Change Usb From Exfat To Fat32

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If you need to format USB to FAT32, the File Explorer, Diskpart, and Disk Management provide the easy way in formatting. But about formatting a 128GB flash drive to FAT32, EaseUS Partition Master is the highly-recommend software. FAQ about formatting 128GB flash drive 1. I think is not possible to convert exfat to fat32, but in ntfs for me it's ok. Just click startruntype CMD and after convert X: /fs:ntfs PS: Instead X type the Letter of your usb storage.

If you need to format a USB flash drive, HDD, SDD, or some other form of storage to FAT32, you've come to the right place.

In this article we'll go over what a file system is, the FAT32 standard, and several ways to format a storage device to FAT32 on Windows 10.

What's a file system?

A file system is a standardized way of organizing data on a computer storage device like a flash drive or HDD.

A file system divides a storage device into virtual compartments, almost like a wall of post office boxes, and keeps track of all the information that gets stored in each box.

Format a usb to fat32

Some of the most common file system formats for portable storage devices are FAT32, NTFS, and ExFAT.

FAT32 compared to other formats

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.

Meanwhile, macOS can only read NTFS drives, and you would need to install third-party software to write back to the drive.

However, though FAT32 is well supported, its maximum drive and file size is severely limited when compared to newer formats like NTFS and ExFAT:

Max drive sizeMax file sizeWindowsmacOSLinux
FAT3232 GB (Windows), up to 16TB (Other OSs)4 GBRead/WriteRead/WriteRead/Write
NTFS8 PB*16 EB**Read/WriteReadRead/Write
ExFAT128 PB*16 EB**Read/WriteRead/WriteRead/Write

* 1 petabyte is about 1 thousand terabytes
** 1 exabyte is about 1 million terabytes

Note that the maximum drive and file size of NTFS and ExFAT is so large that there's basically no limit. (But it would be nice to have a 128 PB USB drive, wouldn't it?)

On the other hand, FAT32's max file size of 4 GB is almost nothing now that phones can record 4K videos. Also, it's a little more difficult to format a drive larger than 32 GB to FAT32 on Windows 10.

These days, the only reason why you'd choose to format a drive to FAT32 is for compatibility. For example, if you need to boot up an old computer, maybe with a different operating system, and backup some of its files. But you'd need to be sure that none of those files are greater than 4 GB.

If you're sure you want to go with FAT32, here's how to format a storage drive on Windows 10.

Important note: Before you format a drive, make sure that you backup all of your important files. In fact, make two backups, and keep one on a remote service like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Formatting a drive will delete all of the data that's currently on it.

How to use Windows File Explorer to format a USB drive to FAT32

Physical copy of undertale. A quick note about this method: it only works on USB flash drives that are less that 32 GB. If your USB drive is larger than 32 GB, check out one of the later methods.

With that out of the way, plug your USB drive into your computer and open Windows File Explorer.

Next, right-click on the drive on the left hand side of the File Explorer window and click 'Format':

In the window that pops up, ensure that 'FAT32' is selected. Also, feel free to rename the USB drive whatever you'd like:

You can leave the rest of the options alone. Just click start to format your drive.

Once it's done, your USB drive should be formatted to use the FAT32 file system.

To double check this, open File Explorer, right click on your USB drive, and click 'Properties'.

A window will pop up and you should see that the file system is now FAT32:

How to use Rufus to format a USB drive to FAT32

If your USB drive is larger than 32 GB, you'll need to use a third-party program like Rufus to format it.

There are lots of other programs that can format USB drives, but Rufus is really small and portable. This means you can stick Rufus right on a USB drive, plug it into any Windows computer, and format other drives on the go.

After you download Rufus, double click on the .exe file to start the application.

Make sure your USB drive is selected. Then, click the 'Boot selection' dropdown and select 'Non bootable':

Next, click the 'File system' dropdown and select 'FAT32'.

Also, feel free to change the name of your USB drive under 'Volume label':

Then, click the 'Start' button to format your drive. After a few seconds it'll be formatted to FAT32.

How to use PowerShell to format a USB drive to FAT32

While this method works with drives larger than 32 GB, it's really slow – even formatting a 32 GB drive can take up to an hour depending on your computer.

But, if you aren't able to use the previous two methods for some reason, this will work in a pinch.

First, click on the Windows Search Bar and type in 'powershell'. Then, click 'Run as administrator' to launch PowerShell with elevated privileges:

In the PowerShell terminal, enter the following command:

format /FS:FAT32 DRIVE_LETTER:

Use the File Explorer to double check your drive letter. My drive letter was D, so I entered format /FS:FAT32 D:.

Press Enter, make sure your USB drive is plugged in, and press the Enter key again to start the process:

Then go run some errands or something – it will take awhile.

Once the format command is finished, your drive should be formatted to FAT32.

In closing

Now you should be able to format a USB drive of any size to FAT32 on Windows 10. And with just a little modification, any of these methods can be used to format your drive to another file system like NTFS or ExFAT.

Now get out there and format all your USB drives. (But only after you backup everything important!)

Was this helpful? Is there a better method that you know of? Tweet at me and let me know how you format things on Windows 10.

Dec 03, 2020 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

No matter how much experience you have in the technical field, knowing everything is not possible. Learning is something that goes on continuously, even when you are an expert. Many people can't decide which file system is perfect for a storage device. For such people, we created this article to help them in making the correct decision. Besides, if you don't know the right way to convert a file system like fat32 to NTFS, then this article will be a great help for you.

Part 1: FAT32 vs. NTFS

Windows operating system uses two file systems, including FAT (File Allocation Table) and NTFS (New Technology File System). The Microsoft designed FAT32 in 1977. It is excellent for removable storage devices such as portable devices, Smart TVs, and digital cameras. FAT32 is known for representing the fundamental units of logical storage on a hard drive in a file system. However, this file system comes with certain limitations. It offers some advantages and disadvantages as well. Therefore, it would be better if you will convert fat32 to NTFS.

NTFS is used widely in Windows due to its robustness and reliability. It provides more benefits than fat32 can. NTFS is compatible with large files, and it comes packed with the latest features. This can fix errors and crashes quickly by working as a change journal. If you want the drive only for the Windows environment, NTFS is the best option. There is plenty of difference between fat32 and NTFS that you can view in the table below:

FAT32NTFS
Automatically repair damaged file or foldersIt keeps two copies of FAT in case of any damage
Permits shared permissionAllow set permissions
No compression of files and folder is allowedIndividual compression is allowed
Readable and writeable on MacOSOnly Readable for Mac users
The maximum file size is 4GBNo limit on file size

Part 2: How to convert fat32 to NTFS

You can try these simple methods given here to convert fat32 to NTFS:

1. Convert FAT32 to NTFS without Losing Data Using CMD

It's not necessary to use sophisticated tools to convert fat32 to NTFS. The in-built feature of the Command prompt is enough to help you. It allows switching from fat32 to NTFS.

Step 1: You can start the command prompt by right-clicking on the 'Windows' icon and choose 'Search'. Type 'Command Prompt' in the appeared search box. Right-click on 'CMD' and then click on 'Run as administrator.' Sign in with the administrator account and password if needed.

Step 2: Type 'help convert' and hit on the 'Enter' key. It will give you the info on how to convert FAT volumes to another one.

Step 3: Type the command 'convert G: /ntfs:and press the 'Enter' key. Make sure to replace G: with the letter of your storage drive or partition. Wait and type 'exit' after the conversion process finishes. Type exit when the converting process completes. The file system of the targeted device is NTFS.

2. Convert FAT32 to NTFS without Data Loss with AOMEI Partition Assistant

AOMEI Partition Assistant is packed with the potential of converting FAT32 to NTFS without causing any loss of the data. It is the perfect disk management tool containing more than 30 functions. Moreover, it can handle and fix a plethora of problems. It can also help in migrating OS to SSD, converting disk between MBR and GBT, and so on. The best part is that this tool is free to use. You have to follow the given instruction to convert fat32 to NTFS without losing data:

Step 1: Install and Launch

Before doing anything else, download and install the tool and run it. You will see the above interface as shown. Seek for the 'NTFS to FAT32 Converter' option and click on it.

Step 2: Select the right option

When the pop-up dialog box appears on the screen, select 'FAT32 to NTFS' and not to the option as we have shown above. After that, click on 'Next.'

Step 3: Convert

Choose the partition that you wish to convert. On the screen, you will receive advice to check the partition with chkdsk.exe before proceeding further. When everything seems fine' click on 'Proceed' and wait for the conversion guide to respond and execute.

3. Convert FAT32 to NTFS by Formatting (data loss)

After trying both of the above methods, you can try formatting. This is the last option that we want to suggest. Although it will lead to data loss, this is the best way to convert fat32 to NTFS. Format the storage device from fat32 to NTFS but do not forget to take the backup of everything stored in it. There are mainly three methods for formatting and converting fat32 to NTFS.

1. File Explorer

Step 1: Take your external storage device to PC and run 'Windows File Explorer.'

Step 2: Find and right-click on the targeted device; choose 'Format.'.

Download Fat32 To Usb

Step 3: Now, you need to tick the 'Quick Format', and change the file system as 'NTFS.' Click on 'Start' to initiate the formatting. When the formatting ends, close the window.

2. CMD

Step 1: Go to the 'Search' box and type CMD to open command prompts. After that, click on 'Run as Administrator.

Step 2: Start typing 'Diskpart' command and press 'Enter'

Step 3: Now, on the command prompt windows, write the following commands. Press 'Enter' after typing command every command.

  • List disk
  • Select disk 2 (2 must be replaced with your USB disk number)
  • List volume
  • Select volume 10 (10 must be replaced with the volume number of the flash drive you wish to format)
  • Format fs = fat32quick

Step 4: At the end, Type 'exit' and press'Enter' close the DiskPart window when it gives you the successful format

3. Windows Disk Management

Before formatting with disk management, you have to connect the external hard drive or flash drive to the PC and then follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to 'This PC' or 'My Computer' and right-click on it, choose 'Manage.'

Step 2: Navigate to the 'Device Manager' and click on 'Disk Management.'

Step 3: Run'Disk Management' and right-click on the targeted device. Click on 'Format.'

Step 4. Select 'NTFS' for the selected device and tick 'Quick Format.' At last, click on 'OK' to confirm.

The Bottom Line

Change Usb From Exfat To Fat32

These methods to convert fat32 to ntfscmd are not for a novice. However, the instructions are so clearly explained that anyone can try them. Besides, we should be thankful for the tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant that does things according to you. This tool prevents data loss while attempting to convert fat32 to NTFS. It is worthy of striving for this free partition manager.

People Also Ask

How To Change Usb From Exfat To Fat32

  • For this, you have to change the file system of the hard drive from FAT32 to NTFS.
  • USB is a storage device, and you should avoid formatting it with NTFS if you do not want it to run on a Windows environment. For the exchange of files with other operating systems, format it with FAT32. However, opt for NTFS is best if you will use it for Windows.
  • NTFS is the default file system for Windows 10 operating system. FAT32 is especially for storage devices.
  • To format your hard drive to NTFS, there are 4 ways to do using disk management, Windows File Explorer, Diskpart command line, and third-party tool. It depends on your choice of how you want it to be done.

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