Here are the steps to restore a flashed USB drive (assuming you want to revert it to its original state or re partition it after a previous flashing operation like installing a custom firmware or making it a bootable drive in an unintended way):
1. Backup important data
Before you do any operations to restore the USB drive, it's crucial to back up any data that you still need. Once you start the restoration process, there's a high chance of data loss. You can simply copy and paste the files to another storage device such as an external hard drive or another USB drive.
2. Determine the current state of the USB drive
Disk Management (Windows):
Press the Windows key + X and select "Disk Management".
Locate your USB drive in the list of disks. Note the partition layout, file system (such as NTFS, FAT32), and the amount of free space.
Disk Utility (Mac):
Open "Disk Utility" from the "Applications/Utilities" folder.
Select your USB drive from the list on the left side. Here you can see information about the partitions, volumes, and the overall capacity of the drive.
3. Format the USB drive (Windows)
Using Disk Management:
In the Disk Management window, right - click on the partition of the USB drive you want to restore and select "Format".
In the Format dialog box, you can choose the file system (usually FAT32 is a good universal option for compatibility with different operating systems). You can also give the volume a label if you like.
Click "OK" to start the formatting process. Be aware that this will erase all data on the selected partition.
Using Command Prompt:
Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. You can do this by searching for "Command Prompt" in the Start menu, right - clicking on it, and selecting "Run as administrator".
Use the "diskpart" command. Type "diskpart" and press Enter.
Inside the diskpart utility, type "list disk" to display a list of all disks connected to your computer. Identify your USB drive by its size and other characteristics. Let's say your USB drive is Disk 2 (make sure you identify it correctly to avoid formatting the wrong disk).
Type "select disk 2" (replace 2 with the actual disk number of your USB drive).
Then type "clean" to wipe out all partitions and data on the disk.
After that, you can create a new partition and format it. For example, to create a primary partition, type "create partition primary".
Then type "format fs = fat32 quick" (you can change "fat32" to other file systems like NTFS if you prefer) to format the new partition.
4. Format the USB drive (Mac)
Using Disk Utility:
In the Disk Utility window, select the USB drive on the left.
Click on the "Erase" tab.
You can choose the format (such as Mac OS Extended, FAT32. etc.). For maximum compatibility with other devices, FAT32 is often a good choice.
Give the drive a name if you want and click "Erase". This will wipe the drive and create a new partition with the specified format.
5. Use third - party software (optional)
There are also many third - party tools that can help with USB drive restoration. For example:
EaseUS Partition Master:
It provides an intuitive graphical interface. You can use it to delete existing partitions on the USB drive, create new ones, and format them to the desired file system.
After installing and running the software, it will display a list of all disks. Locate your USB drive and use the "Create", "Delete", and "Format" options as needed.
MiniTool Partition Wizard:
Similar to EaseUS Partition Master, it allows you to manage partitions on your USB drive. You can wipe the drive clean and set up new partitions and file systems according to your requirements.
If the USB drive was flashed with a custom firmware or a specialized utility (for example, to make it a bootable installer for a particular operating system or for a specific device related purpose), you may need to follow the reverse process of the flashing procedure. Sometimes, the manufacturers of such flashing tools provide an option to restore the drive to its original state. In some cases, you might need to contact the manufacturer's support for specific instructions on how to undo the flashing and get the USB drive back to a standard, usable state.
