How to Solve the Problem of USB Not Formatting to FAT32: Try These Three Simple Methods

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 22, 2024

Are you facing difficulties formatting your USB drive to FAT32? Don't worry, you're not the only one. Many individuals have been encountering this issue lately. However, there's no need to panic, as we have a solution for you! In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of easily formatting your USB drive to FAT32 with just a few straightforward steps. So, delay no more. Follow these instructions and begin right away!

Sure, please provide the text that needs to be translated.

How to Solve "Can't Format to FAT32" on Windows 10/11?

If you're encountering difficulties formatting your USB drive to FAT32, there are a few solutions you can attempt. Firstly, consider using a utility such as tools Partition Master. This software is often effective in resolving common formatting issues.

If that doesn't work, attempt formatting the drive using PowerShell. As a last resort, you can try modifying a setting within Diskpart. These three approaches should resolve the issue and enable you to format your USB drive to FAT32.

Select the best solution you'd like to try and follow the step-by-step guides to resolve the "can't format to FAT32" error:

Solution 1: How to Format USB to FAT32 with Partition Master Tool

When attempting to format a USB drive to FAT32 in Windows 10, you might encounter the error message "The volume is too big for FAT32". This error arises because Windows typically formats drives using the NTFS file system by default. However, certain devices can only read those formatted with the FAT32 file system. Fortunately, there's a simple solution. By utilizing the Partition Master tool, you can effortlessly format your USB drive to FAT32 in a quick and straightforward manner.

下载并安装Partition Master工具到您的电脑上：

Here's how to format USB to FAT32 using the USB FAT32 Formatter tool:

Step 1. Select the USB drive to format. Select the USB drive that you want to format.

Connect your USB drive or pen drive to your computer. Download and launch a partitioning software tool. Right-click on the USB drive you plan to format and select "Format."

Step 2. Assign the drive letter and file system to the USB.

Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click "OK". Translate this into English: Specify a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size for the selected partition, and then click "OK".

Step 3. Check "Yes" to confirm formatting the USB.

Click "Yes" if you see the Warning window. If you have important data on it, back up the data in advance.

Step 4. Apply the changes.

First, click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button, and then click "Apply" to format the USB drive.

更值得在工具Partition Master中提及的功能包括：

If you need to extend partition storage space, convert to another file system, or clone a hard drive on a disk or partition

• Manage Windows 10/11 disk space: Resize, move, shrink, or extend partitions.
• Disk Converter: Supports converting MBR to GPT or vice versa, converting primary to logical or vice versa, etc.
• Disk Cloner: Safely copy all data and the operating system to another drive - Supports cloning HDD to SSD in Windows 11.

Keep reading, and we'll provide two more methods to format your USB drive. For the upcoming repair options, our tool editors have some recommendations:

• A successful formatting will erase all contents. Please backup your important data beforehand.
• Incorrect parameters may lead to issues with the drive. Please enter commands carefully.
• If you are not proficient in computer operations, select the simple and safe option - Format USB to FAT32 using Partition Master tool.

Solution 2: Format USB Drives (Larger Than 32GB) to FAT32 Using PowerShell

One of the most common file systems for removable storage devices like USB drives is FAT32. However, Windows 10 doesn't have a built-in option to format USB drives to FAT32. This can pose an issue when you require FAT32 for compatibility purposes.

Fortunately, there's a way to let you know how to format USB to FAT32 using PowerShell.

Step 1. To do this, open PowerShell as an administrator.

Open the Start menu, search for PowerShell in the search bar, right-click on it, and select "Run as administrator."

Step 2. Execute the following command: Format /FS:FAT32 + drive letter

For example: format /FS:FAT32 D:

Make sure to replace D: with the actual drive letter of your USB drive. After running the command, your USB drive will be formatted to FAT32.

If you're interested in using CMD to format the USB pen drive, check out this video tutorial.

Solution 3: Remove Read-only Status Using Diskpart

If your USB drive appears as read-only, you can utilize the Diskpart tool to remove the write protection. After that, attempt to format the device once more.

To remove the read-only attribute from a USB drive using Diskpart, follow these steps:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.

2. Type "diskpart" and press Enter.

3. Type "list disk" and press Enter. This will show a list of all the disks connected to the computer.

4. Type "select disk 1" and press Enter. Replace "1" with the number of the USB drive you want to modify.

5. Type "attributes disk clear readonly" and press Enter. This will remove the attributes and allow you to write to the drive again.

6. Type "exit" and press Enter to leave Diskpart. Your USB drive should now be writable again. If you still encounter problems, you might need to format the drive or try a different USB port on your computer.

If you find this article helpful in resolving the issue of unable to format to FAT32, feel free to click the button below and share it with someone who might need it!

Why Does "USB Won't Format to FAT32" Occur?

Following these solutions, you should also be aware of the reasons to avoid this error. There are several reasons why your USB drive might not format to FAT32.

• The first reason is that your USB drive might exceed 32 GB in size. Consequently, it cannot be formatted to FAT32.
• The second reason could be that your USB drive might have been formatted with a different file system, such as NTFS. To function properly, the drive would need to be reformatted using the appropriate file system.
• The third reason might be that the file system on your USB drive is corrupted. This can occur due to drive damage or attempting to format it with an incompatible file system. In this situation, you will need to use a data recovery tool to retrieve the data from the drive before formatting it correctly.

Final Thoughts

If you're having trouble formatting your USB to FAT32, there are a few other solutions you can try.

1. Utilize the tools Partition Master and PowerShell to format the USB drive to FAT32.

2. Run Diskpart to remove write protection.

Frequently Asked Questions About USB Not Formatting to FAT32

In this section, we have compiled some additional questions regarding the issue of unable to format USB to FAT32. If you're interested, proceed to find the answers here:

< strong > 1. How do I force FAT32 formatting?

• Unlock the USB drive by sliding its physical switch to the off position.
• Run the chkdsk utility to check and repair any file system errors on the target drive.
• Open Disk Management, right-click on the target drive you want to format, and choose "Format".
• Rename the drive label and set the file system format as FAT32, then check the box for "Perform a quick format".
• Click "OK" to proceed.

< strong > 2. Why can't I format USB to FAT32?

There are numerous reasons that could prevent you from successfully formatting your USB drive to FAT32, such as:

• USB drive is locked or write-protected.
• USB becomes RAW and Windows fails to format it successfully.
• USB has an unsupported file system by Windows, and the computer cannot recognize it.
• USB is infected with viruses or malware.
• USB capacity exceeds 32GB, and Windows has a maximum volume size limit of 32GB for FAT32.

3. How do I format my USB as FAT32 instead of exFAT?

If the USB drive has a storage capacity of 32GB or less, you can simply connect it to your PC and then either use File Explorer or Disk Management to format it to FAT32.

If the USB drive is 64GB or even larger, use tools like Partition Master to format the USB to FAT32 successfully instead of exFAT.