How to Format a 64GB USB Drive to FAT32 in Windows 10

article on formatting a 64GB USB drive to FAT32 in Windows, drawing insights from forum discussions:

Why Format a USB Drive to FAT32?

FAT32 is an older file system that has some advantages over more modern ones like NTFS and exFAT. A key benefit of FAT32 is its broad compatibility across devices – many older devices like car stereos and media players only support FAT32 formatted USB drives. So if you need your drive to work with those devices, FAT32 is likely required.

Another advantage of FAT32 is that it works across Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems without additional software. So it’s a good option if you need to transfer files between different computers and operating systems frequently.

The tradeoff is that FAT32 has some limitations compared to more modern file systems. The maximum individual file size is 4GB, so it won’t work well for large media files or disc images. And the maximum partition size for FAT32 is 32GB, making it impractical for larger USB drives. But for most everyday file transfer tasks under 32GB, FAT32 provides a simple and compatible option.

How do I format a USB flash drive to FAT32?

To format your USB flash drive to FAT32 format, open File Explorer or Disk Management, right-click your drive, choose “Format,” select “FAT32” from “File System,” and choose “Start” or “OK.” To do that from Command Prompt or PowerShell, run the “format /FS:FAT32 X:” command replacing “X” with your drive letter.

Which file system to format a USB flash drive?

When you want to format a USB flash drive, you may wonder which file system is the most suitable one, exFAT or FAT32? exFAT and FAT32 are the most commonly used file systems on removable storage like SDXC, SDHC, micro SD card, USB flash drive, USB hard drive, Pen drive, Thumb drive, etc.

Challenges of Formatting Large Drives to FAT32

As some forum members discovered, Windows itself only allows formatting USB drives up to 32GB to FAT32. Attempting to format a larger 64GB or 128GB drive results in errors about volume size being too big.

This 32GB limit is a deliberate restriction in Windows. Microsoft wants people to use NTFS or exFAT instead for better performance and capabilities on larger drives. But this poses a problem if you need FAT32 for compatibility reasons.

Some forum members resorted to buying smaller 32GB drives. But this wastes the extra capacity, and there are ways around the 32GB barrier with some additional steps.

Methods to Format Large Drives to FAT32

Here are a few methods discussed in the forums for formatting drives over 32GB to FAT32 in Windows 10:

Using Third-Party Tools

The easiest way is to use a free third-party FAT32 formatting tool like guiformat or Fat32Format. These small programs can format drives of any size to FAT32, circumventing the limits in Windows.

To use guiformat:

1. Download and install guiformat from http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm
2. Insert your USB drive and launch guiformat.
3. Select your drive and choose FAT32 as the file system.
4. Click Start to begin formatting.

This method is quick, reliable, and works for large drives. The only downside is having to install extra software.

How do I format a USB drive in Windows 10?

To use Disk Management to format a USB drive on Windows 10, use these steps: Open Start. Search for “Create and format hard disk partitions” and click the top result to open the Disk Management app. Right-click the removable drive and select the Format option. In the “Volume label” field, confirm a name to identify the storage in File Explorer.

How to format a USB drive over 32GB in Windows Explorer?

When you try to format a USB drive over 32GB in Windows Explorer, there is no “FAT32” option at all. Formatting the USB flash drive will delete all the content on the device. Please make sure that you have backed up everything on the drive you want to save before the operations. How to Format USB to FAT32: Windows Tools or Third-party Formatter?

How do I format a USB flash drive in PowerShell?

In PowerShell, type the following command replacing X with your drive letter. Then, press Enter. Make sure the drive letter is correct or you’ll end up erasing another drive’s contents. When your drive is formatted, close the PowerShell window. Your USB flash drive is now ready to be used in FAT32 file format.

Using PowerShell

You can also format drives over 32GB to FAT32 using PowerShell commands. Here are the steps:

1. Insert your USB drive and launch PowerShell as administrator.
2. Type:format /FS:FAT32 X:(replace X with your drive letter)
3. Press enter and wait for formatting to complete.

PowerShell gives you more control than Windows GUI tools, removing the 32GB restriction. Just be cautious with the drive letter to avoid formatting the wrong disk.

Using DiskPart

The DiskPart command line tool in Windows provides another way. Follow these steps:

1. Launch Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Typediskpartand press enter
3. Typelist diskto identify your drive number.
4. Typeselect disk X(replace X with your drive number)
5. Typecleanto wipe the drive.
6. Typecreate partition primary
7. Typeformat fs=fat32 quick
8. Press enter and wait for formatting to finish.

This method is powerful but the extra disk wiping and partition steps add some complexity. Still it works reliably for formatting any drive to FAT32.

Can I reinstall Windows 10 if I format my Drive?

You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. Formatting the drive will require erasing it to make it usable for additional storage. Formatting it will not delete your license though, you will still have the option of reinstalling the drive if necessary and reinstall Windows 10.

How do I reformat a flash drive in Windows 10?

Right-click your flash drive and select Format. If you don’t see your flash drive, you might need to click > next to “This PC” first. The Format window will expand. Select a file system. Use the drop-down menu below “File System” to select a file system to reformat the drive in. Your options are as follows::

What file system format does a USB flash drive use?

Some of the most common file system formats for portable storage devices are FAT32, NTFS, and ExFAT. Of those three common formats, FAT32 is the oldest and most widely supported. Every major operating system will allow you to read and write from a USB flash drive that’s formatted to FAT32.

Partitioning the Drive

As one forum member suggested, a workaround is partitioning the drive into smaller partitions under 32GB, then formatting each partition to FAT32.

For example, a 64GB drive could be split into two 30GB partitions. This adds complexity but can be an option if other methods are unavailable. Just note the 4GB file size limit still applies to each partition.

Risks and Considerations

Before formatting, be aware that formatting permanently erases all data on a drive. So be sure to back up your files first.

Also keep in mind the limitations of FAT32 – mainly the 4GB individual file size limit. If you need to store larger files, consider exFAT or NTFS instead.

Finally, be careful to select the correct drive before formatting to avoid accidentally wiping your PC’s main hard drive. Starting the formatting process on the wrong drive could result in catastrophic data loss.

How to format a USB drive in Windows 10?

Step 1: Connect your USB drive to the device and click on Open folder to view files option. Step 2: Right click on your USB drive and click on Format option. Step 3: From the window, select FAT32 from the drop down bar under File system. Step 4: Click on Start and OK to commence the formatting process.

How do I format a USB drive larger than 32GB?

Swap “X:” for the drive letter assigned to your USB drive. For whatever reason, the option to format USB drives larger than 32GB with the FAT32 file system isn’t present in the regular Windows format tool. Here’s how to get around that. FAT32 is a solid file system for external drives, so long as you don’t plan to use files over 4GB in size.

How do I format my e drive?

Here are the steps you can follow to format your E: drive. Please note that this will remove all files on the drive, so make sure there’s nothing on there you don’t want to lose. – Go to File Explorer (Windows Key+E) – In File Explorer, right-click your E: drive and select Format… – Enter the settings you’d like, then choose Quick Format.

The Best FAT32 Formatting Method

Overall, third-party formatting tools provide the simplest way to format drives over 32GB to FAT32 on Windows 10. They neatly avoid the restrictions of Microsoft’s own tools. Formatting through PowerShell or DiskPart works too but involves extra complex steps.

For quick and hassle-free FAT32 formatting, grab a free tool like guiformat. Just a few clicks, and your large USB drive will be FAT32 formatted and ready for use across devices and operating systems. The small upfront time investment saves hours compared to complicated workarounds.

References

1. https://recoverit.wondershare.com/flashdrive-recovery/format-usb-to-fat32.html
2. https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/format-usb-flash-drive-in-windows-10.html