Format external hard drive fat32
Author: f | 2025-04-25
1. Can any external hard drive be formatted to FAT32? Yes, an external hard drive can be formatted to FAT32 format regardless of the brand or capacity. FAT32 is a reliable file
How to Format External Hard Drive to FAT32 on
SmartDisk Fat32 Format UtilitySmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility is a format tool for your external HDD, memory card, and USB flash drive. This format tool will format your storage device to the FAT32 file system. And the most important thing is the format operation will erase all your data and the data will disappear forever. So, if you have a corrupted external hard drive or USB flash drive, you could use it to format to FAT32 with one click.Different file system has their special use nowadays. However, SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility has some limitations. It's impossible to format to other file systems like NTFS, exFAT, ext2, and ext3 for certain purposes except for FAT32. Besides, the data on the corrupted hard drive, memory card or USB drive could not be recognized. You can't backup data to other locations, that is to say, you'll lose all your valuable documents. How sad it is.Overview of SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility Free AlternativeThus, it’s emergent to look for a free alternative to SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility. Thanks to AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, all these restrictions will be broken. As the Best free SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility alternative, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard allows you to format external hard drive, memory card, USB flash drive to NTFS, FAT32, Ext2, Ext3, it’s more flexible than SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility. For example, AOMEI Partition Assistant supports all popular personal Windows operating system, like Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10. In addition, this freeware provides many disk partitioning functions, like
How to format an External Hard Drive as FAT32 in
NTFS.To format USB under 32GB to FAT32 in Windows 10 Explorer, follow the three steps:Step 1. Connect USB or external hard drive to Windows 10 PC.Step 2. Open File Explorer, locate and right-click on the USB drive, select "Format".Step 3. Set the FAT32 as the target file system, tick "Quick Format" and click "Start" to start the formatting.When the process completes, click "OK" to confirm. And now your USB is FAT32.Read Also: Format A USB Drive That Doesn't Show UpSolution 3. Format USB/External Drive to FAT32 with Disk ManagementUSB requirements: Similar to the Explorer, your USB drive has to be under 32GB in order to format to FAT32 within the programFollow the 3-step guide here to format to FAT32:Step 1. In Windows 10, go to This PC > Manage > Disk Management.Step 2. Locate and right-click on your USB flash drive or external hard drive, select "Format".Step 3. Set the USB file system to FAT32, tick "Perform a quick format" and click "OK" to confirm.Solution 4. Format to FAT32 Format Windows 10 Using Command PromptUSB requirements: noneSome experienced users or administrators prefer to use command lines to execute some operations on Windows PC. It's also an applicable way to format your flash drive or external hard drive to FAT32 in Windows 10.Note: Be careful while using command lines on your PC to format USB drive. Any improper operations would cause serious issues.There are two options for you to use Command Prompt, and if they do work on your issue, share this article to help more users.Here are the details of how to use CMD, DiskPart, or PowerShell command lines formatting device:Option 1. Use CMD - Command Prompt/Diskpart Format FAT32Step 1. Type command prompt in Windows 10 search bar or right-click on "Windows icon" > select "Search", and type cmd.Step 2. Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator". Step 3. Check the USB label and type format /fs:FAT32 o: at the prompt and hit "Enter". (Replace O: with the drive letter of your USB drive.)Windows 10 will begin formatting the USB flash drive or external hard drive into FAT32.Step 4. Type exit when the process has completed.Option 2. Use DiskPart Step 1. Type diskpart in Windows search bar and hit Enter.Step 2. Hit Enter each time when you type the below command lines to quick format hard drive: list disk select disk 2 (Replace 2 with your USB disk number) list volume select volume 10 (Replace 10 with the volume number of the USB drive that you want to format) format fs=fat32 quickStep 3. Type exit and hit Enter to close the program when DiskPart reports it has successfully formatted the USB.Video Tutorial You May Also Like:Option 3. UseHow to Format External Hard Drive to FAT32 in
#FORMAT EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE WINDOWS 10 NTFS FAT32 OR EXFAT KEYGEN# Step 1: Open EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition you want to format, and choose “Format” from the context menu.How can I convert an exFAT file to a fat32 file?ĮaseUS exFAT to FAT32 Converter is a program that converts exFAT files to FAT32 files. You may get a preview of the operation on the main interface.Select “exFAT” from the FileSystem drop-down menu.Choose “Format partition” from the context menu when right-clicking the hard disk partition to be formatted.Similarly, how can I convert the format of my hard drive to exFAT?ĭiskpartalternative may be used to format a hard disk partition to exFAT. ExFAT is a contemporary alternative forFAT32 that is supported by more devices and operating systems thanNTFS, although it is not as widely used asFAT32. Windows utilizes NTFS for its system disk and most non-removable drives by default. Is exFAT the same as NTFS, for example? The most recent file system is NTFS. If you choose, you may give your partition a name. Hit Enter after typing format P: /FS: NTFS (where P: is the USB drive letter).To launch Run, press the Windows key and the R key at the same time.Then press the “OK” button.Īlso, how can I go from exFAT to NTFS on my hard drive? You may change the “PartitionLabel” and “Cluster Size” in this box as needed. Step 2: Select exFAT from the File System drop-down option. The answer is that you can’t, but there are other ways to do it.Ĭhoose “Format Partition” from the context menu when you right-click the external disk (Take converting NTFS toexFAT in Windows 10 as an example). The “how to change ntfs to exfat without formatting on mac” is a question that has been asked before. This article is about the best way to convert an NTFS formatted hard drive into exFAT without damaging your files. However, many third-party programs like iTunes can’t use it and will force users to reformat their hard drives in order to access or transfer data from them. Windows computers only support NTFS as a disk format.. 1. Can any external hard drive be formatted to FAT32? Yes, an external hard drive can be formatted to FAT32 format regardless of the brand or capacity. FAT32 is a reliable fileFormat to FAT32 for USB or External Hard Drive in
Updated on Nov 27, 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. However, for USB flash drives, HDDs, or external hard drives that exceed 32GB, the applicable tools will be restricted to the third-party best USB format tools and the Windows Command Prompt.For both average and advanced users, the four ways can help you. The first one can save your time as much as possible.1. (lifewire-recommend) Third-party USB Format tool2. Windows 10 Explorer Quick Format3. Windows 10 Disk Management Format4. Windows Command PromptVideo Guide: How to Format to FAT32 in Windows 10 in 4 WaysCan't format to FAT32 in Windows 10 with all given disk formatting tools? Directly jump to the final part to get additional fixes for "Cannot Format to FAT32" in Windows 10.About File Systems (FAT32 Format, FAT16, FAT12, NTFS)In computing, a file system controls how data is stored and retrieved. The common Windows file systems include FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS, etc. Users can convert their USB flash drives or external hard drives between different file systems. In the chart below, we have listed features of four common file systems, giving detailed information from max partition size to the compatibility of these file systems. Notice: Formatting a USB drive or external hard drive will remove all existing files on the device. Please make sure you have backed up files before formatting to avoid further data loss.Solution 1. Format to FAT32 Using FAT32 Formatter Windows 10USB requirements: noneA professional third-party Windows 10 FAT32 formatting tool can make the formatting process simple and secure. We recommend you try EaseUS Partition Master with its Format feature. Besides FAT32, it also supports format USB to NTFS, EXT2, EXT3, and ReFS. Download this partition magic now, and follow the simple steps to freely format USB to FAT32 in Window 10.lifewire.com: EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition is incredibly simple to use. Right-click the external drive or USB you intend to format and choose "Format". Set the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Cluster size, then click "OK". Click "Yes" to continue. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button and click "Apply" to format the hard drive partition.You May Also Like:How to Partition Hard Drive in Windows 10With this FAT32 formatted, you can also repartition the volumes on your HDD/SSD, external storage devices. Follow to learn how to partition a hard drive on your own.Solution 2. Format FAT32 Windows 10 via File Explorer USB requirements: no more than 32GB. Otherwise, you can only choose to format USB toHow To Format A External Hard Drive To FAT32
Download Article An in-depth guide to formatting an HDD to FAT32 Download Article Windows Powershell (Windows)|Diskpart Command (Windows)|File Explorer (Windows)|Disk Utility (macOS)|Tips Since the FAT32 file system is not made for drives that are larger than 32 GB, you won't see an option to use it in the typical Windows formatting tools. This wikiHow teaches you how to format your external hard drive in the FAT32 format on a Windows computer.On Windows, you can use Windows Powershell or the Command Prompt to format a drive larger than 32GB to FAT32. If your drive is less than 32GB, you can use File Explorer. On macOS, you can use DiskUtility to format your drive. If you haven't already done so, use a USB cable to connect your external hard drive to an available USB port on your PC.If the drive is larger than 2 TB, you can't format it as FAT32.[1] If your goal is to make the drive compatible with as many operating systems as possible, use the exFAT file system instead.If you're using a laptop, make sure it's plugged into a reliable power source. Formatting the drive can take about an hour, depending on the drive's size and speed. To format the drive, you'll need to know which letter represents it on your PC. Here's how:Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.Double-click This PC in the left panel.Now look at the right panel under "Devices and drives." Each connected drive has a letter, such as C: or D:. Make note of the one assigned to your external hard drive.Advertisement This opens the Windows Power User menu. This opens an administrator-level command prompt.If you see PowerShell (Admin) instead, click that. The commands will be the same whether you're using Command Prompt or PowerShell. You'll need to replace the "X" with the correct letter of your external hard drive. Here's the command: format /FS:FAT32 X:For example, if your external hard drive is E:, you'd type format /FS:FAT32 E: You'll see a message that says all of the data on the drive will be lost. This is required for formatting the drive. Windows will now format the drive as FAT32. Advertisement To do this, type "cmd" into the taskbar search bar, right-click "Command Prompt," and click Run as administrator.This method works whether your external drive has more or less than 32GB of storage. However, if your external drive has more than 32GB, this method will create a 32GB partition that will be formatted to FAT32. The rest of the storage space on the external drive won't be changed. Press Enter to run the command.[2] Press Enter to run the command. Replace the # with the disk number from the disk listHow to Format External Hard Drive to FAT32 on
10 computer and create a Windows 10 ISO file that will be used to install the operating system onto the drive. Then click the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC button and hit Next.How many GB is a Windows 10 install?A fresh install of Windows 10 takes up about 15 GB of storage space. Most of that is made up of system and reserved files while 1 GB is taken up by default apps and games that come with Windows 10.What is a flash drive and what does it do?A USB drive, also referred to as a flash drive or memory stick, is a small, portable device that plugs into the USB port on your computer. USB drives are commonly used for storage, data backup, and transferring files between devices.How do I transfer a 4GB file?Best Ways to Share Big Files Upload your files to a cloud storage service, and share them or email them to others. Use file compression software, like 7-Zip. Purchase a USB flash drive. Use Jumpshare, a free online service. Try Sendy PRO. Use a VPN. Transfer files using SFTP. How do I transfer large files to my external hard drive?How to fix the problem that a file too large for external hard drive? Method 1. Use a proper external hard drive or USB. Method 2. Convert the FAT/FAT32 file system to NTFS. Method 3. Re-connect the external hard drive or USB. Method 4. Backup a large file into multiple smaller images. What format does a USB need to be for TV?Android TVs are compatible with external Hard Disk Drives (HDD) or flash drives formatted in NTFS file system or the FAT32 file system.Should a bootable USB be FAT32 or NTFS?If you want/need to use UEFI, you must use fat32. Otherwise your USB drive won’t be bootable. On the other hand, if you need to use custom windows install images, fat32 will limit you to 4gb for the image size. So in this case you need to use NTFS or exfat.Which format is best for bootable USB?A: Most USB boot sticks are formatted as NTFS, which includes those created by the Microsoft Store Windows USB/DVD download tool. UEFI systems (such as Windows 8) can’t boot from an NTFS device, only FAT32. You can now boot your UEFI system and install Windows from this FAT32 USB drive.Which file system is. 1. Can any external hard drive be formatted to FAT32? Yes, an external hard drive can be formatted to FAT32 format regardless of the brand or capacity. FAT32 is a reliable fileComments
SmartDisk Fat32 Format UtilitySmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility is a format tool for your external HDD, memory card, and USB flash drive. This format tool will format your storage device to the FAT32 file system. And the most important thing is the format operation will erase all your data and the data will disappear forever. So, if you have a corrupted external hard drive or USB flash drive, you could use it to format to FAT32 with one click.Different file system has their special use nowadays. However, SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility has some limitations. It's impossible to format to other file systems like NTFS, exFAT, ext2, and ext3 for certain purposes except for FAT32. Besides, the data on the corrupted hard drive, memory card or USB drive could not be recognized. You can't backup data to other locations, that is to say, you'll lose all your valuable documents. How sad it is.Overview of SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility Free AlternativeThus, it’s emergent to look for a free alternative to SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility. Thanks to AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, all these restrictions will be broken. As the Best free SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility alternative, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard allows you to format external hard drive, memory card, USB flash drive to NTFS, FAT32, Ext2, Ext3, it’s more flexible than SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility. For example, AOMEI Partition Assistant supports all popular personal Windows operating system, like Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10. In addition, this freeware provides many disk partitioning functions, like
2025-04-03NTFS.To format USB under 32GB to FAT32 in Windows 10 Explorer, follow the three steps:Step 1. Connect USB or external hard drive to Windows 10 PC.Step 2. Open File Explorer, locate and right-click on the USB drive, select "Format".Step 3. Set the FAT32 as the target file system, tick "Quick Format" and click "Start" to start the formatting.When the process completes, click "OK" to confirm. And now your USB is FAT32.Read Also: Format A USB Drive That Doesn't Show UpSolution 3. Format USB/External Drive to FAT32 with Disk ManagementUSB requirements: Similar to the Explorer, your USB drive has to be under 32GB in order to format to FAT32 within the programFollow the 3-step guide here to format to FAT32:Step 1. In Windows 10, go to This PC > Manage > Disk Management.Step 2. Locate and right-click on your USB flash drive or external hard drive, select "Format".Step 3. Set the USB file system to FAT32, tick "Perform a quick format" and click "OK" to confirm.Solution 4. Format to FAT32 Format Windows 10 Using Command PromptUSB requirements: noneSome experienced users or administrators prefer to use command lines to execute some operations on Windows PC. It's also an applicable way to format your flash drive or external hard drive to FAT32 in Windows 10.Note: Be careful while using command lines on your PC to format USB drive. Any improper operations would cause serious issues.There are two options for you to use Command Prompt, and if they do work on your issue, share this article to help more users.Here are the details of how to use CMD, DiskPart, or PowerShell command lines formatting device:Option 1. Use CMD - Command Prompt/Diskpart Format FAT32Step 1. Type command prompt in Windows 10 search bar or right-click on "Windows icon" > select "Search", and type cmd.Step 2. Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator". Step 3. Check the USB label and type format /fs:FAT32 o: at the prompt and hit "Enter". (Replace O: with the drive letter of your USB drive.)Windows 10 will begin formatting the USB flash drive or external hard drive into FAT32.Step 4. Type exit when the process has completed.Option 2. Use DiskPart Step 1. Type diskpart in Windows search bar and hit Enter.Step 2. Hit Enter each time when you type the below command lines to quick format hard drive: list disk select disk 2 (Replace 2 with your USB disk number) list volume select volume 10 (Replace 10 with the volume number of the USB drive that you want to format) format fs=fat32 quickStep 3. Type exit and hit Enter to close the program when DiskPart reports it has successfully formatted the USB.Video Tutorial You May Also Like:Option 3. Use
2025-04-03Updated on Nov 27, 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. However, for USB flash drives, HDDs, or external hard drives that exceed 32GB, the applicable tools will be restricted to the third-party best USB format tools and the Windows Command Prompt.For both average and advanced users, the four ways can help you. The first one can save your time as much as possible.1. (lifewire-recommend) Third-party USB Format tool2. Windows 10 Explorer Quick Format3. Windows 10 Disk Management Format4. Windows Command PromptVideo Guide: How to Format to FAT32 in Windows 10 in 4 WaysCan't format to FAT32 in Windows 10 with all given disk formatting tools? Directly jump to the final part to get additional fixes for "Cannot Format to FAT32" in Windows 10.About File Systems (FAT32 Format, FAT16, FAT12, NTFS)In computing, a file system controls how data is stored and retrieved. The common Windows file systems include FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS, etc. Users can convert their USB flash drives or external hard drives between different file systems. In the chart below, we have listed features of four common file systems, giving detailed information from max partition size to the compatibility of these file systems. Notice: Formatting a USB drive or external hard drive will remove all existing files on the device. Please make sure you have backed up files before formatting to avoid further data loss.Solution 1. Format to FAT32 Using FAT32 Formatter Windows 10USB requirements: noneA professional third-party Windows 10 FAT32 formatting tool can make the formatting process simple and secure. We recommend you try EaseUS Partition Master with its Format feature. Besides FAT32, it also supports format USB to NTFS, EXT2, EXT3, and ReFS. Download this partition magic now, and follow the simple steps to freely format USB to FAT32 in Window 10.lifewire.com: EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition is incredibly simple to use. Right-click the external drive or USB you intend to format and choose "Format". Set the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Cluster size, then click "OK". Click "Yes" to continue. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button and click "Apply" to format the hard drive partition.You May Also Like:How to Partition Hard Drive in Windows 10With this FAT32 formatted, you can also repartition the volumes on your HDD/SSD, external storage devices. Follow to learn how to partition a hard drive on your own.Solution 2. Format FAT32 Windows 10 via File Explorer USB requirements: no more than 32GB. Otherwise, you can only choose to format USB to
2025-03-26