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 START button to begin the formatting process
| 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 7 speed up (ReadyBoost) feature and the Windows 7 exFat file system (first seen in Windows Vista) 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 7. If a flash drive has not been renamed before it will probably 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 2 GigaBytes (2GB) but because the flash drive itself needs a little memory (storage) space for its own requirements I only have 1.86GB 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 7 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 and Windows XP, but exFAT is only ideal for Windows Vista (Service Pack 1 or higher) and Windows 7. Windows Vista
and Windows 7 can also use the NTFS file system.
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.
When you have changed the File System and/or Volume Name, if need be, you then need to decide whether or not to perform a QUICK FORMAT or a FULL FORMAT.
File systems store data information in two parts - The Header Data (Indexing/File Size/File Location/Etc Data) and the File Data itself (the data that
makes up a Picture file for example). So if you store 20 mixed files on your flash drive (i.e. document, picture and video files) the Header Data has to
index those files - Where they are located, their individual file sizes and so on.
A QUICK FORMAT only erases the Header Data, so that you can no longer
view the files on your flash drive. However. They will still be recoverable by a recovery program simply because a recovery program can just reconstruct
the Header Data for each hidden file and therefore make those hidden files viewable again - It will count the now hidden file data bytes for example, for
each hidden file, in order to calculate their individual file sizes. After that it will use other techniques to reconstruct each file's location and so
on. So if you want your files to be recoverable at a later stage, if you have not overwritten the flash drive space with other files by then, make sure
the QUICK FORMAT option is ticked, other untick that option to perform a complete format (erasure) of your flash drive.
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. It does not have to be named Yoingco. I could name it John, Templates or whatever.
When you have changed the File System and/or Volume Name and/or QUICK FORMAT option, if need be, click on the START button to begin the format process
for your 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 data on the flash drive, click on the OK button to continue. Remember. A QUICK FORMAT will not erase all data, it will just hide it from you. A FULL FORMAT (QUICK FORMAT option unticked) will erase all data though.
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 39.0 MegaBytes for its own requirements. So is exFAT better than NTFS? No! exFAT is exclusive to Windows 7 (and Vista SP1 or higher) and as such it cannot work with other Windows operating systems. exFAT is good though if you want a flash drive that is exclusively used with Windows 7 (and Windows Vista SP1 or higher) - 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 keep with the exFAT file system, even though many people will still be using the NTFS file system, because 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 7 Ready (preferably manufactured after October 22nd 2009 - the Windows 7 launch date). Saying this, it is more to do with Windows 7 rather than the flash drive, so even an earlier manufactured flash drive (i.e. manufactured in 2009) should work with these tools and these examples.
With the Properties window still open (Fig 2.2 above - 2GB exFAT formatted flash drive), click on the Tools TAB (window) and then click on the CHECK NOW button (below) to begin the error checking process. Doing so may bring up a UAC (User Account Control) Security Requester, depending on your security settings, whereby you need to click on its CONTINUE button in order to bring up the Check Disk window (Fig 2.5 below).
User Account Control (UAC) is a feature of Windows 7 that helps to prevent unauthorized changes to the computer, such as deleting a system file or checking hardware. When attempting to check hardware the UAC security requester above automatically blocks you off, because it wants to know if you are the one attempting to check the hardware and not a piece of malicious software for example. In this case simply click on the CONTINUE button to continue.
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. And 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).
Unfortunately, at this time, the Defragment tool does not work with the exFAT file system, for whatever reason(s), therefore I will example the Defragment
tool using the NTFS file system instead. With the TOOLS Tab (window) displayed click on the DEFRAGMENT NOW button to continue. Doing so may bring up a
UAC (User Account Control) Security Requester whereby you should click on its CONTINUE button to begin the defragmentation process.
After clicking on the CONTINUE button the Disk Defragmenter window will appear (below). It lists all the relevant devices on your computer that can be defragmented. Clicking on the DEFRAGMENT DISK button will begin the process of defragmenting all of the devices in the list, which I assume is not what you want to do right now. This is because of the way the DEFRAGMENT DISK has been programmed. To get around this problem, or default behaviour, you must first select the flash drive (in this case) you want defragmenting before clicking on the DEFRAGMENT DISK button. In this example I selected the Yoingco (F:) flash drive and then clicked on the DEFRAGMENT DISK button to continue.
When the Disk Defragmenter window appears (Fig 2.9 above) you can ignore the Schedular side of things as Windows 7 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 CONFIGURE SCHEDULE button, to automatically defragment one or more disk devices on a Daily, Weekly or Monthly basis. I have set my schedule up for the 1st of each Month (not exampled here) - The scheduler is very easy-to-use. When the defragmenting process has finished click on the CLOSE button (Fig 2.11 above).
ReadyBoost is a feature of Windows 7 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 7. In other words. If you do not have enough memory inside your computer you can use your flash drive to help Windows 7, 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 allocate 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.
In the above example I have allocated all of my flash drive's space to ReadyBoost simply because it is only 2GB and flash drives are dirt cheap right now,
but if the flash drive was 4GB or more then I may consider allocating only half of its space to ReadyBoost. If you do not want to allocate all of your
flash drive's memory to ReadyBoost simply move the SPACE TO RESERVE slider button leftwards/rightwards until you get to the MB Amount you want to
allocate.
Setting up ReadyBoost is fairly straight forward. Begin by formatting your flash drive with either the NTFS or exFAT file system and then open up its
Properties > ReadyBoost Tab (window). From there Windows 7 will let you know if you have a ReadyBoost compatible flash drive or not. As each day passes
more and more flash drives are being made with ReadyBoost support. 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 absolute 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, onto a CD or even onto another Flash Drive!
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.
