USB Drive Shrunk from 16GB to 7GB

electro.orca · electro.orca #1 (**permalink**)

04-25-2011, 04:48 PM

Hey there,
I bought a 16GB USB key off ebay awhile back. It has been working perfectly until recently. It's now shrunk down to 7GB, meaning it's basically a 7GB flash drive now! I tried reformatting it several times, but it's not working.
Any suggestions?

harryb2448 · harryb2448 #2 (**permalink**)

04-25-2011, 05:11 PM

Have you tried emptying whatever is on it to the Trash? Like Windows, it is necessary to drag the contents to the Trash, and hit Empty Trash before disconnecting the drive. otherwise it just remains on the drive.

electro.orca · electro.orca #3 (**permalink**)

04-25-2011, 06:24 PM

It's not files taking up space. The drive itself has become a 7GB drive. I got it as a 16GB drive, and now it only has 7GB. It's not a 16GB drive with 7GB of free space left; its become a 7GB drive with 7GB of space. The drive now only has 7GB, when it use to have 16GB. When I open up the info window, it says the drive's capacity is 7GB with 7GB of free space. It use to say capacity of 16GB with whateverGB of free space.

harryb2448 · harryb2448 #4 (**permalink**)

04-25-2011, 07:38 PM

Not formatted in Mac OS Extended and FAT by any chance and showing as a partition? What does Disk utility has to say when connected? if it says 7GB an erase and format may be the go.

electro.orca · electro.orca #5 (**permalink**)

04-25-2011, 08:46 PM

I've tried reformatting it several times, with FAT32 & Mac.

Now that you mention it, two drives did come up on Disk Utility at one point.

Is there a way to set it back to one drive?

I really need to know how to properly format drives.

Is there a good way to format a USB key to make it compatible with Mac & PC?

dtravis7 · dtravis7 #6 (**permalink**)

04-25-2011, 09:30 PM

In disk utility select the drive and go to the Partition Tab. Select 1 partition. Fat 32 will both read and write on anything.

electro.orca · electro.orca #7 (**permalink**)

04-27-2011, 06:57 PM

Still not working. There wasn't a FAT32 option, only FAT, and I think I might have been wrong about there being 2 partitions. Any other ideas?

dtravis7 · dtravis7 #8 (**permalink**)

04-27-2011, 07:37 PM

Just for the record, FAT is FAT32 in OSX.

electro.orca · electro.orca #9 (**permalink**)

04-27-2011, 11:01 PM

Alrighty, I kinda guessed it was, but I wasn't too sure. I still tried it and it didn't work.

vansmith · vansmith #10 (**permalink**)

04-27-2011, 11:30 PM

You say that two drives showed up and this leads me to believe that the drive has multiple partitions. As to why this happened recently and without your knowledge - your guess is as good as mine. Do you see multiple partitions listed under your Flash drive in Disk Utility?

dtravis7 · dtravis7 #11 (**permalink**)

04-27-2011, 11:44 PM

Either there are two partitions or there is something very wrong with the drive. Have you tried opening Disk Utility and the partition tab and selecting 1 partition and make the type Master Boot Record under options.

electro.orca · electro.orca #12 (**permalink**)

04-28-2011, 07:40 AM

Yah, I did the Master Boot Record. I'm thinking of just returning it - I have a one year warranty on it. It's probably easier that way. Thanks for your help.

harryb2448 #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 28, 2007 Location: Nambucca Heads Australia Posts: 14,095 Mac Specs: iMac i5 2.7GHz OS X.8.3	04-25-2011, 05:11 PM Have you tried emptying whatever is on it to the Trash? Like Windows, it is necessary to drag the contents to the Trash, and hit Empty Trash before disconnecting the drive. otherwise it just remains on the drive. *Hang on to those original install discs like grim death! Using OS X.7 or later make a bootable USB thumb drive before running Installer!*
	QUOTE Thanks

harryb2448 #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 28, 2007 Location: Nambucca Heads Australia Posts: 14,095 Mac Specs: iMac i5 2.7GHz OS X.8.3	04-25-2011, 07:38 PM Not formatted in Mac OS Extended and FAT by any chance and showing as a partition? What does Disk utility has to say when connected? if it says 7GB an erase and format may be the go. *Hang on to those original install discs like grim death! Using OS X.7 or later make a bootable USB thumb drive before running Installer!*
	QUOTE Thanks

dtravis7 #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 04, 2005 Location: Modesto, Ca. Posts: 25,815 Mac Specs: iMac C2D Late 2007 20" with 10.8.3, Macbook Santa Rosa 4GB Ram OSX 10.8.3	04-25-2011, 09:30 PM In disk utility select the drive and go to the Partition Tab. Select 1 partition. Fat 32 will both read and write on anything. ...Dennis Mac-Forums Community Guidelines
	QUOTE Thanks

dtravis7 #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 04, 2005 Location: Modesto, Ca. Posts: 25,815 Mac Specs: iMac C2D Late 2007 20" with 10.8.3, Macbook Santa Rosa 4GB Ram OSX 10.8.3	04-27-2011, 07:37 PM Just for the record, FAT is FAT32 in OSX. ...Dennis Mac-Forums Community Guidelines
	QUOTE Thanks

vansmith #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 19, 2008 Location: Ottawa Posts: 15,328 Mac Specs: 2012 13" MBP (2.5 i5, 8GB)	04-27-2011, 11:30 PM You say that two drives showed up and this leads me to believe that the drive has multiple partitions. As to why this happened recently and without your knowledge - your guess is as good as mine. Do you see multiple partitions listed under your Flash drive in Disk Utility? Important Links: Community Guidelines : Use the reputation system if you've been helped. M-F Blog :: Write for the blog :: M-F IRC Channel - Chats every Sunday at 8PM EST.
	QUOTE Thanks

USB Drive Shrunk from 16GB to 7GB

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electro.orca #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 15, 2010 Posts: 16 Mac Specs: iMac5,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz 1GB of memory	04-25-2011, 04:48 PM Hey there, I bought a 16GB USB key off ebay awhile back. It has been working perfectly until recently. It's now shrunk down to 7GB, meaning it's basically a 7GB flash drive now! I tried reformatting it several times, but it's not working. Any suggestions?
	QUOTE Thanks

electro.orca #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 15, 2010 Posts: 16 Mac Specs: iMac5,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz 1GB of memory	04-25-2011, 08:46 PM I've tried reformatting it several times, with FAT32 & Mac. Now that you mention it, two drives did come up on Disk Utility at one point. Is there a way to set it back to one drive? I really need to know how to properly format drives. Is there a good way to format a USB key to make it compatible with Mac & PC?
	QUOTE Thanks

electro.orca #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 15, 2010 Posts: 16 Mac Specs: iMac5,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz 1GB of memory	04-27-2011, 06:57 PM Still not working. There wasn't a FAT32 option, only FAT, and I think I might have been wrong about there being 2 partitions. Any other ideas?
	QUOTE Thanks

electro.orca #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 15, 2010 Posts: 16 Mac Specs: iMac5,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz 1GB of memory	04-27-2011, 11:01 PM Alrighty, I kinda guessed it was, but I wasn't too sure. I still tried it and it didn't work.
	QUOTE Thanks

dtravis7 #11 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 04, 2005 Location: Modesto, Ca. Posts: 25,815 Mac Specs: iMac C2D Late 2007 20" with 10.8.3, Macbook Santa Rosa 4GB Ram OSX 10.8.3	04-27-2011, 11:44 PM Either there are two partitions or there is something very wrong with the drive. Have you tried opening Disk Utility and the partition tab and selecting 1 partition and make the type Master Boot Record under options. ...Dennis Mac-Forums Community Guidelines
	QUOTE Thanks

electro.orca #12 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 15, 2010 Posts: 16 Mac Specs: iMac5,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz 1GB of memory	04-28-2011, 07:40 AM Yah, I did the Master Boot Record. I'm thinking of just returning it - I have a one year warranty on it. It's probably easier that way. Thanks for your help.
	QUOTE Thanks

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