Can I Format USB Drive From exFAT to FAT32? - YES!

Are you unable to format the USB drive to FAT32 in Disk Management? Check here. We will show you how to format USB drive from exFAT to FAT32 with a few simple steps.

Do you want to format USB drive from exFAT to FAT32 on your Windows device? In this article from EaseUS, I will share the best ways to format your USB drive to FAT32 for both USB drives larger than 32GB, and USB drives 32 GB or smaller.

1. How to Format An exFAT USB to FAT32 (Larger than 32GB)
2. How to Format An exFAT USB to FAT32 (32GB or Smaller)

Can You Format An exFAT USB to FAT32?

Yes, it is possible to convert an exFAT USB drive to FAT32. FAT32 is an older file system that provides extensive compatibility across different devices and operating systems. However, when using standard Windows tools for formatting, there is a FAT32 partition size restriction of 32 GB.

• For drives 32GB or smaller. If the USB flash drive is 32GB or less, the built-in Windows File Explorer and Windows Disk Management tools are effective for formatting the drive in FAT32.
• For drives larger than 32GB. If the USB flash drive is more than 32 GB, such as 64 GB or 124 GB, your only option is to use a third-party FAT32 formatting tool. For example, the EaseUS Partition Master Free is a versatile tool for formatting FAT32 that surpasses the 32GB capacity restriction on USB flash drives, pen drives, and memory cards. The software can be used to format any drive ranging from 2GB to 256GB, and even larger sizes, to FAT32 without any restrictions.

How to Format An exFAT USB to FAT32 (Larger than 32GB)

When the USB size is over 32GB, the regular Windows formatting tools do not offer the FAT32 option. Therefore, formatting a USB drive larger than 32GB from exFAT to FAT32 requires additional steps because of the limitations of standard Windows tools. Fortunately, various third-party software is available that can effectively perform this task.

I recommend you try this reliable exFAT to FAT32 converter - EaseUS Partition Master, a free partition manager that can assist with formatting hard drives and USB drives without any size restrictions. Just follow the steps below to format your exFAT USB drive to FAT32:

Step 1. Right-click the hard drive partition and choose the "Format" option.

Step 2. In the new window, set the Partition label, File system, and Cluster size for the partition, then click "OK".

Step 3. You can see a warning window, click "Yes" to continue.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button, then click "Apply" to start formatting the hard drive partition.

Plus, it provides the capability to effortlessly adjust, establish, remove, combine, split, and duplicate partitions, convert MBR to GPT drives and vice versa, and perform various other functions not available in standard Windows programs.

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How to Format An exFAT USB to FAT32 (32GB or Smaller)

Converting the file system of a USB drive that is 32GB or smaller from exFAT to FAT32 is a simple task that can be accomplished using the pre-installed tools in Windows. Choose any method mentioned below to format your USB drive:

Way 1. Disk Management

The Disk Management utility is integrated into Windows operating systems and enables users to oversee disk drives and their partitions. It offers a visual interface for carrying out different tasks related to disks, including creating, deleting, formatting, and adjusting partitions. Follow these steps to format the USB drive from exFAT to FAT32 using disk management:

Step 1. Right-click on the Windows logo located on the Taskbar and select "Disk Management" from the options that appear.

Step 2. Next, to format your USB drive, right-click on it and choose "Format."

Step 3. Select "FAT32" from the dropdown list in the File System section, then click on "OK."

🚩Read also: 3 Ways| How to Fix Disk Management Format Option Greyed Out in Windows 11/10/8/7

Way 2. File Explorer

Using File Explorer to format a USB drive from exFAT to FAT32 provides a user-friendly approach to managing disk partitions directly from the Windows interface. Follow these steps to format the USB drive from exFAT to FAT32 using File Explorer.

Please plug your USB drive into a Windows PC or laptop, wait for Windows to detect the drive, and allocate a drive letter for it. Once it appears in Windows Explorer, proceed with formatting the drive to FAT32 according to your preferences.

Step 1. Open File Explorer by pressing the "Windows" + "E" keys. Or click the File Explorer icon in the Taskbar.

Step 2. Right-click on the USB drive and select "Format."

Step 3. In the Format window that pops up, make sure to choose "FAT32" from the File system dropdown menu. Then, click on "Start" to begin the formatting process.

Way 3. Diskpart

Formatting a storage device to any file system can also be done using the Windows Command Prompt. This method is more advanced than the others mentioned above and carries more risk.

Suppose you are tech-savvy and confident about your skills. You can try the Diskpart command.

Step 1. To open Command Prompt, press "Windows" + "R," type cmd, and then press "Enter."

Step 2. Launch the Command Prompt and enter the command diskpart, then hit "Enter." If asked for administrative privileges, authorize by clicking "Yes."

Step 3. Enter the command list disk and press "Enter" to see a list of all the disks currently attached to your computer. Use the size information to find and identify your USB drive.

Step 4. Enter select disk * (change * with the appropriate number for your USB drive from the previous step) and then press "Enter."

Step 5. Please enter list volume and press "Enter" to view all volumes (partitions) on the chosen disk. Find the volume number corresponding to the partition of your USB drive.

Step 6. Type select volume * (substitute * with the number that matches your USB drive's volume) and then press "Enter."

Step 7. Type format fs=fat32 quick and press "Enter" to format the chosen volume as FAT32 quickly.

Step 8. Type exit to close the Diskpart utility.

If you try to format the USB drive larger than 32GB to FAT32, you might see a message saying "the volume is too big for FAT32" showing up in Command Prompt.

Conclusion

This tutorial provides detailed instructions on how to change a USB drive's Format from exFAT to FAT32, with separate steps for drives under 32GB and those over 32 GB. Whether you opt for Disk Management, File Explorer, or Diskpart, each approach guarantees compatibility with a wide range of devices.

For USB drives bigger than 32GB, we suggest using EaseUS Partition Master Free. It goes beyond Windows' limitations and provides versatile features for formatting, managing partitions, and more, making it an essential tool for handling your storage requirements.