Fig 1.0 Click on the COMPUTER menu-item (link) to continue
Fig 1.1 Click on the FORMAT menu-item to continue
Fig 1.2 Click on the FORMAT menu-item to continue
| USB FLASH DRIVE MANAGEMENT |
This section shows you how to Format (Erase/Blank), Defragment and Error-Check a USB Flash (Memory)
Drive. It also examples the Windows Vista speed up (ReadyBoost) feature and the new Windows Vista
(SP1) exFat file system so that you can get more out of your flash drive.
To Format (Erase/Wipe/Blank) a USB Flash Drive go to the Start Menu and click on the COMPUTER menu-item
(link). From there. Right click on the Flash Drive you want to format (Fig 1.1), to bring up its Options
menu, and then left click on the FORMAT menu-item. This in turn will bring up the Format window (Fig 1.2).
In this example I right clicked on my flash drive called YOINGCO which has been assigned the letter F
by Windows Vista. If a flash drive has not been renamed before it will either be named after its
manufacturer (i.e. Kingston) or be named Removable Disk.
To actually format the flash drive as it is, with its current settings, all you need to do is click on
the START button (Fig 1.2 above). In this example I will be formatting a flash drive with a memory
capacity of 4 GigaBytes (4GB) but because the flash drive itself needs a little memory (storage)
space for its own requirements I only have 3.83GB for my own use. The flash drive is currently
formatted with the NTFS File System.
A File System is the structure used to store and organize folders and files, and any data they contain,
in such a way that they are easy to index, find and access. Windows Vista supports the following file
systems - FAT (File Allocation Table), FAT32 (File Allocation Table 32bit), NTFS (New Technology File
System) and exFAT (EXtended File Allocation Table, which is also known as FAT64). Basically, as the
years and operating systems (versions of Windows) have gone by the file systems have become better,
faster and can hold (index and access) more data. FAT and FAT32 are ideal for Windows 95, 98 and ME
whereas NTFS is ideal for Windows 2000, XP and Vista, but exFAT is only ideal for Windows Vista SP1
(Service Pack 1) at this time.
If you do not want to format your flash drive with the NTFS file system but want to format it with the
exFAT file system instead, or any of the other file systems (FAT or FAT32), click on the FILE SYSTEM
drop-down menu (Fig 1.3 below) and then select the file system you want to use. In this example I have
chosen to format my flash drive with the exFAT file system.
To change the name of a flash drive simply enter its new name into the VOLUME LABEL Edit Box (Fig 1.4).
In this example my flash drive is called YOINGCO but I want it formatting with the case-sensitive name
of Yoingco.
When you have changed the File System and/or Volume Name, if need be, click on the START button to format
the flash drive.
Fig 1.3 Select the file system you want the flash drive formatted with..... |
Fig 1.4 .....and rename the flash drive, if need be. |
After clicking on the START button a message requester will appear (Fig 1.5 below) informing you that all data (folders and files) on the flash drive will be erased (formatted). If you are 100% sure you want to format the flash drive, and that there is no valuable/hidden data on the flash drive, click on the OK button to continue.
Fig 1.5 Click on the OK button to continue |
Fig 1.6 The flash drive is being formatted with the exFAT File System |
When the formatting is complete click on the OK button (Fig 1.7 below) and then close the Format window by clicking on its CLOSE button (Fig 1.8). If you changed the file system and/or volume name they will be noticed in the Format window and when you next look at the flash drive through the Computer window (Fig 2.0).
Fig 1.7 The flash drive has been formatted..... |
Fig 1.8 .....with its new case-sensitive name of Yoingco. |
| PROPERTIES AND TOOLS |
To see the properties of a flash drive, and some of the tools you can use on it, go to the Start Menu and click on the COMPUTER menu-item (link). From there. Right click on the flash drive (Fig 2.1), to bring up its Options menu, and then left click on the PROPERTIES menu-item. This in turn will bring up the Properties window (exFAT Fig 2.2 and NTFS Fig 2.3).
Fig 2.2 A newly exFAT formatted flash drive |
Fig 2.3 A newly NTFS formatted flash drive |
The Properties window in Fig 2.2 above displays the pie chart showing that the exFAT file system only needs 96KB (almost 1/10th of a MegaByte) for its own requirements on a newly exFAT formatted flash drive whereas the NTFS file system (Fig 2.3) needs a huge 47.2 MegaBytes for its own requirements. So is exFAT better than NTFS? No! exFAT is exclusive to Windows Vista SP1 and as such it cannot work with other Windows operating systems. It also does not support the Ready-Boost feature (explained below). exFAT is good though if you want a flash drive that is exclusively used with Windows Vista (SP1) - It would be secure in the sense that the data on it could not be viewed/used by a Windows XP user for example. Also, exFAT was created for the flash drive in particular.
When a flash drive becomes old and worn, especially when it has been plugged in/out of a USB Socket on
an internet cafe's computer, it is worth running the Error-Checking tool. This tool allows you to check,
and repair if possible, flash drive errors to do with its file system and its physical hardware sectors.
In this next example I will use the NTFS file system as most people will be using this file system
instead of exFat, but either way the tool works the same for both NTFS and exFAT. With flash drives in
general it is best, if you can, to try and keep up-to-date with the latest technology by using a flash
drive that is Windows Vista Ready (preferably manufactured after 2007).
With the Properties window still open (Fig 2.3 above - 4GB NTFS formatted flash drive), click on the
Tools TAB (window) and then click on the CHECK NOW button (below) to begin the error checking process.
Before clicking on the START button (above) make sure both the AUTOMATICALLY FIX FILE SYSTEM ERRORS and the SCAN FOR AND ATTEMPT RECOVERY OF BAD SECTORS options are ticked, to scan for file system errors and hardware sector errors.
Over time saving, deleting and moving data (folders and files) to/from a flash drive makes the data on
that flash drive naturally fragment. For example. When a 1MB file needs to be saved onto a flash drive
the file system checks to see if there is 1MB of space available. If there is the 1MB file is saved
into that 1MB space, but if there isn't the 1MB file must be split into pieces before being saved. It
may need splitting into two ½MB pieces and then saved into two separate ½MB spaces or it
may need splitting into four ¼MB pieces and saved into four separate ¼MB spaces. Either
way, when the file is needed by some software the file system makes sure the file is put back together
as a 1MB file before the software can use it as a whole file. Hence why some files take ages to load,
because they may be being put back together.
When you then delete a 2MB file for example the 1MB file, now split/stored in two ½MB spaces for
example, is not then suddenly put back together as one piece (1MB) and then stored in the 2MB space.
It does not work that way. The 1MB file is just left where it is, in two ½MB spaces for example.
The next file to be stored on the flash drive will be the file to utilize the 2MB space.
By using the Defragment tool you can have all your data (folders and files), if possible, stored as
whole files and not as split files. This is because the Defragment tool has the job of putting all the
split files back together again and to store them as whole files, by reshuffling/reorganizing the
space (i.e. move files from the end towards the beginning, thus creating a space at the end. The
space at the beginning then contains reshuffled/reorganized whole files).
With the Tools TAB (window) still selected click on the DEFRAGMENT NOW button to begin the defragmenting
process. Doing so will bring up a UAC (User Account Control) Security Requester (Fig 2.9 below). Simply
click on its CONTINUE button to then bring up the Disk Defragmenter window (Fig 2.10).
User Account Control (UAC) is a feature of Windows Vista that helps to prevent unauthorized changes to the computer, such as deleting a system file or defragmenting a disk. When attempting to defragment a disk the UAC security requester above automatically blocks you off, because it wants to know if you are the one attempting to defragment the disk and not a piece of malicious software for example. In the above case simply click on the CONTINUE button to continue.
When the Disk Defragmenter window appears (Fig 2.10 above) you can ignore the Schedular side of things as Windows Vista has already set this feature up, plus it is not a part of this manual defragmenting process. The scheduler is a separate task that can be set up, by clicking on the MODIFY SCHEDULE button, to automatically defragment one or more disks on a Daily, Weekly or Monthly basis. In Fig 2.11 you can select (tick) which disk(s) you want defragmenting. In this example I ticked my flash drive, Yoingco (F:), but I could of also ticked the (C:) hard drive. When the defragmenting process has finished click on the CLOSE button (Fig 2.13).
ReadyBoost is a feature of Windows Vista that allows you to use a USB 2.0 Flash (Memory) Drive (of at least 256MB) for additional disk caching (storage) purposes for your hard drive, in order to boost (speed up) Windows Vista. In other words. If you do not have enough memory inside your computer you can use your flash drive to help Windows Vista, by allowing it to store system data on your flash drive which in turn might ease the pressure on your natural memory and/or hard drive. Flash drives larger than 4GB will only be able to allocated 4GB to ReadyBoost. Also. It must be noted that ReadyBoost does not add any more memory to your natural memory - You will not gain any more memory. Once flash drive memory (flash memory) has been allocated for ReadyBoost's usage you cannot use that allocated memory for yourself.
Fig 2.14 This flash drive is not ReadyBoost compatible |
Fig 2.15 This flash drive is ReadyBoost compatible |
Setting up ReadyBoost is fairly straight forward. Begin by formatting your flash drive with the NTFS file system and then open up its Properties > ReadyBoost TAB (window). From there Windows Vista will let you know if you have a ReadyBoost compatible flash drive or not. For example. Fig 2.14 above shows that my 4GB Yoingco (F:) flash drive is not ReadyBoost compatible whereas my 1GB Removable Disk (J:) flash drive is (Fig 2.15). By default (normal behaviour) ReadyBoost is disabled (DO NOT USE THIS DEVICE), so to switch it on click on the radio (circle) button next to the option USE THIS DEVICE and then either click on the APPLY button to apply the option, which is good if you still need the Properties window open, or click on the OK button to apply the option and then exit the Properties window.
There are other tools you can use with a flash drive, for example the Quota tool that allows you to set a limit (quota) for each user of the flash drive, the Sharing tool and the Backup tool, but these other tools are either never used by the beginner or are too complex. Why backup the flash drive for example when it is easier just to Copy & Paste its content into the Documents folder or onto a CD.
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.
All HTM files in the yoingco.com folder and its sub-folders are (c) John White, August 3rd 2005 - 2009. All Rights Reserved. FREE Vista Helpline: Contact John