Updated by

Linda

Written by

Linda

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Windows does not natively support formatting the EXT4 file system, which is commonly used in Linux operating systems. While you can typically use third-party tools like Ext2Fsd or Paragon Linux File System for Windows to read from, write to, and even format EXT4 partitions, these processes might require technical knowledge and involve several steps. Before attempting any operations, make sure to back up important data to prevent loss.

"I'm trying to format an NTFS drive to EXT4 to use it with Linux. The problem is, I can't find the option to format to EXT4 in either Windows 10 File Explorer or Windows 10 Disk Management. Can Windows format to EXT4?"

No, Windows is unable to read from or format partitions as EXT4. For Windows, the most common and default file system is NTFS. Apart from NTFS, it also supports REFS (which has been removed from Windows 10 Pro), exFAT, and FAT32. Similarly, macOS does not recognize EXT4 partitions either. The default file system for macOS is APFS, with other compatible options being HFS+, FAT32, and exFAT.

To format EXT4 in Windows, you need to download the best free EXT4 formatting software, which is the Partition Master tool. Keep reading to learn more.

How to Format EXT4 on Windows 10/8/7

As mentioned above, neither Windows nor Mac natively supports the EXT4 file system used by Linux. You won't find an “EXT4” option when formatting the drive.

Yet, there may be times when you need to format an EXT4 partition on Windows. For instance, you decide to use a Windows hard drive on a Linux computer. Another common scenario is when you're dual-booting Windows and Linux and need to access files from the Windows system in the Linux environment. So, what do you do when the “Format” option is unavailable and you need to format the drive to EXT4?

Don't worry; you can use third-party disk partition management tools like Partition Master. With its help, you can read, create, and format partitions with the EXT4 file system on your hard drive.

Best Free EXT4 Formatting Software - Partition Master

Whether you want to format NTFS/exFAT/FAT32 to EXT4 for supporting Linux or convert EXT4 hard drive to a Windows-compatible file system, the free partition manager can easily do the job. It is designed for managing HDDs and partitions in Windows 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista, and Windows Server, including resizing volumes, deleting partitions, formatting partitions, wiping partitions, merging partitions, and more.

What sets it apart from competitors and native Windows programs is its full support for the Linux EXT2, EXT3, and default EXT4 file systems. With EXTFS formatted software, you can manage EXT2/3/4 drives on Windows in the following ways:

Yet, formatting the hard drive with EXT4 is pretty straightforward with only several clicks. Just be aware that formatting itself will delete all data on the current drive, so make sure you have copied important data files to another drive for backup. If the hard drive contains large amounts of data and the transferring speed is too slow, use the Partition Copy feature in Partition Master tool to shorten the data transfer time.

Download the tool Partition Master, and then follow simple steps to format EXT4 in Windows:

Step 1: Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the partition you want to format and choose "Format Partition".

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

Step 3: A warning message will appear. Click “Yes” to proceed.

Step 4: Click on the 'Perform 1 Operation' button on the top left to check your changes and then click on 'Apply' to start formatting the partition to FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4.

What is the EXT4 file system?

EXT4, or the fourth-generation Extended File System, is a widely used journaling file system for Linux operating systems. It is an evolution of EXT3 and EXT2, offering improved performance, reliability, security, and new features.

EXT4 is the default file system for most large hard drives. It can also be used on removable media like USB flash drives, thumb drives, and memory cards.

Conclusions

On this page, we learned what the EXT4 file system is and when to use it. If you need to change your disk drive's file system to EXT4, feel free to seek help from a reliable EXT4 formatting tool. AOMEI Partition Assistant allows all levels of Windows users to convert and change their storage devices to any desired format, including support for EXT4.

If you need a proficient tool, feel free to use the Partition Master tool here to change the device file system format for free.

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