I want to partition a PNY 512GB USB 3.2-2 flash drive. A number of google searches tell me that this CAN be done on an exFAT flash drive.
I've tried the native Windows partitioning, and also THREE third-party apps to try and do this. On ALL of the third-party apps, it disallows creating partitions on my exFAT flash drive.
This leaves me wondering - can it be done, or can't it?? Everything I've tried has NOT succeeded in creating partitions. When I search the web for answers, I find a confusing mix of contradictory information.
Thank you in advance for any and all suggestions and guidance.
- David G.
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X CPU
32GB DDR4-3200 RAM
2x WD Black 1TB M.2 drives
The flash drive is a PNY Pro Elite V2 512GB USB 3.2-2
There have been no error messages .... but the selection "Create Partition" is greyed out.
I have tried DiskGenius, AOMEI, EaseUS and GParted
I just received an email from the tech staff at AOMEI, they say their app cannot create partitions in an exFAT file system. However, many search results say it is perfectly possible, so I don't know what to think.
I am attaching a screenshot of Disk Management
Midknyte - there were no existing partitions, it is a brand new flash drive I just picked up.
Assuming that the D: drive is the one in question, it is showing a healthy Primary partition. If you are wanting a second partition on that drive, you will need to re-size the existing partition first to make it smaller so that there is some free space to create a second partition.
What were you planning on using the second partition for?
I wanted one partition for backup files, and another large one for a complete system image. I'm going to be changing out the mobo, RAM, and replacing the M.2 drives with standard SATA HDDs. (Long story, don't ask )
Or is it a terrible idea to put anything on the flash drive besides the system image?
You could make separate partitions for those functions, but when I do what you are wanting to do, I just make separate folders, like the example below:
Of course, you can set up your drive using whichever method you prefer.
Remember that you should more that one copy of each file in order to have a backup. If the flash drive will contain your ONLY copies of important files during your drive upgrade, yo may want to consider a second drive or copying the files somewhere else, just in case of unforseen disasters.
there were no existing partitions, it is a brand new flash drive I just picked up.
I see the D: drive there, so there is 1 partition on the drive. I think you are confusing a "partition" as a separator, rather than the actual space.
If the flash drive was a house, a "partition" is like a room in the house, not the walls between them.
I don't see why you need to partition the flash drive to create a system image. What backup app are you using? Image backups are just files; you don't need a dedicated partition for that.
Thank you both for your comments. I did know that a partition was like a space, and not a separator. What I didn't know for sure, was whether a separate partition was needed for the system image. Since it is not necessary, I'll just proceed without creating another partition. Thanks again!
Just great .... now I went to Backup/Restore to create a system image, and it tells me I have to change the file system on my flash drive from exFAT to NTFS
SO .... I went back and formatted the flash drive in NTFS format, but when I try to do a system image using Windows Backup and Restore, it still says I cannot use the flash drive for that.
Have you tried writing any other files to that drive as a test?
Personally I prefer to make and store my backups on a HDD/SSD for reliability and speed. I would only use a USB drive as a secondary backup location (drag and drop an existing BU file there). Also as a secondary backup for individual files like media, docs, etc.
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I finally downloaded AOMEI BackUpper and ran it. It was just fine using the flash drive for a system image. It completed in about 10 minutes.
No, I never use a USB flash drive as a primary backup device. I just wanted to get the system image on it so it will be ready in a day or so when I change out the hardware. As far as speed, this flash drive reads at about 820 MB/sec.
I have a 4 TB external drive for primary backup. I'm also getting ready to buy a second generation 2 TB SanDisk NVme drive.
Thanks again, everyone!
Last edited by star-gazer777; March 2nd, 2023 at 04:08 AM.
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