Windows tip: how to delete nasty partitions on USB sticks

In the age of clouds, USB sticks and external SSDs have almost fallen out of favour a bit. Still, not all data can be stored in the cloud, allowing sticks and co. their time to shine. Some manufacturers include custom partitions on their sticks, taking up a bit of storage space in the process. Creating a boot stick can also leave behind partitions which can’t be removed using simple formatting later on. Even managing your storage spaces won’t always help. It’s annoying. Time for more drastic measures.

Windows includes a tool for just this pickle: Diskpart. I’ll show you how to use it and how it can help you with your partition problem. Keep in mind, this’ll also remove any data on your SSD or stick. So make a backup beforehand if you still need anything after. I also recommend you remove any other external storage device, just to avoid any accidents.

How to use Diskpart

Connect the storage device to a Windows PC. If it’s visible in the Explorer, you’re ready. I’m using a USB storage stick in this example.

1. In the Start menu, enter «diskpart» and select «Run as administrator» on the right side (otherwise this won’t work).

1. Now enter the command «list disk» and press Enter. This will display all your storage devices. Your internal SSDs or HDDs, any internal DVD drives (if you even still have one) and the external stick. They’ll sometimes be labelled in quite a cryptic way. It isn’t always clear which drive is which. You’ll often be able to identify them by their size. This is why I recommended removing other external drives at the start. You don’t want to accidentally work on the wrong stick now, do you?

1. Identify your external drive in the list and memorise its number.
2. Now write «select disk X» and press Enter. Make sure to replace «X» with your drive’s number.

1. Now type «clean» and press Enter. Any and all partitions and data have now been deleted. Including those added by the manufacturer, if there were any.

1. Now you’ll need to create another partition to use the stick. Type «create partition primary» and press Enter. This’ll create one partition encompassing the entire stick’s storage space.

1. Now when you select the stick in the Explorer, Windows will automatically ask you if you want to format it. Click «Yes». If your stick is larger than 4 GB, make sure to switch to exFAT in the drop-down menu (see screenshot). This system supports larger files and adds compatibility with macOS as well as consoles like PS5 and Xbox. Now you’ll be able to use the entire storage device.