Streamline USB formatting and boot creation with this straightforward, user-friendly utility
Streamline USB formatting and boot creation with this straightforward, user-friendly utility
Vote (80 votes)
Program license Free
Developer HP.
Version 2.2.3
Works under Windows
Vote
(80 votes)
Developer
HP.
Works under
Windows
Program license
Free
Version
2.2.3
Pros
- Reformats external drives
Cons
- Slow operation
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a Windows utility to format external USB hard drives.
If you have an external USB hard drive that needs to be formatted or reformatted, then the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a solution for Windows XP systems. The drives supported include both external hard disks and internal hard disks contained in external enclosures. When it runs, the program prepares the disk for usage with Windows, and if this is reformat operation, all folders and files are deleted. However, be mindful that this is not a secure delete if such is required.
To use this program, boot your computer, and then, connect the drive you want to format to your PC via a USB cable. Under the Device label, a dropdown box will enumerate all of the drives available for formatting. Select the appropriate drive. Then, choose the File System, such as NTFS or FAT32. Next, create a Volume Label, or use the default one provided. Lastly, select or unselect any of the Format Options provided, and finally, click Format to begin the process.
Note that the format process can be very fast or take a long time depending on the size of the drive. The program provides a reasonably accurate progress bar that will give you a sense of how much time remains. When the process is complete, the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool provides a dialog box that indicates information about the drive, such as total bytes, bytes available and so forth. Click the Accept button to finish the process and be able to close down the tool or use it again.
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is actually the USB format tool provided with Windows XP by Microsoft. This version is lightly rebranded for the purposes of HP computers, but it works on any Windows XP machine. Note that there are many alternatives available, including a built-in Windows 10 tool. It’s not recommended to use this app except in Windows XP-specific scenarios if for no other reason than that the operation is considerably slow compared to newer format solutions. If you do choose to use it, run it in compatibility and safe mode in order to ensure proper operation.
Pros
- Reformats external drives
Cons
- Slow operation
Pros
- Creates back up files and folders for offline storage
- Easy to use design
- Lets you create start up DOS disks
- Goes beyond standard Windows formatting tools
- Features multiple ways of formatting disks quickly
Cons
- Manufacturer no longer offers official support
- Formatting a drive with this tool will wipe out your saved files
- Does not check whether the drive functions
- May not work with all external drives and disks
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool works with Windows operating systems and helps you create back up copies of all the photos, videos, documents, and programs saved on your computer.
Whether you use your computer for work, school, or just plain fun, creating back ups of your important documents is necessary. You never know when a power surge might wipe out your hard drive or when you might suffer a hardware failure that deletes almost everything off your computer. While experts can sometimes recover a small amount of your data, using this tool ensures that you don't lose your family photos, vacation videos, work documents, and other content on your hard drive.
Not only does this tool work with most Windows operating systems, but it works with most flash drives, external hard drives, and disks too. When you plug that device into the port on your computer and run the tool, it will instantly find and give you information about that device, including the manufacturer and the amount of storage space remaining. You can then use that device to create a back up of your current system.
Many people worry about buying disks and flash drives to use as back ups because they assume that they need one with a lot of memory space. The HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool can actually work with most disks and still save all your pertinent information. It actually asks if you want to compress that data before saving it on that device. Compressing your folders, documents, photos, and other files is a great way to save a copy of those files without taking up a lot of space. It can also let you create a DOS disk that contains all your start up details for use later.
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool does a good job of formatting those disks and drives too. You can use it to remove older back ups or files that you no longer need to free up some space. Keep in mind that when you use this tool to format your drive that it will remove any files or folders saved on that drive. Some won't like that it doesn't provide details about whether the drive functions and that the manufacturer no longer offers support. If you need to format one or more drives and create back up files though, HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a good choice.
Pros
- Creates back up files and folders for offline storage
- Easy to use design
- Lets you create start up DOS disks
- Goes beyond standard Windows formatting tools
- Features multiple ways of formatting disks quickly
Cons
- Manufacturer no longer offers official support
- Formatting a drive with this tool will wipe out your saved files
- Does not check whether the drive functions
- May not work with all external drives and disks
