What is the maximum file size for FAT32?

The FAT32 file system uses smaller clusters than the FAT file system, has duplicate boot records, and features a root directory that can be of any size and can be located anywhere on the disk or partition. The maximum possible size for a file on a FAT32 volume is 4 GB.

How do I put files bigger than 4GB on FAT32?

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.

What is the size limit for FAT32 32GB?

Microsoft chose 32GB as the maximum partition size for a FAT32 file system. The main reason for this was to promote its new file system (NTFS), considered more efficient when working with large partitions. Despite that, the 32GB limit on FAT32 has influenced the file system differently.

What is 4GB file size limit FAT32?

This limit is 4GB-1, or exactly 4,294,967,295 bytes. If a file is larger than that, the FAT32 file system can't store it, and an attempt to transfer large files to a FAT32 formatted drive gives an error.

Can you format a 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.

Explaining File Systems: NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, ext4 & More

What is FAT32 vs NTFS limitations?

The FAT32 file system cannot store individual files larger than 4 GB, while the NTFS file system can. Compared to FAT32, the NTFS file system has higher disk utilization and can manage disk space more effectively. The read and write speeds of NTFS are also faster than that of FAT32.

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.

How do I format a USB to FAT32 bigger than 32GB?

Is exFAT the same as FAT32?

So no, exFAT is not the same as FAT32 and was introduced as a replacement for FAT32. The most significant advantage of using exFAT is that there are practically no limitations on partition size, whereas FAT32 supports files up to 4GB and partition size is 8TB at the max.

How to convert USB to FAT32 without losing data?

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.

How do I format a USB to FAT32 without losing data?

What is the largest USB drive for FAT32?

FAT32 maximum partition size is 2TB.

A drive formatted with FAT32 can hold 2TB files (which consist of separate files under 4GB) in total. But FAT32 does support partitions under 512MB. So you cannot format a drive as a single FAT32 partition if it is larger than 2TB or smaller than 512MB.

Can FAT32 support 128GB?

If you format 128GB flash drive via Diskpart, you will get the error：The volume size is too big. 3. Windows Disk Management does not allow formatting FAT32 larger than 32GB.

Why choose exFAT over FAT32?

However, exFAT is best for portable storage devices due to more efficient power and memory management. It also allows you to use a storage device on both Windows and macOS. The FAT32 disk format is only recommended for compatibility with older operating systems.

How to change exFAT to FAT32 without losing data?

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.

Can a 1TB drive be formatted to FAT32?

However, the question here is whether you can format a 1TB hard drive to FAT32. The answer is yes, you can. Windows users can not only format a 1TB hard drive in FAT32 format, but they can also format 2TB or even larger hard drives.

Can you format a 2TB drive to FAT32?

The simple answer is yes; you can format your 2TB or 4TB drive into FAT32.

How do I format a 1TB USB to FAT32?

At a command prompt, type cvt drive: /cvt32 and then press ENTER, where drive is the drive you want to convert to the FAT32 file system. NOTE: A drive must be at least 512 megabytes (MB) in size to be converted to the FAT32 file system.

Why is my SD card not allowing FAT32?

The most common issue is that your SD card, probably is too large in volume. In Windows 10, it is difficult to format a flash drive into FAT32 if its memory size is more than 32 GB. This is due to its longevity as a file system.

How do I make sure my USB is FAT32?

In the "My Computer" window, right-click on the drive icon in which the USB device appears. 4. From the menu, click "Format...." 5. In the "FORMAT device name (drive letter)" window, under "File system," click the drop-down arrow and select FAT32 and then click the Start button.

Why does Windows 10 not allow FAT32?

It is usually due to that your partition is larger than 32GB. Because the default Windows format option only allows the FAT32 partition on drives that are 32GB or less. In other words, Windows built-in formatting tools like Disk Management, File Explorer or DiskPart won't allow you to format 64GB SD card to FAT32.

What happens if I change FAT32 to NTFS?

2. Will converting from FAT32 to NTFS erase data? If you choose using CMD convert command line convert G: /fs:ntfs (G is the drive letter of target device) or using the Convert to NTFS feature in EaseUS Partition Master, your data will be securely saved on the device. No data will be erased.

Should I convert FAT32 to NTFS?

Should I format USB fat32 or 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.

Does converting FAT32 to NTFS lose data?

The conversion process will be finished quickly. Note: Once you convert FAT to NTFS in CMD, you cannot simply convert it back to FAT or FAT32. You will need to reformat the drive which will erase all data, including programs and personal files.

Why can't I format my 128GB SD card to FAT32?

By default, the Windows disk management tool will format USB flash drives below 32GB as FAT32 and USB flash drives that are above 32GB as exFAT or NTFS. As a result, you cannot directly format a USB flash drive larger than 32GB in Windows.