Developers Tips & Trick : How to Format SD Card/ Memory Card to FAT32 in Windows 10/11?

How to Format SD Card to FAT32 in Windows 10/11?

A memory card FAT32 conversion may be required in numerous scenarios. Is it secure to modify a 64GB SD card to FAT32 without information loss because producers establish various memory cards to the exFAT file system when memory cards exceed 32GB? You need to format SD card to FAT32 to make it usable. How about swapping out the 128GB FAT32 memory card or something else that makes you want to convert a FAT32 memory card? This guide will recommend the best and free approaches on how to format SD card to FAT32 on Windows 10/11 for your SD card that you have used for your phone, camera, or other digital technology.

Why Can't I Format My SD Card to FAT32?

SD cards with 32GB or less storage capacity, like USB drives, are typically formatted in FAT32 by definition. While exFAT is the predefined file system for significantly bigger Memory cards with 64GB or 128GB. Because in unique circumstances, such as the 3Ds SD card, sustain the FAT32 file system, users must format SD card to FAT32 regardless of its size.

Because of FAT32 limitations, the Windows study does not cover creating a FAT32 partition on a physical device larger than 32GB. As a result, neither a 64GB memory card nor a USB drive can be directly formatted to FAT32. So, what are you going to do if you need to format a 64GB SD card to FAT32?

Luckily, if you cannot format your 64GB Memory card or Flash drive to FAT32 using the Windows constructed utility, you still have an opportunity. 

Format SD Card (32GB or Below) to FAT32 -

With Windows Diskpart

Using Diskpart to format the memory card to FAT32 (32GB or smaller) is a convenient and quick solution for formatting. This will even collaborate if the data on the card is in RAW format. Let's see how Diskpart can assist in this case.

Step 1: Begin by running Diskpart as administrator. You can do this by typing Diskpart into the search box or by pressing Windows + R simultaneously, selecting Diskpart, and clicking OK. Diskpart will be launched as an administrator.

Step 2: Next, you must enter the List disk command to access all disks on the device.

Step 3: Execute the 'select disk n' command, where 'n' represents the disk number of the Memory card.

Step 4: Run List Partition to generate a list partition on the Memory card.

Step 5: Now, choose the partition "m" to depict the Memory card partition you require.

Step 6: Finally, run the 'format fs=FAT32 instant' command to complete all actions.

Format SD Card (64GB or Above) to FAT32 -

With Windows PowerShell

The SD card is formatted to FAT 32 using PowerShell. It aids in formatting a 64GB SD card to FAT32 and also formatting a 128GB SD card to FAT32. It allows users to go through the formatting process without having to download third-party software applications. The steps for formatting the SD card to FAT32 are listed below.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + X. PowerShell (admin) is selected from the dropdown menu, and PowerShell operates as administrator.

Step 2:Insert command in the PowerShell dropdown menu, such as format /FS: FAT32 X:

Step 3: The formatting activity will begin and will take approximately 1 hour to accomplish.

F.A.Q about SD card

1. How do I know if my SD card is FAT32?

The easiest way to view file system format of SD card is in Windows Explorer. Find the Memory card drive, then right-click it and select "Properties."You can change the Format of your SD card in the "Properties" screen.

2. What is FAT32 vs. exFAT?

FAT32 is an aged file system that is less efficient than NTFS. ExFAT is a contemporary replacement for FAT 32, and more devices support it than NTFS, but it is not as widely used as FAT32.

3. Why does my 128GB flash drive only showing 32GB?

If you formatted it to FAT32, as it only supports a maximum of 32GB. Please back up your files and reformat them to NTFS to take advantage of the total amount of storage.

4. How to Show and Recover Hidden Files on SD Card?

Here are 5 ways on how to show and recover hidden files on SD card:

• Check Hidden Items in File Explorer
• Change Settings in File Explorer to Show Hidden Files
• Unhide Files from SD Card by Using CMD
• Show Hidden Files by Using Google Chrome
• Assign New Driver Letter