What is a safe way to format an infected USB drive?

- Should I format an infected USB drive and a clean USB drive from an infected PC?
- Should I format an infected USB drive from a clean PC?

Thank you

It is Windows 10 version 20H2

dalchina said:

Hi, a truly safe way would be to boot your PC from a live boot disk (a DVD would be ideal- not writable) with no disk accessible in your PC, and format the disk. Otherwise if using a bootable USB device, then format that.

Otherwise, boot from a standard account with UAC on, ensure Autoplay for USB devices is off (check to see nothing happens when you plug in a clean disk); plug in and format the infected disk.

I concern about infected USB drives, I want to format all of them eliminating viruses, not about boot USB. Can you give me some more details about it? Can I format them from an infected PC. Thank you

Samuria said:

You dont say what the infection is so we dont know if it will jump to a clean usb. Its best to delete partitions on infected usb then create new one and do a full format not quick

A helpful detail, thank you

Paul Black said:

Hello @join,

dalchina has given you excellent advice.

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Additionally, to Reset a USB back to how it was New . . .

DISKPART - Clean AND Format:

[1] Press the Win + X keys together > Command Prompt (Admin).
[2] Type EACH command below Individually into the Administrator: Command Prompt Window > Enter.

disk part
list disk
select disk # Where # is the USB Disk Number <=== CRITICAL
clean This will ERASE EVERYTHING from the USB.
create partition primary
format fs=NTFS quick Change to format fs=fat32 quick for FAT32.
exit
exit

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NOTE:

If the FILES that will be used are NO BIGGER than 4GB, then you may want to Format the USBs as FAT32.

---

I hope this helps.

Very detailed. Thanks Paul Black

- - - Updated - - -

dalchina said:

Thank you for your reply. I don't think you understood my answer which addressed your question directly.


You could try that of course, it should reduce risk.

But I would still treat the drive with suspicion.

See my previous answer.

Thank you for helping me. Just because you mentioned about boot disk and bootabe USB while I did not concern about those.

Paul Black said:

Hello @join,

dalchina has given you excellent advice.

---

Additionally, to Reset a USB back to how it was New . . .

DISKPART - Clean AND Format:

[1] Press the Win + X keys together > Command Prompt (Admin).
[2] Type EACH command below Individually into the Administrator: Command Prompt Window > Enter.

disk part
list disk
select disk # Where # is the USB Disk Number <=== CRITICAL
clean This will ERASE EVERYTHING from the USB.
create partition primary
format fs=NTFS quick Change to format fs=fat32 quick for FAT32.
exit
exit

---

NOTE:

If the FILES that will be used are NO BIGGER than 4GB, then you may want to Format the USBs as FAT32.

---

I hope this helps.

Hi Paul Black,
I just tried to format a USB following your instructions, but there was a problem at the first step, can you at the picture and tell me how to fix it, thank you.

It is one word diskpart