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When it comes to formatting USB drives or memory cards, HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is one of the most popular choices. It’s a free utility that enables you to format USB drives, create bootable disks, and do much more. However, there are instances when you need to format your USB drive using a different software because HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool fails to integrate with your system or displays errors. In such cases, you need to look at other alternatives that can do the job of formatting USB drives much efficiently.
Formatting a USB drive involves preparing the device for new data and files. This process is mostly done when a user experiences a malfunction with the device. In such cases, the best way to recover the device is to format it. But there are times when HP Disk Storage Format tool does not work well with a device, and it is essential to find other alternatives. In this blog, we’ll look at the top six alternatives to HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool for formatting USB drives.
Video Tutorial:
What is HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool?
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a free utility program for formatting USB drives, Pen drives, thumb drives, and Handy drives. This tool has been developed by Hewlett-Packard to create a USB bootable drive. It helps to format FAT32 and NTFS file systems of the USB drives and allows the user to name the drives as well. This tool is widely used by many users worldwide as it is simple to use and can format the USB device quickly.
Top 6 Alternatives to HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
1. Rufus
Rufus is one of the best utility tools used for creating bootable disks. This utility tool has gained massive popularity due to its user-friendly interface and simple steps for formatting USB drives. Rufus supports a wide range of file systems, including FAT32, NTFS, UDF, and ReFS. It also creates bootable USB drives for various operating systems like Ubuntu, Debian, and Windows. The best thing about Rufus is that it quickly formats the USB drives, and the process is smooth without any errors.
Pros: It’s very simple to use and supports a wide range of file systems. Rufus creates the bootable USB drive very quickly.
Cons: Rufus may remove important data from the USB device. It does not have technical support.
2. EaseUS Partition Master
EaseUS Partition Master is one of the most popular partition managers that helps to organize as well as manage partitions of USB drives. The tool helps to optimize the disk performance by formatting the drives, cloning or wiping disk data completely. It features a user-friendly interface and allows users to format drives in several formats such as NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, EXT2, and much more.
Pros: It is one of the most popular partition management tools. EaseUS Partition Master supports multiple file systems and includes advanced features such as disk clone, backup and restore data, and so on.
Cons: It is not a free tool and may have compatibility issues with certain computer systems.
3. AOMEI Partition Assistant
Aomei Partition Assistant is a disk partition management software that helps users manage their hard drives, including USB drives and memory cards. It provides a simple and intuitive interface and allows users to resize or move the partitions and format the disk drives. The software comes in four different editions: Standard, Professional, Server, and Unlimited Editions.
Pros: The software is user-friendly and provides multiple features such as partition management, disk cloning, and disk backup to users.
Cons: Some editions are paid. The free edition has limited features.
4. MiniTool Partition Wizard
MiniTool Partition Wizard is a free partition management tool that allows you to format USB drives, memory cards, and hard drives. The software helps users manage disk partitions with ease, including resizing, moving, or formatting the partitions. It supports FAT32, NTFS, and other file systems. The tool also provides a feature to recover lost or deleted partitions.
Pros: MiniTool Partition Wizard is free and straightforward to use. The tool also supports multiple file systems.
Cons: The free version has limited features.
5. DiskGenius
DiskGenius is a disk recovery and partition management tool that helps users to recover lost data from a formatted disk drive. It provides a user-friendly interface to format disks, including USB drives, memory cards, and hard drives. The software supports FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, and other file systems.
Pros: DiskGenius provides various features, including data recovery, partition management, and more. The software supports many file systems.
Cons: It is not a free tool, and the trial version comes with some limitations.
6. Diskpart
Diskpart is a Microsoft command-line utility tool that helps users manage hard drives, including USB drives and memory cards. It provides an easy way to format and partition disks, including creating, deleting, or resizing partitions. Although the Diskpart tool requires good knowledge of Windows commands, it is a handy tool when you know how to use it.
Pros: Diskpart is readily available with Windows OS and is free to use. It is a powerful disk partition and formatting tool for advanced users.
Cons: It requires good knowledge of Windows commands and may cause critical damage to disk drives if used improperly.
Pros and Cons Summary
| Software | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Rufus | Simple user interface; supports a wide range of file systems; creates bootable drives quickly. | May delete important data from the USB device; no technical support. |
| EaseUS Partition Master | Popular partition management tool; supports multiple file systems; includes advanced features such as disk clone, backup and restore data, etc. | Not a free tool and may have compatibility issues with certain computer systems. |
| AOMEI Partition Assistant | User-friendly; multiple features such as partition management, disk cloning, and disk backup are available in the software. | Some editions are paid; limited features in the free version. |
| MiniTool Partition Wizard | Free and straightforward to use; supports multiple file systems. | The free version has limited features. |
| DiskGenius | Great partition management tool with additional features such as data recovery. | Not a free tool, and the trial version comes with some limitations. |
| Diskpart | Readily available with Windows OS; free; a powerful disk partition and formatting tool for advanced users. | Requires good knowledge of Windows commands; may cause critical damage to disk drives if used improperly. |
Our Thoughts on HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a useful tool that provides basic formatting features. It can format FAT32 and NTFS file systems and also create bootable drives. The process of formatting is simple, and the interface is user-friendly. However, users may face some compatibility issues with certain computer systems, causing the software to malfunction.
FAQs
Q. Is it safe to use third-party tools to format USB drives?
A. Yes, third-party tools can be used to format USB drives, but users should ensure they download and use reliable software from trusted developers.
Q. What are some common errors to look out for when formatting USB drives?
A. Some common errors that users may face when formatting USB drives include "Windows was unable to complete the format" and "The format did not complete successfully."
Q. Is it possible to recover data from a formatted USB drive?
A. Yes. Users can recover data from a formatted USB drive using third-party data recovery tools. However, the success of data recovery depends on the extent of the damage caused by formatting.
Q. Can formatting a USB drive affect its performance?
A. No, formatting a USB drive does not affect its performance. In fact, formatting a USB drive can sometimes improve its performance by removing unwanted files and data.
Q. How do I choose the right file system when formatting my USB drive?
A. Choosing the right file system depends on your usage requirements and the operating system you use. If you plan to use your USB drive with Windows-based systems, FAT32 or NTFS is the right choice. If you plan to use your USB drive with Linux-based systems, exFAT or EXT file systems are suitable.
In Conclusion
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a good utility tool for formatting USB drives, but there are times when it may not work correctly. In such scenarios, you can choose from the alternatives mentioned above that fit your requirements. Each tool has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to choose the tool that suits your needs before formatting your USB drive.