There are a few different options for software that can format a hard drive (HDD) to FAT32 file system. The FAT32 file system is an older file system that is compatible with all versions of Windows, but has limitations like maximum file size of 4GB. However, it can be useful for certain situations like creating bootable USB drives. The most common options for FAT32 formatting software include:
- Windows built-in Disk Management utility
- Third party formatting tools like Rufus, HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, Ridgecrop Consultants FAT32 Format, etc.
- Command line diskpart utility in Windows
- Third party partitioning tools like EaseUS Partition Master, MiniTool Partition Wizard, AOMEI Partition Assistant, etc.
In this article, we will take a closer look at some of these FAT32 formatting software options, their features, pros and cons, and walk through how to use them to format a drive to FAT32.
Using Windows Built-in Disk Management
The easiest way to format a drive to FAT32 is by using the built-in Disk Management utility in Windows. Here are the steps to format a drive in Disk Management:
- Open Disk Management, for example by pressing Windows key + R, type diskmgmt.msc and hit Enter.
- Right-click on the disk you want to format in the lower panel, and choose Format…
- In the Format dialog, under File System, choose FAT32.
- Check the Quick Format box if you want faster formatting.
- Press OK.
- In the confirmation prompt, click Yes to begin formatting.
The advantages of using Disk Management for FAT32 formatting:
- No need to download additional software, already included with Windows.
- Simple and straightforward graphical interface.
- Can quickly format drives to FAT32 with default settings.
- Works for formatting hard drives or external drives like USB flash drives.
The limitations to be aware of:
- In Windows 10, cannot format drives larger than 32GB to FAT32 by default. Needs to use a third party tool for larger drives.
- Offers less flexibility and options compared to some third party FAT32 formatters.
- Does not work for formatting internal system drives.
Overall, Disk Management is the easiest built-in tool for FAT32 formatting smaller drives, but lacks capabilities for larger drives or more advanced options.
Using Third Party FAT32 Formatters
For more flexibility and capabilities beyond the basic Windows Disk Management tool, several excellent third party FAT32 formatting utilities are available. Some popular options include:
Rufus
Rufus is a small, portable, and fast utility for formatting disks into FAT32 and other file systems. Key features include:
- Able to format large drives beyond 32GB to FAT32.
- Bootable USB drive creation with bootable ISOs.
- Advanced cluster size and volume label options.
- Intuitive and lightweight interface.
- Active development and updates.
To use Rufus for FAT32 formatting:
- Connect the drive you want to format.
- Launch Rufus and select the drive under Device.
- Select FAT32 under Boot selection or Partition scheme.
- Adjust additional options if needed, like cluster size.
- Click Start to begin formatting.
Rufus is easy to use while providing advanced capabilities beyond Windows built-in tools. The ability to format large >32GB drives to FAT32 makes it extremely useful.
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
This formatter utility comes from HP for creating bootable USB drives. Key features:
- Specifically designed for USB flash drives and disks.
- Supports FAT, FAT32, and NTFS formatting.
- Can create bootable USB drives.
- Allows partition alignment choice.
- Works with USB keys larger than 32GB.
To use HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool:
- Download and install the tool.
- Choose FAT32 partition scheme.
- Select Quick Format option.
- Pick the USB drive to format.
- Check Create a DOS startup disk to make bootable.
- Click Start to format the disk.
The HP formatter focuses on USB drives and has features tailored for that purpose. Worth considering if you mainly need to format USB disks or keys.
Ridgecrop Consultants FAT32 Format
This FAT32 formatting tool is focused on providing advanced cluster size options. Key features:
- Precise control over cluster sizes, from 512 bytes to 64KB.
- Quick, simple format of drives over 32GB to FAT32.
- Small portable executable, no installation needed.
- Command line version available for scripting.
- Compatible with Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista
To use Ridgecrop FAT32 Format:
- Choose drive, volume size, cluster size.
- Leave Full Format unchecked for quick format.
- Click Start to begin formatting.
This utility stands out for its fine-grained cluster size configuration abilities, allowing optimization for devices and usage patterns. The wide OS support and compact size are also useful features.
Using Diskpart Command Line Utility
Diskpart is a command line utility built into Windows for partitioning and formatting disks. It can format volumes to FAT32 via command line interface.
Some key abilities of diskpart:
- Scripts can automate disk formatting tasks.
- Capable of formatting large volumes over 32GB to FAT32.
- Change volume labels, active partition status, and more.
- Powerful for advanced users and IT professionals.
To format a disk to FAT32 using diskpart:
- Open command prompt as admin.
- Type diskpart and hit enter.
- Type list disk to view available disks.
- Select the disk with select disk # (use disk number).
- Clean the disk with clean.
- Create primary partition with create partition primary.
- Select the partition with select partition #.
- Format it to FAT32 with format fs=fat32 quick.
Diskpart is not as straightforward as the GUI tools, but unlocks scripting capabilities and advanced formatting options. Useful for admins automating disk tasks.
Third Party Partition Managers
Partition manager software offers partitioning capabilities along with disk formatting functions. Some examples include:
- EaseUS Partition Master
- MiniTool Partition Wizard
- AOMEI Partition Assistant
- Paragon Partition Manager
These tools allow:
- Resizing, moving, copying, creating, deleting partitions.
- Formatting partitions to various file systems.
- Migrating OS to SSDs or new disks.
- Advanced alignment, recovery, wiping, space management features.
To format to FAT32 with a partition manager:
- Select the partition or drive to format.
- Choose the FAT32 file system option.
- Adjust cluster size or other settings if offered.
- Click Apply or Format to begin formatting to FAT32.
Partition managers offer features beyond just formatting but are overkill if only formatting is needed. Useful if you need to manage multiple partitions and align them optimally.
What Size Drives Can Be Formatted to FAT32?
The Windows Disk Management utility limits FAT32 formatting to smaller drives up to 32GB by default. However, many third party FAT32 formatters can format larger drives.
Here are some examples of maximum drive sizes that can be formatted to FAT32:
| Software | Max FAT32 Size |
| Windows Disk Management | 32GB |
| Rufus | 256GB |
| HP USB Format Tool | 256GB |
| Ridgecrop Consultants FAT32 Format | 256GB |
| EaseUS Partition Master | 256GB |
| AOMEI Partition Assistant | 2TB |
So in general, most third party FAT32 formatters support formatting drives up to at least 256GB. Some support larger sizes up to 2TB.
This allows FAT32 to be used on large USB drives, HDDs, and other storage media for compatibility and file transfer purposes.
Conclusion
To summarize, while Windows Disk Management allows simple FAT32 formatting, third party tools enable FAT32 on much larger drives. Rufus, Ridgecrop Consultants FAT32 Format, and the HP USB Format Tool are easy recommendations. Partition managers provide flexibility for advanced partition management alongside drive formatting capabilities. For command line FAT32 formatting, diskpart can be scripted to automate formatting tasks.
The choice comes down to your specific needs and technical level. But there are many capable FAT32 formatting utilities available both free and commercial to provide a good solution for drives of all sizes. This allows the universal FAT32 file system to continue serving purposes like bootable USB drives and file transfer between old and new systems.