The steps to format a 128GB USB drive to FAT32 using a USB formatting tool and PowerShell with UTF-8 encoding are as follows: 1. First, ensure that your USB drive is connected to the computer. 2. Download and install a USB formatting tool. A recommended option is "USB Disk Storage Format Tool," or any other reliable formatting software. You can obtain it from the official website or a trustworthy download platform. 3. Launch the USB formatting tool. In the software interface, select the connected 128GB USB drive. It should appear in the list of available devices. 4. In the "File System" option, choose "FAT32." Note that if your USB drive is larger than 32GB, some tools might warn you that FAT32 doesn't support single files larger than 4GB. If you need to store large files, consider using NTFS instead. 5. Confirm any other settings, like allocation unit size, based on your requirements. Generally, keeping the default settings is sufficient. 6. Click the "Start" or "Format" button to initiate the formatting process. Confirm your choice in the warning dialog box that appears, as this will erase all data on the USB drive. 7. Wait for the formatting to complete, which may take a few minutes. 8. If you prefer to use PowerShell for formatting, follow these steps: - Open PowerShell (run as an administrator). - Type `Get-Volume` command to find the letter of your USB drive, e.g., "D:" - Replace "D:" with the letter of your USB drive in the following command: ``` Format-Volume -DriveLetter D: -FileSystem FAT32 -Confirm:$false ``` - Press Enter to start the formatting. As before, this will delete all data, so ensure important files are backed up. After completing these steps, your 128GB USB drive should be formatted with the FAT32 file system.

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Last updated on April 22, 2024

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How do I format a 128GB USB to FAT32?

"Hello everyone, I have a 128GB Corsair Flash Voyager GT USB 3.0 flash drive that came pre-formatted in NTFS. Recently, I wanted to format it to FAT32 so I could use it on other devices like my Xbox and TV. However, when I plug the flash drive into my computer and try to format it to FAT32, it won't let me. I'm just wondering why this is happening and how I can successfully format my 128GB USB flash drive to FAT32. Any suggestions would be appreciated!"

You may also like: Format 128GB SD Card to FAT32.

Why format a 128GB USB to FAT32?

FAT32 is a file system used on Windows PCs, USB flash drives, microSD cards, flash drives, memory sticks, and more.

1. FAT32 is compatible with a wide range of operating systems. (Smartphones, tablets, computers, digital cameras, gaming consoles, security cameras, etc.) This is the main reason for using the FAT32 file system on a USB or SD card.

2. NTFS and other file systems are not supported by the NAS device.

3. Most gaming consoles like PSP, PS3, PS4, Xbox only support disks or USB drives formatted with the FAT32 file system.

Why Can't I Format USB to FAT32 in Windows?

Normally, if you want to know how to format USB to FAT32 in Windows, you just need to right-click it and select the "Format" option from the context menu. Then choose the file system you want from the drop-down list. However, when you attempt to format a 64GB USB flash drive or 128GB USB flash drive to FAT32, something may go wrong. You may find that the FAT32 file system option is not available. What causes this error? The reason is that by default, Windows File Explorer, Diskpart, and Disk Management will format USB flash drives under 32GB to FAT32, while USB flash drives larger than 32GB to exFAT or NTFS.

Windows does not support formatting USB flash drives larger than 32 GB as FAT32. You might encounter the following error when your USB is larger than 32GB. Share this article to let more people know about the issue.

1. You won't find a FAT32 formatting option in File Manager.

2. If you try to format a 128GB USB drive via Diskpart, you get an error: The volume is too large.

"Too large in volume"

3. Windows Disk Management does not support formatting a FAT32 partition larger than 32 GB. The FAT32 option is not available in the formatting window.

Thus, with these three common formatting utilities, you can't format a USB flash drive larger than 32 GB in Windows. Fortunately, there's a third-party FAT32 formatting tool and a built-in Windows utility that can help.

Two Ways to Successfully Format 128GB USB to FAT32

Aside from the methods mentioned above, you can also try the following ways to format a 128GB flash drive to FAT32:

Method 1: Format the 128GB Flash Drive to FAT32 Using Tools

AOMEI Partition Assistant is a partition software with flexible and advanced formatting features. It can perfectly get around the formatting limitations of Windows Disk Management, helping you format a 128GB USB flash drive to FAT32 effortlessly.

Please download and install this secure software on your computer, connect your storage device to the PC, and follow the steps below to format USB to FAT32 in Windows 10:

Step 1. Launch Partition Master, right click the partition you want to format and choose "Format".

Step 2: In the new window, type in the partition label, select the FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4 file system, and set the cluster size as needed, then click “OK”.

Step 3: A warning window will appear. Click “Yes” to continue.

Step 4. Click on the "Execute 1 Task" button on the top left to preview the changes, and then click "Apply" to begin formatting the partition to FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4.

Method 2: How to Format USB to FAT32 using PowerShell

Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language.

1. Press the keyboard shortcut Windows key + X, then choose "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" from the menu.

Next up, we just need the translation in American English:

2. In the PowerShell window, type format /FS:FAT32 x:

Video Tutorial: 4 Ways to Format to FAT32

Conclusions

If you search for “how to format USB to FAT32,” you'll find simple formatting options through File Explorer, Diskpart, and Disk Management. However, for formatting a 128 GB flash drive to FAT32, the Partition Master tool is highly recommended.

Read more: Format a USB Drive that Does Not Show Up

Frequently Asked Questions About Formatting a 128GB USB Flash Drive in UTF-8

1. Can a 128GB flash drive be formatted to FAT32?

File Explorer, Diskpart, and Disk Management only support formatting flash drives with partitions less than 32 GB. You can use a professional and straightforward tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant to complete the formatting process.

How do I format a large USB drive to FAT32?

• Right-click your USB drive and select "Format."
• In the window that pops up, set the File System to FAT32 and click "OK."
• Click "Perform Format."

3. What is a powerful FAT32 formatting tool?

• Partition Master tool.
• PowerShell.
• Disk Management.
• File Explorer.
• Disk commands.

4. Can I format a 64GB flash drive to FAT32?

Due to the limitations of FAT32, you can't format a 64GB flash drive to FAT32 directly. We recommend using a third-party formatting tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant.