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

Why Can't Format SD Card to FAT32 in Windows 10/8/7. Usually, the most common issue is that your SD card is too large in volume that exceeds the FAT32 file system format limit (32GB) on Windows. Like the USB drive, SD cards with 32GB or lower storage are set to FAT32 by default.

How do I force a SD card to format to FAT32?

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.

Can every SD card be formatted as FAT32?

If you are not sure whether your device supports exFAT, we recommend formatting the memory card to 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.

Why FAT32 format doesn't work?

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)

How To Format USB/SD Card Above 32GB to FAT32 in Windows for RG350 and other Devices

Can you force format to FAT32?

Windows 11 operating system

Type and search [File Explorer] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②. In the File Explorer window, select [This PC]③. Right-click your USB flash drive④, then select [Format]⑤. Select File system to [FAT32]⑥, then select [Start]⑦.

How do I manually format 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.

What is the maximum memory 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.

Can a 64GB SD card be formatted to FAT32?

If you use Diskpart to format a 64GB SD card to FAT32, you will get an error message “Virtual Disk Service error: The volume size is too big”. Therefore, you need to resize the 64GB SD card to two 32GB partitions first before you can format it to FAT32. Step 1.

How do I format my SD card to FAT32 instead of exFAT?

Is 128GB too big for FAT32?

Windows Disk Management or File Explorer won't allow you to create or format a FAT32 volume larger than 32GB, you can only choose NTFS or exFAT for the file system.

How do I convert 128GB exFAT to FAT32?

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.

Why does my SD card refuse to format?

Write Protection on SD Card: One of the reasons you can't format the SD card is the write protection. The chances are that your SD card is write-protected, which is why Windows cannot read it and make further changes or settings to it. Bad Sectors: Another reason might be the bad sectors on the SD card.

How do I format a stubborn SD card?

How do I change my SD card from raw to FAT32 without formatting?

Open File Explorer, locate and right-click on the RAW USB or SD card, select "Format". Step 3. Set the FAT32 as the target file system, tick "Quick Format" and click "Start" to convert RAW to FAT32. Wait for the formatting process to complete, your drive is with FAT32 file system now.

Why can't I format my 64GB 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.

Are all 32GB SD cards FAT32?

The file format FAT32 is now commonly used in memory cards between 4GB and 32GB.

How to format a 64GB 128GB or larger USB flash drive to FAT32?

How do I bypass FAT32 file size 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.

What is the allocation size of 128gb SD card FAT32?

There are default allocation unit sizes for FAT32 under different storage capacities: 64 MB or smaller: 512 bytes. 64 MB—128 MB: 1 KB. 128 MB—256 MB: 2 KB.

What is alternative to FAT32 format?

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.

How do you get FAT32 if it's not an option?

Can any USB be formatted to 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.

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.