- Usually, like the USB drive, SD cards with 32GB or lower storage is set to FAT32 by default. While exFAT is set as the default file system for larger SD cards with 64GB or 128GB. As some special devices only support the FAT32 file system, like the 3Ds SD card, it requires users to format the SD card to FAT32, no matter how large it is.
- WARNING: Formatting will erase all data on the card. Back up all your data before proceeding. Download SD Formatter Tool. Run the SD Formatter Application. Select the drive letter for the SDHC/SDXC card and then select format. Click yes to confirm format process. Once format is complete the SD card will be properly formatted.
Applies to: format to FAT32, format NTFS/ExFAT/EXT2/EXT3 to FAT32, format USB/SD/external or internal hard drive to FAT32, format 32GB bigger device to FAT32.
How Do I Format a Large External Hard Drive to FAT32
'I have a 250GB external hard drive and I want to format it into FAT32 so to use it as a game drive, connecting to PS4. But Windows 10 Disk Management tool failed to format the external hard disk drive to FAT32 as it is larger than 32GB. Is there a third-party FAT32 format tool that can help?'
This is how to format a memory stick or sd card to fat32 whether you're on 32gb 64gb 128gb or even 256gb. This will work on pen drives, jump drives, flash dr.
While formatting a large hard drive, external hard drive or USB drive as Fat32, you may fail to complete the format using the default Windows format tool - using Windows File Explorer or Disk Management. It is because the FAT32 file system has a 32GB max size limit. In other words, Windows can only format a device within 32GB storage to FAT32.
But don't worry! Here, a third-party free FAT32 formatter can help you complete this job with no obstacle.
What Is the Best FAT32 Format Tool
Actually, there is a way to break the max partition size limit of FAT32 on Windows PC. A third-party FAT32 formatter or software support to format large hard drives to FAT32 beyond 32GB size limit. What is the best FAT32 format tool? Here we would like to introduce you EaseUS Partition Master Free.
It's regarded as the best FAT32 format tool for two reasons:
- 1. It is 100% free, powerful, safe, and easy to use.
- 2. It breaks the max size limit of FAT32, formatting storage devices both bigger and smaller than 32GB to FAT32.
It can help you format hard drive partition, external hard drive, USB flash drive or SD card both smaller and bigger than 32GB into FAT32 in just simple steps, such as format 128GB USB to FAT32, format 64GB SD to FAT32.
Besides, it also has some flexible and advanced format options. For example, it allows you to convert FAT32 to NTFS without formatting directly. Now, you can free download this FAT32 format tool and follow the tutorial below to format your device with ease.
How to Format Larget Storage Device to FAT32 with EaseUS FAT32 Format Tool
Works to: Format both small and large storage devices to FAT32, format HDD/SSD, external hard drive, USB, SD card, etc., to FAT32.
EaseUS FAT32 format tool - EaseUS Partition Master Free supports to format all storage devices on Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista. Feel free to let this software help you change your device file system by formatting with ease.
- Warning
- Note that formatting to FAT32 will remove all existing files on the device. Make sure you have created a backup of previous data to another device before you start the job.
Let's see how to easily format your large hard drive, external hard drive, USB, or SD card larger than 32GB to FAT32 now: Nintendo wii customer support number.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition on your external hard drive/USB/SD card which you want to format and choose the 'Format' option.
Step 2. Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click 'OK'.
Step 3. In the Warning window, click 'OK' to continue.
Step 4. Click the 'Execute Operation' button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click 'Apply' to start formatting your external hard drive/USB/SD card.
Besides formatting device, EaseUS Partition Master also supports you to manage hard drive partition like resize or move partition, extend C drive, merge partitions, etc., for free.
Further Recommends: Format Device (Less than 32GB) to FAT32 Using Windows Formatting Tool
Works to: Format small storage devices less than 32GB to FAT32 for free.
As for some small storage devices who prefer a Windows formatting tool, Windows File Explorer, Windows Disk Management and Diskpart format command are two excellent choices.
#1. Format to FAT32 Using Windows File Explorer
Step 1. Connect USB or external hard drive to Windows PC.
Step 2. Open File Explorer, locate and right-click on the target device, select 'Format'.
Step 3. Set the FAT32 as the target file system, tick 'Quick Format' and click 'Start' to start the formatting.
#2. Format Device Smaller than 32GB to FAT32 using Disk Management
Step 1. Connect device to PC and open 'Disk Management'.
Step 2. Locate and right-click on your USB flash drive or external hard drive, select 'Format'.
Step 3. Set the file system to FAT32, tick 'Quick Format' and click 'OK' to confirm.
#3. Format to FAT32 using Diskpart Command
Step 1. Right-click on Windows icon, select 'Search' and type: command prompt.
Right-click on Command Prompt and select 'Run as administrator'.
Step 2. Type diskpart in Command Prompt and hit Enter.
Step 3. Hit Enter each time when you type below command lines in DiskPart 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 quick
Step 4. Type exit and hit Enter to close the program when DiskPart reports it has successfully formatted the USB.
Conclusion
On this page, we introduced the best FAT32 format tool for all Windows users to format their big and small storage devices like HDD, SSD, external hard drive, USB, SD, etc., to FAT32 for free using EaseUS Partition Master Free.
Some small device users may also turn to File Explorer, Disk Management, or Diskpart command so as to format to FAT32 for free.
Background
New TF/SD card not recognized by mobile phone? Since some mobile phone only reads fat32 media instead of exfat memory card which mostly applied exfat when its capacity is larger than 32GB, users may want to know how to change the 64/128/256GB memory card to fat32.
There are many chances that may require a memory card sd fat32 conversion. As many memory cards are set to be exfat file system by the manufacturers when the memory cards are over 32GB, is it safe to change a 64GB sd card to fat32 without losing data? How about changing the 128GB memory card fat32? 256GB sd/microSD fat32 formatting? Or something else may get you do a fat32 memory card converting?
Tips, if your memory card is damaged, unreadable, you may get it repaired here: 7 free tools to repair damaged sd card
This article includes the following parts
- Guide - How to Change Memory Card to FAT32
- How to format sd card to fat32 on Android Mobile
Top 4 SD Card Formatter to Format SD Card FAT32 in Windows
Important Notice: Formatting/Erasing sd card to fat32 would erase the data inside of the memory card, you need to move your data to somewhere else before all the following changes.
Tool 1 - Windows Disk Management (Windows 10/8/7)
Here in this part, we would show you how to format memory card fat32 by Disk Management.
Preparations: Connect your memory card to your computer (Better with a card reader), Open Disk Management by the following steps:
Right click 'This PC' -> 'Manage' -> 'Disk Management', and it would show up like this.
Open Disk Management
Step 1 - Right click your media under Disk Management -> Format
Format sd tf card under Disk Management
Step 2 - Set the file system to FAT32 as you wish for your memory card in the following photo.
Format sd card fat32 under Disk Management
If the sd card cannot be formatted to fat32, you may firstly delete the volume of your sd card in the Disk Management, and then create new volume and set it to be fat32.
Tool 2 - Format sd card fat32 by right click format in Windows
This is the simpliest work that could be as easy as you start you computer. And here it comes the steps.
Connect sd to computer ->Double clicking 'This PC' ->Right click sd card, 'Format' -> Set it to fat32 in file system -> 'Start'
Right click memory card - Format
Quick format sd card (Quick Format is optional in this step)
Tool 3 - Diskpart CMD to Format sd card fat32(Even damaged SD Card in RAW File System)
Here in this step comes with Windows built-in utlitiy Diskpart that could convert sd/tf card from whatever the file system was before, including the damaged raw file system to be a fat32.
How could you tell whether the memory card is damaged?
- It is showing used space '0 bytes' in property with file system RAW
- It would report error 'The disk in drive * is not formatted, do you want to format it now'
Or it also works when your memory card is in total good condition and you just bought it for device which could not read its filesystem. No matter whether the sd/tf card is in healthy state, you may get it formatted to fat32 using Windows command prompt with the following steps.
Preparations: Insert your sd/tf/cf card to Windows 10/8/7 with a card reader or your device and then launch cmd by using Windows icon + R on your keyboard, type 'diskpart' and enter to launch cmd diskpart.
Steps to format sd card fat32 using cmd from file system exfat/ntfs/fat/raw
This guide applies to memory card of any files system, FAT, EXFAT, NTFS, OR RAW FILE SYSTEM.
- 1, Type 'list volume' and enter
- 2, Type 'select volume *' and enter (replace * with your own sd card drive letter that shows in your computer)
- 3, Type 'format fs=fat32 quick' and enter
- 4, Type 'exit' and enter
Quick format sd card using cmd diskpart
Format Failed? - Try 5 free sd card repair utility to fix damaged sd card here.
Tool 4 - Change SD Card FAT32 by HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
FAT32 is provided as a file system in HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, which is easy to use that the interface resembles the Windows right click media quick format option.
Format sd tf card by HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
Also read: HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool User Guide, Review and Error Fixings
More tools to format memory card? Here is an option: 8 Free tools to format memory card
Unable to Format SD Card FAT32 Causes and Fixing
There are many factors that may lead to a sd card format failure.
- SD card is write protected. (Can be fixed), See how to remove write protected sd card
- SD card is set read-only. (Can be fixed), See how to remove read only attribution
- SD card has bad sectors
- SD card has raw file system => fix raw sd card
The last two errors(bad sectors, raw sd card) could be fixed here: how to repair damaged memory card
There is one dilemma that you need to know, when your memory card cannot be formatted, it may come to its end of life.
We would recommend you watch the following video when memory card cannot be formatted in Windows.
Freeware to Convert SD Card FAT32 on Mac
If you are converting the sd card on a Macbook or Mac machine, you may use freeware provided by Mac called Disk Utility to get the sd/tf converted to fat32.
Disk Utility to format memory card fat32
Steps to Format SD Card FAT32 on MAC
- Open Disk Utility, which can be found in Applications -> Utility
- View -> Show all devices
- Select the one you want to erase/format, and then click the Erase button. (The same function that is to perform the function of 'Format')
- Select file system -> MS-DOS(FAT), which represents FAT32 in MAC
- Erase
Also read: 3 free tools to format fat32 on MAC
How to format sd card to fat32 on Android
Is it possible to format sd card fat32 on Android mobile phone? It's simple and easy that could be operated inside of your cellphone to get the memory card formatted when the memory card was FAT32 before the format that only to do a reformatting.
Recommend: How to format sd card on Android phone (The file system remains no change.)
If you are wondering is it possible to change sd card file system on Android? You should know the answer is the following.
NO! If the file system of your memory card was not fat32 and you wanted to change it to fat32 on mobile, the answer would be NO!
Solution: Fomat memory card fat32 in Windows 10/8/7 or MAC if you want to change its file system.
New 32GB exfat sd/TF card not recognized in Phone
You may want to know how to fix 32/64/128/256GB SD/TF card not recognized by Android phone like SAMSUNG, HUAWEI, HTC etc., the truth is the memory card which is over 32gb was set to exfat file system that could not be detected/read by many mobile phones.
This could easily be fixed if you change its file system from exfat to fat32, then your mobile would read it without problem.
Other FAQs
Question: Can I format 64gb sd card to fat32 free?
Answer: Yes, you may use free sd card fat32 formatter mentioned above to get your memory card formatted to fat32 for free.
Can't Format Sd Card Fat32
The above sd card formatters may format 128gb sd card fat32, format 256gb sd card to fat32, ie it is regardless of the memory card capacity.
Format Sd To Fat32 Windows
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