How to return a flash drive from boot to normal using third-party programs

When creating a bootable USB flash drive, specific parameters are often set that can impede further operation of the device as a standard drive. In some cases, the system completely refuses to recognize the device, although it is fully operational.

In such situations, people have to wonder how to return a flash drive from boot to regular. Attempting to format the drive using standard Windows tools does not always succeed. If errors occur during the execution of such an operation, auxiliary tools will help to resolve the issue.

Using HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

A special program from HP is designed to reanimate flash drives with software failures. The utility also has the necessary functionality to return the drive to its original state and permanently delete boot sectors.

An algorithm for working with a program that allows you to make a regular USB flash drive from a bootable one:

1. The drive is connected to the computer, after which the program starts;
2. In the menu item Device bootable USB flash drive is selected;
3. The File System section defines the file system;
4. The Quick Format item is checked, which will speed up the formatting process and avoid possible errors;
5. The remaining items remain unchanged;
6. The formatting process is started by clicking the Format Disk button.

The time to complete the operation depends on various factors: the state of the flash drive, the amount of memory, the presence of errors, and others. On average, formatting lasts from 5 to 40 minutes. If the result cannot be seen immediately, you do not need to cancel the operation. To check the status of the drive, you must wait until the program is completed. If everything went fine, the question of how to return the flash drive from the boot to the normal one will no longer be. However, in some cases, it is not possible to resolve the issue using the HP software solution, and then you need to try other options.

Solving the problem using Rufus

One of the most effective tools for converting a flash drive from boot to regular is the program Rufus. Using it is as easy as using the HP utility. Users can download the Russified version of Rufus, making it even easier to work with. The only disadvantage of the utility is that it does not recognize all cheap flash drives made in China.

To again make a regular USB flash drive from bootable using Rufus, you need to:

1. Select the desired drive in the "Device" section;
2. Leave the partition scheme unchanged;
3. Specify the file system (NTSF, FAT32, UDF, exFAT $);
4. Leave the cluster size unchanged (the program itself chooses the best option);
5. Set the volume label as desired or not to change;
6. In the options section, check the boxes “Create advanced label” and “Quick formatting”;
7. Start the process by clicking on the "Start" button.

After formatting is complete, the drive is disconnected from the computer and inserted again after a few seconds. If the operation was unsuccessful and the question of how to return the USB flash drive from boot to normal still remains open, you should use other software tools.

Diskpart System Utility Help

Users who like to work with the command line can try to make a regular USB flash drive from the bootable one using the utility included in the set of standard Windows software solutions. In this case, you must perform the following steps:

1. Run the console as a user with administrator privileges;
2. Enter the name of the diskpart system utility;
3. Set list disk command to list available disk devices;
4. Indicate the flash drive with the command select dis », after which you also need to put the drive number;
5. Type the clean command to completely clean the disk;
6. Set the create partition primary command to recreate the markup;
7. Using the active command, mark the partition as active;
8. At the command prompt, enter format fs = ntfs quick for quick formatting in NTFS (you can specify FAT32 if desired);
9. After the operation is completed successfully, enter the assign command, which will assign a name to the new volume;
10. Enter exit to exit the command line.

This method helps most users who do not know how to return a flash drive from boot to regular. If working with the command line is not very convenient for a person, you can choose one of the methods for solving the problem described above.

Low level formatting

Most often, the user manages to return the USB flash drive to its normal state using the above software solutions. If no option has worked, it is likely that the problem lies precisely in the drive. Then how to make the usual flash drive again, are there any other options? In this situation, formatting the drive at a low level may help.

The problem is solved using the software HDD Low Level Format Tool. The iFlash online service and the ChipEasy utility may also be useful. If the flash drive after the failure is no longer detected by the system or begins to freeze when accessing it, the listed tools may very well help return the device to working condition.