
File Explorer: Select Start > This PC > from the menu, click the USB drive, and then choose Format > Start > OK.
Alternatively, start Powershell > type format /fs:fat32: and wait for the procedure to complete.
Drives less than 32GB can be formatted in File Explorer; bigger drives must be formatted using Powershell.
This post will show you how to format a USB drive in Windows 10 using FAT32. It also discusses what FAT32 is in comparison to other formats and what constraints you should be aware of. The instructions are applicable to both Windows 10 and Windows 11; the screenshots are from Windows 10.
The simplest technique is to format a USB drive to FAT32 using File Explorer.
Note: Using this approach, you can only format a disk less than 32GB in FAT32 format. During the formatting procedure, any data previously stored on the USB device is erased.
Related: How to Choose Your Disk Space
If you need to format a disk greater than 32GB, you can only do so using Windows 10’s Powershell Command Line Tools. It’s a lot slower than using File Explorer, but it works. Here’s how to use the command line to format a USB device.
Note: Any data previously stored on the USB device is erased during the formatting procedure, as before.
Note: Formatting in this manner might be time-consuming.
FAT32 is an outdated file system that has been around for quite some time. That indicates it’s not a good match with Windows 10. There are, however, certain reasons why you would wish to utilize it. We take a quick look at the benefits and drawbacks of FAT32.
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