Can't Delete Files from USB Drives? Learn from This Guide

Solve the problem that the USB flash drive cannot delete files

USB flash drives are commonly used portable data storage devices, but sometimes they cannot delete files. This article will provide several solutions.

Normally, right-click the file and select "Delete", but sometimes you will encounter an error message. The reasons why the USB flash drive cannot delete files may include:

• Write protection
• Viral infection
• Logical error
• Other reasons

Method 1: Run a virus scan

First, use Windows Defender for virus scanning.

1. Enter "Virus and Threat Protection" in Windows Search and press Enter to open the corresponding window.
2. Select Scan Options in the right pane.
3. Select the scan option based on the situation and click "Scan Now".

Method 2: Remove U disk write protection

If the USB drive is in write-protected state, the file cannot be deleted or moved. Write protection needs to be removed first.

1. Enter "Command Prompt" in the Windows search bar.
2. Right-click on the best match result and select "Run as administrator".
3. Enter the following command and press Enter after each line of command:
   • diskpart
   • list disk
   • select disk x (x represents the disk number of the USB disk)
   • attributes disk clear readonly

Method 3: Run the error checking tool

A corruption of the file system or inaccessible file may also lead to the inability to delete the file. Running the error checking tool can detect file system problems.

1. Press Win E to open File Explorer.
2. Right-click the USB drive in the left pane and select "Properties".
3. Switch to the Tools tab and click the Check button under the Error Check section.

Method 4: Format the USB drive

The last method is to format the USB drive. Format can fix most USB drive errors, but will clear all data.

MiniTool Partition Wizard is a powerful partition management tool that can be used to format and resize partitions. In addition, it supports advanced features such as moving the operating system to HDD/SSD, rebuilding MBR, performing surface testing, etc.

Use MiniTool Partition Wizard to format the USB drive, you need to download and install it on your computer first. After connecting to the USB flash drive, start the software, select the USB flash drive partition, click "Format Partition" under the "Parallel Management" section of the left pane to modify the settings.

Click OK to start the formatting process. You can preview the USB drive status, and if there is an error message, you can undo the changes and reset it. Click Apply in the lower left corner to completely apply the changes.

Further reading:

If important files are stored on the USB flash drive, they should be restored immediately. File recovery is different from Recycle Bin Recovery, and it is recommended to use professional data recovery software, such as MiniTool Power Data Recovery. This free file recovery software is powerful and can recover files from a formatted USB drive, an unrecognized hard drive, or even an unbootable computer. It supports previewing and recovery of various types of files. You can first try the free version for deep scans and recover up to 1GB of files.

Summarize

This article introduces how to solve the problem that the USB flash drive cannot delete files. You can try the above method to delete files and fix USB disk issues. If the file is lost during the repair process, try MiniTool Power Data Recovery recovery.

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