如何格式化USB stick？遇"No space left on device"报错，按教程操作仍失败

Hey there, sorry to hear you're hitting this frustrating error even after following the formatting tutorial to a T. Let's break down the most likely fixes, step by step:

1. Double-check you're targeting the right device (critical!) #

First, make sure you're not accidentally messing with your system drive. Run these commands to list connected storage devices:

lsblk
# Or
df -h

Look for your USB stick (it'll usually show up as /dev/sdb, /dev/sdc, etc.—never pick /dev/sda unless you're 100% sure that's your USB). Note the partition name too (like /dev/sdb1).

2. Unmount the USB first (it can't format if it's in use) #

If the USB is mounted, formatting will fail. Unmount it with:

sudo umount /dev/sdX1

Replace sdX1 with your actual partition. If you get a "target is busy" error, close any file explorer windows open to the USB, then run:

sudo fuser -km /dev/sdX1

This forces all processes using the drive to close, then try unmounting again.

3. Wipe hidden/residual data that might be hogging space #

Sometimes hidden system files, recycle bin data, or leftover partitions take up space without you seeing them. After mounting the USB again, run:

ls -la /mnt/your-usb-mount-point

Look for files starting with . (hidden) or directories like $RECYCLE.BIN (Windows) or .Trash-1000 (Linux). Delete them with:

sudo rm -rf /mnt/your-usb-mount-point/.* /mnt/your-usb-mount-point/$RECYCLE.BIN

Then unmount and try formatting again.

4. Format directly with mkfs (bypass any GUI issues) #

If you were using a GUI tool, try the command line instead—it's often more reliable. For a FAT32 format (compatible with most devices):

sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/sdX1

For a Linux-only Ext4 format:

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX1

Wait for the process to finish—don't interrupt it!

5. Check for bad blocks or a fake (扩容) USB drive #

If none of the above works, your USB might have bad sectors or be a fake "扩容" drive (where the advertised capacity is larger than the actual usable space).

• To check for bad blocks:

  sudo badblocks -v /dev/sdX
  

  If bad blocks are found, you can mark them during formatting with:

  sudo mkfs.vfat -c /dev/sdX1
  

• To verify actual capacity:
  Run sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdX and compare the "Disk /dev/sdX: X GiB" value to the advertised capacity. If there's a huge mismatch, it's a fake drive—you'll need to partition it to its real usable size.

6. Last resort: Rewrite the partition table #

If the partition table is corrupted, wipe it and start fresh:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX bs=512 count=1

This erases the partition table. Then use fdisk or gparted to create a new partition, then format it.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者roy