How to Set a USB Flash Drive Partition as Inactive?

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  1. Posts : 7,860
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       #1

    How to Set a USB Flash Drive Partition as Inactive?


    I have a USB flash drive which for some reason is formatted with an active partition.

    I usually use Minitool Partition Wizard to set a partition as inactive but for some reason it doesn't work on this flash drive. I also tried booting from the Partition Wizard boot disk but that won't set the partition inactive either. I even deleted the partition and reformatted the flash drive but it popped up as active again!

    How can I force the partition to be set inactive? Note it's quite an old USB flash drive so I'm wondering if there something in the hardware which stops it being set inactive?
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  2. Posts : 4,124
    Windows 3.1 to Windows 11
       #2

    insert USB

    use diskpart

    Diskpart
    List volume
    select volume # (# being volume number for usb stick)
    Inactive
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  3. Posts : 7,860
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Kyhi said:
    insert USB

    use diskpart
    Diskpart
    List volume
    select volume # (# being volume number for usb stick)
    Inactive
    I tried that but I get the message "There is no partition selected" (see screenshot). I then tried the command select partition 1 and that didn't work either.

    Attachment 62530
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 2,799
    Linux Mint 20.1 Win10Prox64
       #4

    Use:
    ......
    list disk
    select disk #
    select partition 1
    inactive
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  5. Posts : 4,124
    Windows 3.1 to Windows 11
       #5

    Thanks TG..
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  6. Posts : 7,860
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    topgundcp said:
    Use:
    ......
    list disk
    select disk #
    select partition 1
    inactive
    That doesn't work either - seen screenshot. I'm thinking there may be a hardware issue with this flash drive since all my other ones work as expected.

    Attachment 62545
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 2,799
    Linux Mint 20.1 Win10Prox64
       #7

    Show us a screen shot of Disk Management.
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  8. Posts : 7,860
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Here is the Disk Management layout:
    Attachment 62552
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 15,426
    Windows10
       #9

    I am guessing there is more than one partition on the usb drive, but Windows does not recognise multiple partitions. It could be there is a hidden msr partition or something like that as well interfering with things.

    Even disk management might not show all partitions.

    I would use both minitools partition manager, and even then it might not work?

    It may be necessary to use gparted (linux).

    I was surprised the other when I tried to diskpart/clean an hdd with some hidden partitions, it did not totally nuke the drive, and I had to manually delete a hidden partition (somehow I had two msr partitions).
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  10. Posts : 2,799
    Linux Mint 20.1 Win10Prox64
       #10

    Your disk 4 is already inactive.
    @cereberus
    From dispart, the stick only has 1 partition.

    @steveC
    What bothers me is why you cannot select the partition. Since this stick is only 500MB, I guess it's pretty old and certain stick won't even allow to create as bootable.
      My Computer


 

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