Cannot format flash drive to correct capacity

[Muks]

My 512MB flash drive was mistakenly formatted to 241MB. Now I can't format it back to the right capacity. The format option only has 241MB as the available capacity (using winXP)

Any suggestions

 

[duderoo]

Does it have a protected area......maybe the app used to make the secure area will need to be put on there and then u can change the secure area.

Kingston had a app for that and I had the same problem.

 

[Muks]

Does it have a protected area......maybe the app used to make the secure area will need to be put on there and then u can change the secure area.

I haven't installed any special software for it, or partitioned it in any way.

 

[duderoo]

Thats the only thing I can think of other than it going faulty.

 

[bwana]

What does it say about the device in Computer Management?

 

[thed33p]

There is a tool available from th HP website called "Format Flash Drive" - I've used this before to format an old 64MB as a Ghost Boot Disk. Mayeb it'll help, I dunno.....

 

[Muks]

Computer Management says "241MB NTFS Healthy (Active)"
I tried the HP tool, doesn't give the option to select a capacity and detects it as 241MB.

I suspect its been corrupted somehow. Thanks for the help though.

 

[kaspaas]

By now you could have bought a new one with the value of the time you spent to fix it.

 

[fcollingwood]

Use Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management to check the thing. If it shows the partition does not utilise all of the volume, delete the partition, and create a new partition that does utilise the full volume. If it shows there are two volumes on it, then you've got a hidden partition as mentioned previously, delete them both, and create one partition using the entire volume.

If it shows the volume size as 241MB, the card is stuffed. Chuck it and buy a new one.