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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 version...
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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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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.
- Walter Glenn
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.
Mar 26, 2019 · Method 1 of 2. Use Command Prompt to format USB to FAT32 in Windows 10/11. Please note that formatting large USB drives to FAT32 might take hours. If you cannot wait for hours, please use the tool mentioned in Method 2 of this guide. IMPORTANT: Formatting the drive will delete all data on the drive.
Dec 26, 2021 · Format Using Integrated Tool. Windows 10 and 11 have a handy internal tool for formatting your flash drives. With the drive you want to format inserted into your PC, go to “This PC” and find the drive under “Devices and drives”. Right-click the flash drive then click “Format.”
Apr 19, 2024 · The easiest and most convenient way to format FAT32 quickly is using Diskpart. This is a built-in tool on Windows and only requires you to take note of a few commands. Below are the steps to format a drive to FAT32 using Diskpart: Step 1. Open Command Prompt and click "Run as administrator." Step 2.
