.org/20.1/mint-main-amd64/mintstick_1.4.6_all.deb.html) and use Gdebi to install it.

Title: Re: Formatting a USB drive
Post by: trinidad on August 23, 2021, 11:47:17 AM

Quote

Omygosh! Yes, kill it. It should be a matter of seconds, not hours!

Well that's not exactly true. Depends what the OP means by "format". Some things take quite a bit longer:  i/e writing multiple passes of zeros, re-formatting from Windows tools, re-formatting an xFAT drive, converting sectors from xFAT to ext4. Simpler to format to FAT32 first then allow the installer to install ext4. Insufficient info from OP on what is exactly going on. Doesn't need MintStick application in any case using Linux Lite.
TC