How to Format an External Hard Drive to FAT32?

This step-by-step guide explains how to format an external hard drive to fat32. It covers the required setup, the main actions, and the checks that help prevent common problems.

1. Format the External Hard Drive into FAT32 Using the Command Prompt

Step 1

Open Command Prompt.

To open the Command Prompt, type the keyword Command Prompt Into the Search box on the Start Menu (for Windows 7 and Windows Vista) or on the Start Screen (for Windows 8 and 8. 1) and press Enter.

Or the fastest way is to press the Windows + R Key combination to open the Run dialog box, then you enter the keyword Command Prompt Into the Run dialog box window and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.

Step 2

On the Command Prompt window, enter the following command line and press Enter:

Format / FS: FAT32 X:

In the above command, replace "X" with the character of the external hard drive. You can find the character of the external hard drive by opening Computer or My Computer.

You will be asked to enter the Volume Label (the drive letter that appears in My Computer).

Your task is to enter the drive letter and press Enter, then press the Y Key to confirm.

2. Use FAT32 Format Software

While Seagate DiscWizard is only compatible with Seagate hard drives, and Acronis True Image WD Edition only supports Western Digital hard drives, FAT32 Format software supports formatting on all hard drives.

Step 1

Visit here to download FAT32 Format to your computer.

This is a portable software and requires no installation.

Step 2

Run FAT32 Format tool.

Step 3

Select the external drive letter, then enter the Volume Label (the drive letter that appears in My Computer) and then select Start to start formatting your hard drive into FAT32.

Refer to Some More Articles

• Why Does USB Drive, Memory Card. Use FAT32 Format Instead of NFTS?

• 5 Ways to Simply Reconnect USB Without "Unplugging"

• Differentiate USB 2. 0 and USB 3. 0