Formatting a USB flash drive

[Irwell]

Does this have to be done in the computer
that the flash drive is going to be used in?

Or can flash drive formatted say in a XP machine
be used in a Window 7 machine?

 

[Peter]

Does this have to be done in the computer
that the flash drive is going to be used in?
No.


Or can flash drive formatted say in a XP machine
be used in a Window 7 machine?

Yes. You can use a Linux machine to format it as well. Not sure about
Apple being as I haven't had an Apple machine since 1984.

 

[jfg]

Yes. You can use a Linux machine to format it as well. Not sure about
Apple being as I haven't had an Apple machine since 1984.

I would also add that most flash drives are formatted in FAT or FAT32 and
not NTFS. I think this is so that they can be used universally with Linux,
Windows all, and MAC. J

 

[Paul]

Yes. You can use a Linux machine to format it as well. Not sure about
Apple being as I haven't had an Apple machine since 1984.

I would also add that most flash drives are formatted in FAT or FAT32 and
not NTFS. I think this is so that they can be used universally with Linux,
Windows all, and MAC. J

According to this, MacOSX has NTFS now.

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20090913140023382

So that's several OSes that have NTFS support. No longer a leper.

I first saw support on Linux, when I got my Knoppix 5.1 DVD.

FAT32 support has a longer history on the various OSes. Whereas
NTFS is a relatively recent improvement.

For some ideas on NTFS on USB flash drives, you can try links like this.

http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbstick_e.html#ntfs_format

http://www.ntfs.com/quest22.htm [ Recipe for NTFS ]

Paul

 

[jbm]

I would also add that most flash drives are formatted in FAT or FAT32 and
not NTFS. I think this is so that they can be used universally with Linux,
Windows all, and MAC. J

And FAT(any) can be played back through hi-fi systems with a built in
USB port. NTFS is not compatible.

[NOTE: For hi-fi playback (generally), mp3 has to be 320kbps or less.
wma 192kbps or less. I don't think files can be encoded at higher rates
than those anyway.]

jim

 

[Peter]

I would also add that most flash drives are formatted in FAT or FAT32 and
not NTFS. I think this is so that they can be used universally with
Linux,
Windows all, and MAC. J

And FAT(any) can be played back through hi-fi systems with a built in
USB port. NTFS is not compatible.

[NOTE: For hi-fi playback (generally), mp3 has to be 320kbps or less.
wma 192kbps or less. I don't think files can be encoded at higher rates
than those anyway.]

jim

Flac.

 

[pjp]

On 7/26/2012 5:26 PM, Irwell wrote:
Does this have to be done in the computer
that the flash drive is going to be used in?

No.


Or can flash drive formatted say in a XP machine
be used in a Window 7 machine?


Yes. You can use a Linux machine to format it as well. Not sure about
Apple being as I haven't had an Apple machine since 1984.

I would also add that most flash drives are formatted in FAT or FAT32 and
not NTFS. I think this is so that they can be used universally with
Linux,
Windows all, and MAC. J

And FAT(any) can be played back through hi-fi systems with a built in
USB port. NTFS is not compatible.

[NOTE: For hi-fi playback (generally), mp3 has to be 320kbps or less.
wma 192kbps or less. I don't think files can be encoded at higher rates
than those anyway.]

jim

Flac.

Yes Flac is nice in it's own way but reality is most mp3 players can't
deal with them and if you're creating mp3s to be "portable" then ....

 

[Peter]

On 26/07/2012 16:55, jfg wrote:
On 7/26/2012 5:26 PM, Irwell wrote:
Does this have to be done in the computer
that the flash drive is going to be used in?

No.


Or can flash drive formatted say in a XP machine
be used in a Window 7 machine?


Yes. You can use a Linux machine to format it as well. Not sure about
Apple being as I haven't had an Apple machine since 1984.

I would also add that most flash drives are formatted in FAT or FAT32 and
not NTFS. I think this is so that they can be used universally with
Linux,
Windows all, and MAC. J

--
Peter




And FAT(any) can be played back through hi-fi systems with a built in
USB port. NTFS is not compatible.

[NOTE: For hi-fi playback (generally), mp3 has to be 320kbps or less.
wma 192kbps or less. I don't think files can be encoded at higher rates
than those anyway.]

jim

Flac.

Yes Flac is nice in it's own way but reality is most mp3 players can't
deal with them and if you're creating mp3s to be "portable" then ....

I wouldn't know. I don't own an MP3 player.

 

[G. Morgan]

I wouldn't know. I don't own an MP3 player.

You might and not know it. Many cell phones work fine as a .mp3 player.

 

[G. Morgan]

Does this have to be done in the computer
that the flash drive is going to be used in?
No.

Or can flash drive formatted say in a XP machine
be used in a Window 7 machine?

Yes, if you select the right boot loader.

This is good:
http://unetbootin.net/


If you want the Vista/ Win7, Win 8 boot loader, use the official tool
for no-muss no-fuss:

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

Have an ISO of Win 7 or Vista handy. Once installed you'll have a
bootable Windows installation USB stick. If you want to make a PE disk,
you can safely delete everything on the drive, and it still will be
bootable when you extract a Win PE ISO to the drive.

 

[Peter]

You might and not know it. Many cell phones work fine as a .mp3 player.

You're right; my cell phone can do that. I don't use my cell phone for
anything but phone calls.

 

[G. Morgan]

Have an ISO of Win 7 or Vista handy. Once installed you'll have a
bootable Windows installation USB stick. If you want to make a PE disk,
you can safely delete everything on the drive, and it still will be
bootable when you extract a Win PE ISO to the drive.

This one looks good for Windoze, but I never have used it. IOW, you are
the guinea pig! http://www.wintobootic.com/

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

You're right; my cell phone can do that. I don't use my cell phone for
anything but phone calls.

You're kidding, right? Phone calls is about the last thing I use my cell
phone for.

1. I am trying to be a bit humorous.

2. Nonetheless, the above is true.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Yes, if you select the right boot loader.

This is good:
http://unetbootin.net/

If you want the Vista/ Win7, Win 8 boot loader, use the official tool
for no-muss no-fuss:

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

Have an ISO of Win 7 or Vista handy. Once installed you'll have a
bootable Windows installation USB stick. If you want to make a PE disk,
you can safely delete everything on the drive, and it still will be
bootable when you extract a Win PE ISO to the drive.

I believe the OP is intending to use the memory stick for data, not as a
boot device.

 

[G. Morgan]

I believe the OP is intending to use the memory stick for data, not as a
boot device.

Ouch! I think you're right. <g>

To the OP: Format the drive with FAT32 and you will have no problems
going between XP/Win 7 machines.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Ouch! I think you're right. <g>

To the OP: Format the drive with FAT32 and you will have no problems
going between XP/Win 7 machines.

And the above is good advice.

Also good for Macs.

For cameras and smartphone memory cards, the same formatting advice
usually applies, although IIRC, there are a few cameras that want to
format the cards themselves.

 

[G. Morgan]

And the above is good advice.

Also good for Macs.

For cameras and smartphone memory cards, the same formatting advice
usually applies, although IIRC, there are a few cameras that want to
format the cards themselves.

My old camera likes to format in FAT32, I just pop out the card and
stick it in any computer to grab the photos. Never had a Mac to try it
on, but that works aye?

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

My old camera likes to format in FAT32, I just pop out the card and
stick it in any computer to grab the photos. Never had a Mac to try it
on, but that works aye?

Aye.

When I had a Mac, I used a USB card reader, since there was no built-in
slot.

 

[Peter]

You're kidding, right?

No, I don't care much for using them for phone calls. Land lines have
much clearer connections.

Phone calls is about the last thing I use my cell
phone for.

1. I am trying to be a bit humorous.

2. Nonetheless, the above is true.

To each his or her own.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

No, I don't care much for using them for phone calls. Land lines have
much clearer connections.


To each his or her own.

Of course. I meant to convey that by my remark number 1.

There are lots of people now who have unplugged their landline phone. I
am not among them, but I won't say I'll never change...