Computer says i have to format usb stick but if i do i lose my files

Try plugging the USB drive into another computer.
If it does not work then try this.
Recuva (pronounced "recover") is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will even bring back files that have been deleted from your iPod, or by bugs, crashes and viruses!

• Put the memory card into an USB card reader and plug it into the USB port in your computer, then run the Recuva program.
• Simple to use interface - just click 'Scan' and choose the files you want to recover
• Easy to use filter for results based on file name/type
• Simple Windows like interface with List and Tree view
• Can be run from a USB thumb drive
• Restores all types of files, office documents, images, video, music, email, anything.
• Supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5 , NTFS + EFS file systems
• Restores files from removable media (SmartMedia, Secure Digital, MemoryStick, Digital cameras, Floppy disks, Jazz Disks, Sony Memory Sticks, Compact Flash cards, Smart Media Cards, Secure Digital Cards, etc.)
• Restores files from external ZIP drives, Firewire and USB Hard drives
• It's fast, tiny and takes seconds to run!

Go to these WEB sites to down Recuva http://download.cnet.com/Recuva/3000-2242_4-10753287.html www.filehippo.com/download_recuva

On a Windows XP-based computer, you cannot format a Memory Stick removable media device by using the FAT32 file system because there is no option to for FAT32 in the Format Local Disk dialog box. The only available option in the File system list in the Format Local Disk dialog box is FAT


So that you can use NTFS option to your HDD and then format the removable media device

right click my computer, manage. go to disk management and delete any volumes on the flash and set back to basic disk if it's dynamic. format fat 32

Check out this blog post by these flash drive professionals:
http://www.flashdrivepros.com/_blog/USB_Flash_Drive_Data_Recovery_Blog/post/Help!_Windows_No_Longer_Recognizes_My_Flash_Drive!/
...and if that doesn't help, you can always order their cheap service. Its great that they have a guarantee, that if they can't recover your files for you, then they'll give you a full REFUND.

1) Obviously you can connect SOME devices over USB, as specified in your statement #2. If the problem is wider than that stated in #2, please be more specific.
2) The behavior you describe is symptomatic of counterfeit USB sticks. Some low-cost counterfeits accept formatting to their advertised capacity, but there is really no memory there. When formatted with formats that require data at the end of the address space, these drives will fail.
3) This is an artifact of moving Macintosh files onto a PC format disk. If you don't want this to happen, ZIP the files before moving them to the USB stick.

Unfortunately, this is an occurring problem.
What I had to do was save all my files on my friend's computer, format the flash drive into NTFS and then throw the files back on.
It only takes a minute, but what a pain in the ****.
Good luck.

Format as Fat 16. Also, Sandisk has a solution to this on their site. http://www.sandisk.com/DriverDownload/index.asp

1. Download this tool:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4040651/LLFTOOL.EXE

2. Format

(WARNING: After running this low level format tool,
the whole USB flash disk surface will be fully erased.
Therefore, data restoration will be impossible after using this utility!)

Dont panic... Just insert the memory stick in to a card reader and donot try to open it. but make sure that your memory stick gets detected.Then you can use any of the file recovery softwares to recover the photographs with out formating.I generally use the free app "PC file recovery". In case your memory stick is not detected in the first place, then There is no other option other than formatting. But the recovery software can recover 90% of the photos even after formatting.
If this doesnt work, post back. I will explain in more detail.

LG have created a solution that only allows you to backup to a hard disk in the format that they have created.
The hard disk can not then be read by a computer as they only recognize formats such as NTFS, FAT or FAT32: not LG´s format!!!

If you reformat the disk in FAT32 format then you can copy files to the hard disk and see your photos, or certain types of DIVX files and listen to music via your TV,......BUT...you can not save TV programs from the TV to the same hard disk UNLESS you allow the TV to reformat the hard disk to LG´s format ) in which case you will lose all the files you previously had on the hard disk.

In practice LG have created a backup solution that is of little use to most users particularly bearing in mind that the backup takes almost as long as the original programs and as long again to restore.

Most of LG´s products are very clever and have a tendency to be in advance of the market.

However on this occasion LG almost had a good idea but many users are going to feel tricked like I did,