Format USB thumb drive

poo · #1 (**permalink**) 26th May 2009, 04:32 PM

OK this is likely the most noob question asked... but at least this is the section for it right?

I have a 4Gb thumb drive I use to transfer (usually large) files between home and work every couple of days. If I transfer files off the thumb drive and just delete them, over time (perhaps a week or so) the size of my thumb drive noticeably shrinks in terms of available space. Due to this I have been formatting each time using 'Disk Utility' so that I have the full capacity available each time.

Is there an easier/simpler/quicker way? Navigating to disk utilities each time is a PITA, and I'm sure at some point I'll format the wrong damn drive! Is there some sort of right click format or something I'm missing? Am I doing something wrong the way I'm deleting? I would much rather delete a few files than format each time so I can keep a few files on there if need be...

Thanks

bernborough2000 · #2 (**permalink**) 26th May 2009, 05:14 PM

poo,
Are you emptying the wastebasket after the deletion ; I believe the files are not deleted until the wastebasket is emptied .

poo · #3 (**permalink**) 26th May 2009, 05:17 PM

Yeah always empty it before ejecting.

The_Hawk · #4 (**permalink**) 26th May 2009, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poo

Yeah always empty it before ejecting.

The wife says she does that too, but from time to time we still end up with files in the trash folder when viewed on a PC. No clue why, it just does.

ColinChaps · #5 (**permalink**) 27th May 2009, 10:06 AM

Interesting thought...It never occured to me to empty the waste.

As a post script, I have a 32gb flash drive and use it to trnsfer data from my work PC to my home MAC. But due to FS limitations I cannot transfer anything larger than the 4.?gb limitations of fat 32. How can a flash drive be formatted in NTFS, and then will it be able to be used with the MAC?

~Coxy · #6 (**permalink**) 27th May 2009, 11:53 AM

You should be able to format the flash drive as NTFS under Windows easily enough.

The problem will be that on the Mac side you will not be able to write files to it. Install NTFS-3G to unlock this capability.