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My USB drive have 256 bad blocks according to Rufus, and yes it does contain bad blocks since it always give corrupted error message when I try it to install Windows, but running chkdsk on this USB drive shows no error at all, and even though Rufus have the option to check bad block it doesn't have the feature to fix it, how do I fix my USB drive?

The last time I use it a month ago it work fine without any error for installing any OS, I only use it for regular file since then with no problem until now when I want to use it again to reinstall my Windows.

Here is the log.

Nur
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3 Answers3

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The flash drive is failing and should be replaced.

  • The most likely cause of this issue is flash memory that is wearing out. Flash memory has limited endurance and USB flash drives tend to use lower-grade NAND which has lower endurance than the types found in SSDs. See: Can a USB thumb drive "wear out"?

  • This problem cannot be resolved by the end user. The drive should be replaced as continued use can eventually result in data loss.

bwDraco
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1

(Old question, but providing this info for others who find it via a search.)

Don't rely solely on Rufus's error message. It will report this error for other issues as well. Try reformatting/creating a new partition in your OS disk tool (dskmgmt.exe if Windows). If it fails, try a more advanced partitioning tool--when I encountered this Rufus error, Disk Management couldn't solve the problem either. Often a tool like EaseUS Partition Manager (free), will have no problem with the drive, and Rufus will often subsequently no longer detect any "bad blocks."

Travis Terrell
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1

How do I fix it?

Just buy a new one. Flash drives are cheap, especially 8 GB ones.

Sometimes such drives can be salvaged by low-level formatting with appropriate tools, but these are very rare cases and the fix isn't permanent. Failing parts of flash drive often indicate that its overall state will be getting worse because of flash teardown.

gronostaj
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