How to Fix a USB Drive That’s Not Working After Switching to Linux or Updating BIOS

If you’ve recently switched an old laptop from Windows to Linux, or you’re thinking about installing Linux on your current computer — but still have Windows on other devices in your home — you might run into issues when trying to update your BIOS using a USB stick.

Here’s the problem:
When you format a USB drive in Linux or use it for multiple purposes, it might end up creating two partitions on the USB stick. This confuses the BIOS update tool, which may try to read the wrong partition — often labeled as the “D:” drive — and fail to find the update file you placed on the other one.

Luckily, this is an easy fix. Follow the steps below to reset your USB drive properly so it works as expected.

Step-by-Step: How to Fix or Reformat a USB Drive with Multiple Partitions

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, then right-click and choose Run as administrator.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands one by one:

disk part
Listdisk
select disk # (# = the number the USB drive is)
clean

Step 2: Create a New Partition on the USB

After running the clean command, your USB will look empty and may even show an error when you try to format it the usual way. That’s normal.

To fix it, type the following commands in the same Command Prompt window:

create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=fat32 quick
assign

This will rebuild the USB stick so it works properly again and shows up as a single drive in File Explorer.

Want to Double Check It?

If you like to be thorough, right-click the USB drive in This PC, choose Format, and confirm that it’s working like normal. You can now safely copy your BIOS update file or any other files you need.

Why This Matters

When updating your motherboard’s BIOS, especially if you’re working in a mixed environment with both Linux and Windows systems, your USB drive needs to be in the correct format and have just one clean partition. Otherwise, your computer may not recognize the BIOS update files — and that can cause delays or failed updates.