Can't format USB

[P12nut]

Arlo Base Station VMB4000 firmware -1.20.0.3_4162_a114662

After restarting my base station my app said my USB storage needed formatted. I try to format and the notice goes away for a second and comes right back. I don't think it's actually formatting. I turn the base station on and off again, try a different USB, try slot 2, format on windows to fat32 nothing works. I still see the requires formatting warning. 

[jguerdat]

You said you tried a different USB - does that mean a different drive? Have you power cycled the base?

[P12nut]

Yes, power cycled base station a number of times and tried a different usb drive. 

[jguerdat]

Guess the port could be bad. While a PITA, it may be worth removing everything from your account and add them back as if new.

[wesblake]

Did you solve this? I am having the same issue. Base station is MB4000r3 and I'm trying to use a 32GB usb thumb drive since Arlo is screwing all of us on the 7 day storage (Never purchasing again. Their solution is apparently to simply buy newer hardware?! I paid good money for this stuff and it still works, I'm using it!)

The drive works. I put it in my PC and it shows up, I can write and read files. It's fat32 formatted. Put it in USB1 or USB2 in the base station and the app says it needs to be formatted but whenever I try to let it, it just flashes real quick and I'm back with needs to be formatted.

What's up Arlo? You lock us out of our local storage too? When did manufacturers start to think they own the hardware we purchase, like buying phones that are all locked up for $800+

[wesblake]

Rebooted base station, tried to format again, this time it appeared to be doing so for a while but then popped an error "failed to format sd card" (it's not even an SD card though, in fact there is no SD card on this base station!).

After that, stuck indicating "formatting" until I restarted the app. Now still says needs formatting.

[StephenB]

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@wesblake wrote:

The drive works. I put it in my PC and it shows up, I can write and read files. It's fat32 formatted.

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Check if it has multiple partitions (using the windows disk manager).  Some drives have them (putting some tools in a small partition).

You could also try other formatting tools for fat32 (assuming you were using built-in windows tools).  One of several free options is here:

• https://www.easeus.com/partition-manager/epm-free.html

[wesblake]

Single partition, I checked/cleared it myself (software engineer). One partition of fat32 named "ARLO" and it just doesn't work.

It appears to be a past Arlo issue re-introduced: https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Pro/Arlo-Pro-Base-Station-VMB4000r3-fails-formatting-USB-Drives/m...

That mentions firmwares 1.12 (broken) and 1.14 (fixed) though. I have 1.20.6.0_4226_24cf271

[StephenB]

Do you have another drive you can test with?

[1AMKK]

trying format the harddisk to MBR and FAT32 format.
Hope can make it helpful to yours