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- Yes, FAT32 is still supported in Windows 10. If you have a flash drive formatted as a FAT32 device, it will work without any problems. You can read it without any extra hassle on Windows 10. This ensures that users can easily read and access data on drives formatted for a previous OS iteration, delivering seamless compatibility.
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Apr 15, 2023 · 1] Windows File Explorer. Windows File Explorer is the default option you can use to format a drive in FAT32 format. No matter whether you use Windows 11, Windows 10, or any other...
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There are many reasons to format your drive in FAT32 format. The most common one is that your drive will work with many more devices than if it was formatted in another file format, say NTFS. Nearly all the devices support FAT32.
A good example here is that you can add data to your drive from your Mac machine if your drive was formatted in FAT32. You can't do that with an NTFS-formatted drive.
Related: FAT32 vs. exFAT vs. NTFS: What's the Difference?
While there are pros to using the FAT32 format, a few cons exist as well. You can't store an individual file larger than 4 GB on a FAT32-formatted drive. Also, the built-in graphical formatting options on Windows only let you format your drives in FAT32 if they're 32 GB or less in storage capacity. (However, there's a command-line method and a third-party app to format drives larger than 32 GB in FAT32 format.)
Using File Explorer
To format a drive in FAT32 format with File Explorer, first, plug your drive into your Windows PC. Then, open File Explorer by pressing Windows+E. In File Explorer, right-click your drive and choose "Format." A "Format" window opens. Here, click the "File System" drop-down menu and choose "FAT32." Optionally, configure other options. Then, click "Start." When your drive is formatted, it will be in FAT32 format. Related: How to Format a Hard Drive or SSD on Windows 11
With Disk Management
Disk Management is another graphical tool you can use to format your drives. To use it for your USB flash drive, right-click your "Start" menu icon and choose "Disk Management." On Disk Management's main window, right-click your USB drive and choose "Format." In the "Format" window, select the "File System" drop-down menu and choose "FAT32." Then, click "OK" to start formatting your drive. Disk Management will display a message when your drive is formatted. Related: How to Manage Partitions on Windows Without Downloading Any Other Software
Using Command Prompt
If you like running commands, you have a command you can use in Command Prompt to format your drive in FAT32 format. To do that, first, open the "Start" menu, find "Command Prompt", and select "Run as Administrator." In the "User Account Control" prompt, choose "Yes." On the Command Prompt window, type the following command replacing X with the letter of your USB flash drive. Then, press Enter. When your drive is formatted, close Command Prompt. Related: How to Format a USB Drive on Linux That Works With Windows
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Mar 11, 2023 · File Explorer: Go to File Explorer > This PC > right-click the USB Drive > Format > Start > OK. Or launch Powershell > enter format /fs:fat32 : and wait for the process to finish. You can format drives smaller than 32GB in File Explorer; for larger drives, you must use Powershell.
May 13, 2024 · Updated on May 13, 2024. On Windows 10/8.1/8/7, there are typically four ways to format USB to FAT32, which has the greatest compatibility compared to other file systems. For small capacity flash drives, pen drives, or SD cards that range from 2GB-32GB, any of the four methods are workable.
Jul 6, 2023 · 1. Press “ Windows + R ” at the same time to open the Run box, then type “ diskmgmt.msc ” and press “ Enter ” key to open the Disk Management. 2. Right click the drive you want to format and select “ Format ”. 3. Then, select FAT32 file system (or the file system you need) and click “ OK ” to start format.
Dec 26, 2021 · Fortunately, you can still format flash drives to the FAT32 format in Windows – whether using the integrated tool or third-party tools (which offer more options). Here’s how to format a drive to FAT32 in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Oct 17, 2023 · Key Takeaways. Use a third-party utility, like "FAT32 Format," to format larger USB drives with FAT32. Alternatively, launch PowerShell as an Administrator and run "format /FS:FAT32 F:" in the Window to format the "F:" drive as FAT32. Swap "F:" for the drive letter assigned to your USB drive.
