"You need to format the disk" - that's what it means

The error "You need to format the disk" usually occurs when you connect a USB flash drive or an external hard drive to your PC and the media cannot be read by your PC. When formatting a data medium, all data is deleted. For this reason, you should proceed with caution.

How to solve the message "You need to format the disk"

If you need to reformat a disk, there are several ways to deal with this error. First, you should try to reinstall the driver for the disk.

1. Open the Control Panel by typing "Control Panel" in the bottom left search bar and then confirming the entry with Enter.
2. Go on to "Hardware and Sound" and click "Device Manager" under "Devices and Printers". Confirm the operation with admin rights.
3. Open the USB controller and look for the device that needs to be formatted.
4. Make a right click and click on the option "Update driver".
5. If the installation of the latest driver has brought nothing, you need to format the disk. Dabei gehen jedoch alle darauf befindlichen Daten verloren.
6. Sie können versuchen, die Daten nach dem Löschen mit einem Recovery Tool wiederherzustellen.
7. Dazu laden Sie sich im besten die kostenlose Software Recuva herunter und installieren diese auf Ihrem PC.