Mac Destroyed my Flash Drive

[Colbycheeze]

I was trying to transfer some files to a friend's Mac with my flash drive and it said I needed to format it for some reason so I did, and now the flash drive isn't even recognized on my PC! ( Windows 7 )

How do I fix this? I've been searching for 2 hours now trying to get this to work but there is no help anywhere on the internet for this topic.

I just need to figure out how to format the flash drive back to windows format instead of the mac format. Each time I click on the mac disk utility to format as FAT it always ends up going back to Mac Os Extended.

Is there any way I can get my PC to detect the flash drive so I can format it with my PC, or is there any way to format it in Mac that works with PC also?

 

[IntelliUser]

Try formatting in the standard HFS+, then install a trial of MacDrive on the PC and see if it's recognized.

 

[Colbycheeze]

Also...We are trying to put pictures from the iMac onto a flash drive to use on a Photo frame however the Mac format doesn't work on the photo frame. How can we fix this?

Okay tried that software. It didn't work. I still can't see the files on the flash drive, or even see that it exists at all when I plug it in.

Hrmm...I used to think I wanted a Mac but after using my friends for a bit now I am beginning to hate Mac so much. They are extremely complicated and unfriendly.

 

[IntelliUser]

It's not the Mac's fault, it's probably the USB which has been designed for Windows. I've had such ones (some of them including bundled antivirus software) and they've never played along well with anything but Windows. Other generic USB drives work fine everywhere.

 

[Colbycheeze]

That makes no sense. It works fine on the mac now. I just can't use it on the PC.

The files transfer fine from the mac to the flash drive, however when I try to open it on the PC it doesnt even exist. I don't even see the drive label to right click it and reformat it at all.

 

[Dark Dragoon]

That makes no sense. It works fine on the mac now. I just can't use it on the PC.

The files transfer fine from the mac to the flash drive, however when I try to open it on the PC it doesnt even exist. I don't even see the drive label to right click it and reformat it at all.

That would be because Windows hasn't assigned the drive a drive letter, and so it does not show up in Computer. It cannot assign it a drive letter as it doesn't understand how to read the partition.

This will wipe the drive.
1) On the Mac open up Disk Utility, in the left hand pane click on the memory stick (not the partition which should be below it and slightly to the right).
2) Click on the "Partition" tab. Under Volume Scheme choose 1 Partition.
3) Click on the Options button and make sure Master Boot Record is selected.
4) On the Format dropdown menu make sure MS-DOS (FAT) is selected.
5) Give the partition a name if you want to.
6) Click Apply.

The memory stick should now be usable both under Windows and OS X.

 

[Colbycheeze]

Thank you Dark Dragoon. That worked.