Why can't I format USB to FAT32?

There are a few reasons why your USB drive might not be formatting to FAT32. The first reason is that your USB drive might be larger than 32 GB. As a result, it can't be formatted to FAT32. The second reason is that your USB drive might have been formatted using a different file system, such as NTFS.
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How do I force a USB drive to FAT32?

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, click Drive Converter (FAT32), and then click Next. In the Drives box, click the drive you want to convert to the FAT32 file system. Click Next, and then click OK.
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Why can't I format my 64GB USB to FAT32?

Due to the limitation of FAT32, the Windows system doesn't support creating a FAT32 partition on a more than 32GB disk partition. As a result, you cannot directly format a 64GB memory card nor USB flash drive to FAT32.
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How to format 64GB USB to FAT32?

You can format USB drives larger than 32 GB to the FAT32 file system using Windows PowerShell.
...
For example, if you want to format 64GB USB to FAT32, do the following:
  1. Press "Win + X" on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
  2. Type the command "format /FS: FAT32 #:" in the PowerShell window and hit Enter to execute it.
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Why wont FAT32 format open?

The main reason is that Microsoft has limited the maximum file size for FAT32 drives to 32GB. If you have anything more than that, your drive won't open. You can solve the issue by formatting your drive using: A third-party tool (EaseUS Partition Master)
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USB Not Formatting in FAT32 | FAT32 Format Not Showing FIX



How do I force a USB to format?

Formatting Drives in Windows
  1. Insert a USB drive into a USB port.
  2. Open File Explorer.
  3. Click on This PC from the left pane.
  4. Under the "Devices and drives" section, right-click the flash drive and select the Format option.
  5. Use the "File system" drop-down menu and select the preferred option.
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How to change from exFAT to FAT32?

Formatting exFAT to FAT32 in macOS
  1. Insert your memory card into your computer.
  2. Open Disk Utility.
  3. Choose your memory card and click Erase to access the disk-formatting settings.
  4. Choose MS-DOS (FAT) from the format drop-down list.
  5. Click Erase to format.
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How do I bypass FAT32 4GB limit?

How do I bypass 4GB limitation on FAT32? You can switch the file system on FAT32 device to NTFS or exFAT so to bypass the 4GB limitation and save big files on the device. For internal hard drives, set the file system as NTFS. For external hard drives or removable storage devices, set the format as exFAT.
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What is the maximum drive size for FAT32?

FAT32 max partition size is 2TB. If you have a 3TB drive or larger, you would not be able to format it as a single FAT32 partition. In this example, you would need a third-party partition manager to create such a large partition. FAT32 file system performs more slowly than NTFS (Windows) or Mac OS Extended (HFS+).
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How to convert 64GB exFAT to FAT32?

On Disk Management, Right-click on your exFAT USB or external device, select "Format”. Step 4. Set the file system to FAT32, tick "Quick Format" and click "OK" to confirm. When the formatting process finishes, your device is ready for saving and transfer files in the FAT32 format.
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How do I format a 128GB USB to FAT32 for free?

FAQ about Formatting 128GB USB Flash Drive
  1. Right-click your USB and then choose Format.
  2. In the pop window, select the file system as FAT32, then click OK.
  3. Click the Execute Operation button.
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Can I use exFAT instead of FAT32?

Yes, you can use exFAT to replace FAT32 on most storage devices as its file system for data transferring, etc. However, if you need to maximize the storage devices' performance, you are supposed to set the correct file system to different-sized storage devices. 32GB or smaller external storage devices, use FAT32.
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Does all USB support FAT32?

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.
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Can all USB be FAT32?

Hi, please be informed that all the USB Flash Drives with equal to or less than 32GB capacity are formatted in the FAT32 File System and the USB Flash Drives equal to or greater than 64GB capacity are formatted in exFAT File System.
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How do I fix my USB that won't format?

To fix a USB that won't format, you can try the following fixes listed here:
  1. Switch the USB lock to the OFF side and change a USB port.
  2. Change the USB drive letter to make it shows up on the PC.
  3. Clean up viruses and malware from the USB and computer.
  4. Run CMD attributes disk clear readonly to remove write protection.
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How do I convert to FAT32 without losing data?

Windows Disk Management

Step 1: Open the Disk Management Tool and right-click the drive that you want to format. Step 2: Select "Format" and click "Yes". Step 3: Now, name the drive and use the drop-down menu to change the file system to "FAT32". Step 4: Press "Ok" and the drive will be formatted to FAT32.
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Why is FAT32 limited to 32GB?

Why Did Microsoft Limit the FAT Partition Size? Microsoft has set a 32 GB partition size limit for the FAT/FAT32 file system to promote NTFS, which is generally more efficient when working with large partitions. This limitation only exists in recent versions of Windows.
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Why is FAT32 only 4GB?

Why Are FAT32 Drives Limited to 4GB Files? Since FAT32 is 32-bit, the maximum possible value (all 1's) for that 32-bit field is 2^32, which counts to 4 Gigabytes. Hence FAT32 can support a maximum file size of 4GB.
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How do I remove write protection from USB FAT32?

Search and open regedit. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies. Double-click on the WriteProtect value in the right-hand pane of Regedit.exe. Change the Value data from 1 to 0 and click OK to save the change.
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Why can't I format my USB to fat?

There are a few reasons why your USB drive might not be formatting to FAT32. The first reason is that your USB drive might be larger than 32 GB. As a result, it can't be formatted to FAT32. The second reason is that your USB drive might have been formatted using a different file system, such as NTFS.
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Why is a file too large for my USB but it's not?

If you are having trouble storing items larger than 4 GB on your USB, it is likely due to the file system currently being used by the USB; this can be easily changed. You'll need to format your flash drive to a file system that supports a larger file size, we recommend switching to exFat .
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Why is exFAT better than FAT32?

Keep in mind, however, that FAT32 is only supported by SD/uSD cards with capacity less than 32GB, and it does not support storing or transmitting any single file that exceeds 4GB in size. The exFAT file system was released by Microsoft to address FAT32's inability to carry files over 4GB.
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Is FAT32 and exFAT same?

FAT32 is an older type of file system which is not as efficient as NTFS. exFAT is a modern replacement for FAT 32, and more devices and OS support it than NTFS, but i not as widespread as FAT32. NTFS is the most modern file system. Windows use NTFS system drive and, by default, for most non-removable drives.
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How do I format a USB drive to FAT32 in Windows 10?

Follow the 3-step guide here to format to FAT32:
  1. In Windows 10, go to This PC > Manage > Disk Management.
  2. Locate and right-click on your USB flash drive or external hard drive, select "Format".
  3. Set the USB file system to FAT32, tick "Perform a quick format" and click "OK" to confirm.
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