How do I format my SD card to FAT32 over 32GB?

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How do I format my SD card to FAT32 over 32GB

The FAT32 file system, introduced in Windows 95 OSR2, has been the most widely used file system for many years. However, it has a maximum volume size of 32GB. This limit was put in place by Microsoft when FAT32 was introduced.

According to an explanation from retired Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer, the 32GB limit was chosen to promote their new NTFS file system at the time, which did not have such limitations. By restricting FAT32 to 32GB, Microsoft encouraged users to upgrade to NTFS for larger partitions and drives (https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/21/01/04/2147246/the-thinking-behind-the-32gb-windows-format-limit-on-fat32).

However, even though NTFS has replaced FAT32 as the default system for newer Windows versions, FAT32 still has advantages for some use cases. This article provides instructions on how to format SD cards larger than 32GB to FAT32 for these situations.

When to Use FAT32

FAT32 is one of the most compatible file systems for removable media like SD cards. It is support by nearly all consumer electronic devices from computers to cameras to video game consoles.

Some key reasons to choose FAT32 include:

  • Compatibility with older devices – Many older devices only support FAT32 and cannot read other formats like exFAT or NTFS. So if you need your SD card to work with older gadgets, FAT32 is a good choice.
  • Support on game consoles – Most gaming systems like the Nintendo Switch only work with FAT32 formatted SD cards. So for game storage, FAT32 is essential.
  • Small file size limit – FAT32 is ideal if you need to store files 4GB or smaller on your SD card. It does not support larger individual files.

Overall, if you need broad compatibility across many devices, especially older gadgets, then formatting to FAT32 is recommended. It is the most universally supported file system for SD cards and external drives.

Checking Your SD Card’s Current Format

The easiest way to check the format of your SD card in Windows is to use File Explorer.

To check the format using File Explorer:

  1. Insert the SD card into your computer’s SD card reader.
  2. Open File Explorer by pressing Windows + E (or by double clicking on My Computer for Windows 7).
  3. Click on the SD card drive.
  4. Right click and choose ‘Properties’.
  5. Under the General tab, next to File System, it will show what format the SD card is currently in.

For example, if it shows “FAT32” then your SD card is already formatted to FAT32. If it shows another format like “exFAT” or “NTFS”, then you will need to reformat it to FAT32.

This provides a quick and easy way to verify the format of your SD card before making any changes.

Formatting the SD Card to FAT32

The easiest way to format an SD card larger than 32GB to FAT32 in Windows is by using the built-in format tool.

Here are the steps to format an SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 or 11 using the format tool:

  1. Insert your SD card into your computer’s card reader.
  2. Open File Explorer and click on “This PC” in the left sidebar.
  3. Right click on your SD card drive and select “Format”.
  4. In the Format window, under “File System” select “FAT32”.
  5. Check the “Quick Format” box.
  6. Click “Start” to begin the formatting process.

The format tool will quickly format your SD card to FAT32, even if it is over 32GB in size. The quick format option will erase any existing data on the card and prepare it for use in FAT32 format.

One downside to this method is that Windows will limit the allocation unit size based on the size of the card, which can result in wasted space on larger SD cards. But overall this is the simplest way to format to FAT32 directly in Windows.

Sources:
https://www.diskinternals.com/partition-recovery/format-sd-card-fat32-windows-10/

Using Third-Party Tools

There are several third-party formatting tools you can use to format SD cards larger than 32GB to FAT32. Some top recommendations include:

Fat32 Format – This free tool supports formatting USB drives up to 2TB to FAT32. It’s easy to use and widely recommended.

EaseUS Partition Master – This tool allows formatting drives up to 2TB to FAT32. The free version has limited functionality but gets the job done.

Rufus – Rufus is a popular USB formatting utility that enables FAT32 formatting on large drives. The free version works well.

These tools provide an easy way to format over 32GB SD cards to FAT32 without limits. They are free, easy to use, and work on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Just download, install, and run to format your SD card.

Formatting on Mac

The easiest way to format an SD card to FAT32 on Mac is by using the built-in Disk Utility app. Here are the steps:

  1. Connect the SD card to your Mac using a card reader or adapter.
  2. Launch Disk Utility (located in Applications > Utilities).
  3. Select the SD card on the left side of the Disk Utility window.
  4. Click the Erase tab at the top.
  5. Under Volume Format, select “MS-DOS (FAT)” to format to FAT32.
  6. Give the SD card a name if desired.
  7. Click Erase to begin formatting.

This will format the SD card to FAT32 regardless of its size. The process may take several minutes depending on the card’s capacity. Once completed, the card can now store individual files up to 4GB in size [1].

However, Disk Utility’s FAT32 format does not work with SD cards smaller than 512MB [2]. For those, a third-party formatting tool is necessary.

Formatting on Linux

On Linux, you can format SD cards larger than 32GB to FAT32 using the mkfs.fat command in the terminal. This allows formatting drives up to 2TB in size. Here’s how to do it:

First, identify the drive name of your SD card by running:

sudo fdisk -l

This will list all drives connected to your system. Look for your SD card’s device name, which will likely start with /dev/sd or /dev/mmcblk.

Next, unmount the drive if it’s currently mounted:

sudo umount /dev/sdX1

Replace sdX1 with your actual SD card drive name.

Now run the mkfs.fat command to format the drive to FAT32:

sudo mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/sdX1

Replace sdX1 again with your drive name. The -F 32 option forces a FAT32 format.

After the command finishes, your SD card will be formatted to FAT32. You can verify by mounting it and checking with the file command or Disk Utility.

This method allows formatting SD cards of any size to FAT32 on Linux distributions like Ubuntu. Just be sure to use the proper drive name for your SD card when running the commands.

Sources:

[Linux format fat32 over 32gb usb](https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/format-64gb-usb-drive-to-fat32-only-gives-32gb-4175562103/)

Potential Issues

There are a couple potential issues to be aware of when formatting an SD card to FAT32:

Speed

FAT32 is not the fastest file system compared to more modern options like exFAT or NTFS. So you may notice slower write and read speeds on your SD card after formatting to FAT32. This is because FAT32 uses larger clusters, which are less efficient than smaller clusters used in other file systems.

File Size Limits

FAT32 also has limits on maximum file sizes. No single file can be over 4GB in size on a FAT32 formatted drive. This can be problematic if you want to store very large files like movies that are over 4GB. You’ll either need to split those files up or use a different file system.

So in summary, FAT32 trades off some speed and file size limits for wider compatibility with devices. Just be aware of these potential downsides.

Verifying the Format

After formatting the SD card to FAT32, it’s important to verify that the format was successful. Here are the steps to check in File Explorer:

1. Open File Explorer on your Windows PC.

2. Click on “This PC” in the left pane to see a list of drives.

3. Locate the SD card drive and click on it.

4. In the top menu bar, click the “Manage” tab, then click “Properties.”

5. In the General tab of the Properties window, look at the “File system” field.

6. It should say “FAT32” if the format was successful. If it says anything else, the format did not complete properly.

7. You can reformat the SD card and try again if the format did not properly complete. Be sure to back up any data first.

Following these steps in File Explorer will allow you to quickly verify that your SD card is now formatted to FAT32 as expected.

Conclusion

In summary, while Windows limits FAT32 formatting to 32GB, it is possible to format larger SD cards to FAT32 using third-party tools like guiformat on Windows, Disk Utility on Mac, or mkdosfs on Linux. The main benefits of using FAT32 on larger cards are compatibility with older devices, and avoiding the 4GB file size limit of FAT16. Just be aware of potential issues like slow format times, inefficient storage use, and lack of journaling/corruption resistance compared to more modern file systems. After formatting, remember to verify it completed properly by checking the card’s properties or partitioning in your OS.

Some final tips: consider exFAT if you need large file support but not full-fledged NTFS features, back up any data first, and reformat again if running into problems. With the right tool and some care, FAT32 can work reliably even on modern large-capacity cards.