
Additionally, you may want to clean golden SSD card contacts using a Q-tip and Isopropyl Alcohol. In such case, we recommend blowing out the dust or using an air compressor with gentle settings to clean the slot. One of the most common reasons why USB or SD card shows Windows was unable to complete the format is because the media reader slot contains a dust build-up which prevents the contacts from working properly. The SD/USB reader slot is dirty or physically damaged If the error occurs on another PC as well, then you can safely assume that the problem lies in the card itself. If your PC fails to open the drive, suggests to format it and then gives you Windows was unable to complete the format error, it might be the computer issue, not your card (especially if it is new). Our first insight based on our experience is: In addition, we will suggest confirmed ways to recover data from the drive that cannot be formatted and won’t open. If you also have this problem with formatting, we have prepared an in-depth tutorial on how to fix Windows was unable to complete the format error, because we have run into this problem ourselves and tested many ways that work. This leaves the user with a flash drive or SD card that seems impossible to format, and cannot be used for any purpose.

“ You need to format the disk in drive before you can use it.

Once the user attempts to open the removable disk, a promt comes up, saying: In the majority of scenarios, the error might come up after plugging a new drive in. In this guide, we have tested all existing fix methods and provided our insights on cases when these methods actually work. The issue can happen to both new and used drives. This typically happenss after inserting the drive to computer and trying to open it.

The Microsoft prompt hardly gives any insights on what caused the issue, and sometimes says F:\ drive is not accessible. Windows was unable to complete the format is an error prompt displayed by Windows operating system which informs that external data storage device, such as SD Card, USB flash drive or hard drive failed to format. Check Windows OS for errors and missing components Check file system to fix Windows was unable to complete the format Use an USB stick with SD Card slot (common fix) Format the Drive that has RAW file system

