#Requires -Version 5.1 <# JbTecWiz Support Centre -- generated fix script Fault : "You need to format the disk before you can use it" Fix : Reformat and check whether the device is worth keeping Source: https://jbtecwiz.com/support/win-hw-usb-format Run as : Elevated PowerShell Expect : 30 minutes Risk : high Reversible : NO -- read the undo note below before running WHEN THIS IS THE RIGHT FIX There is nothing on it you need. This destroys the contents. HOW TO UNDO IT None. The contents are gone once Clear-Disk runs. This script walks the fix one step at a time and asks before each one. Steps with no command are things you do yourself -- it prints those and waits. Run with -DryRun to print without executing. -------------------------------------------------------------------- NO WARRANTY - USE AT YOUR OWN RISK This script is provided by JbTecWiz as-is and with no warranty of any kind, express or implied. You run it entirely at your own risk. JbTecWiz accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from its use, including but not limited to data loss, downtime, or configuration changes that turn out to be wrong for your system. You are responsible for reading this script before running it, for satisfying yourself that it suits the machine in front of you, and for having a working backup first. Some steps cannot be undone. -------------------------------------------------------------------- #> [CmdletBinding()] param( # Print every step and command without running anything. [switch]$DryRun, # Do not ask before each step. Read the script first if you use this. [switch]$Unattended ) $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop' $script:Failed = 0 function Write-Rule { param([string]$Text) Write-Host '' Write-Host ('-' * 70) -ForegroundColor DarkGray if ($Text) { Write-Host $Text -ForegroundColor Cyan } } function Show-Prose { param([string]$Text, [string]$Colour = "Gray") if (-not $Text) { return } $words = $Text -split "\s+"; $line = " " foreach ($w in $words) { if (($line.Length + $w.Length) -gt 74) { Write-Host $line -ForegroundColor $Colour; $line = " " } $line += "$w " } if ($line.Trim()) { Write-Host $line -ForegroundColor $Colour } } function Invoke-Step { param( [int]$Number, [string]$Do, [string]$Why, [scriptblock]$Command, [switch]$Manual, [string]$Shell = "powershell" ) Write-Rule " Step $Number of 4" Show-Prose $Do "White" if ($Why) { Write-Host ""; Show-Prose $Why "DarkGray" } if ($Manual) { Write-Host '' Write-Host ' -> Do this yourself, then press Enter to carry on.' -ForegroundColor Yellow if (-not $Unattended -and -not $DryRun) { [void](Read-Host) } return } Write-Host '' foreach ($l in ($Command.ToString().Trim() -split "`n")) { Write-Host (" " + $l.Trim()) -ForegroundColor Green } Write-Host '' if ($DryRun) { Write-Host " (dry run -- not executed)" -ForegroundColor DarkGray; return } if (-not $Unattended) { $a = Read-Host " Run this step? [Y]es / [S]kip / [Q]uit" if ($a -match "^[Qq]") { Write-Host " Stopped at your request."; exit 0 } if ($a -match "^[Ss]") { Write-Host " Skipped." -ForegroundColor DarkGray; return } } try { & $Command } catch { $script:Failed++ Write-Host (" Step $Number failed: " + $_.Exception.Message) -ForegroundColor Red Show-Prose "The rest of the fix may depend on this. Read the write-up before carrying on." "Red" if (-not $Unattended) { $c = Read-Host " Carry on anyway? [y/N]" if ($c -notmatch "^[Yy]") { exit 1 } } } } Write-Rule Write-Host ' "You need to format the disk before you can use it"' -ForegroundColor White Write-Host ' Reformat and check whether the device is worth keeping' -ForegroundColor Cyan Write-Host '' Write-Host ' Risk: high NOT REVERSIBLE 30 minutes' -ForegroundColor Yellow Write-Host '' Show-Prose 'Undo: None. The contents are gone once Clear-Disk runs.' 'Yellow' Write-Host '' Show-Prose 'No warranty. Use at your own risk - JbTecWiz accepts no liability. Read it before you run it, and have a backup.' 'DarkYellow' Write-Rule if (-not $Unattended -and -not $DryRun) { $go = Read-Host ' Ready? [y/N]' if ($go -notmatch "^[Yy]") { Write-Host " Nothing was changed."; exit 0 } } Invoke-Step -Number 1 -Do 'Confirm the disk number twice. Formatting the wrong disk is not reversible.' -Command { Get-Disk | Format-Table Number,FriendlyName,Size,BusType } Invoke-Step -Number 2 -Do 'Clear and repartition it.' -Why 'exFAT rather than NTFS for removable media -- it is readable on macOS and most devices, and it does not carry the NTFS journal that makes an interrupted removal so damaging in the first place.' -Command { Clear-Disk -Number 3 -RemoveData -Confirm:$false Initialize-Disk -Number 3 -PartitionStyle MBR New-Partition -DiskNumber 3 -UseMaximumSize -AssignDriveLetter | Format-Volume -FileSystem exFAT -NewFileSystemLabel 'DATA' -Confirm:$false } Invoke-Step -Number 3 -Do 'Do a full read/write test before trusting it with anything. A device that went RAW once from a clean removal will do it again.' -Command { Get-Volume -DriveLetter E | Format-List DriveLetter,FileSystem,HealthStatus,SizeRemaining } Invoke-Step -Number 4 -Do 'If it fails again within days, replace it -- a failing flash controller cannot be repaired.' -Manual Write-Rule " Confirm it worked" Show-Prose 'A large file copies on and reads back with a matching hash.' 'White' Write-Host '' if (-not $DryRun) { Get-FileHash E:\test.bin -Algorithm SHA256 } Write-Rule if ($script:Failed -gt 0) { Write-Host (" Finished with " + $script:Failed + " failed step(s).") -ForegroundColor Yellow Show-Prose 'Read the full write-up at https://jbtecwiz.com/support/win-hw-usb-format' 'Yellow' } else { Write-Host ' Finished.' -ForegroundColor Green } Write-Host '' Show-Prose 'To undo: None. The contents are gone once Clear-Disk runs.' 'DarkGray' Write-Rule