The file system is a method of managing data on computer storage media. The most widely used and widely supported file system is FAT32 (File Allocation Table 32). Almost every device and operating system support FAT32.
The drawback of FAT32, when compared to NTFS and ExFAT file systems, is the limit on the file size it can accommodate. Each file cannot be larger than 4 GB. While NTFS and ExFat both can accommodate files up to 16 EB in size. EB stands for Exabyte. Every 1 EB equals 1 million terabytes.
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The storage capacity supported by FAT32 is also smaller, at 16 TB. On the other hand, NTFS can be used for storage media with a capacity of up to 8 PB and ExFAT support up to 128 PB. PB stands for petabyte. Every 1 petabyte is equal to 1000 terabytes.
If you still want to use FAT32 as a file system on your HDD or flash drive whose storage capacity is greater than 32 GB, then you must use third-party software such as FAT32 Format developed by RidgeCrop.
What is FAT32 Format
A FAT32 Format is a lightweight software that is able to format computer storage media quickly.
A FAT32 Format is a portable software that can be run without being installed. After the FAT32 Format window opens, select the drive you want to format, give the drive a name by filling in the “Volume label” field, tick the “Quick Format” option, and click the “Start” button.
In an experiment, FAT32 Format was able to format a 64GB drive in just a few seconds.
Before using the FAT32 Format, you must close File Explorer that is currently open. If left open, FAT32 Format will assume that the drive is in use.
To prevent the accidental deletion of files, FAT32 Format displays a dialog box containing a warning message “All data will be lost” after you click the Start button. This means that all files on the drive to be formatted will be deleted when the formatting is executed. If you save important files on the drive, you should first move the files to another drive or to cloud storage.
Actually, formatting a drive with the FAT32 file system can be done without using third-party software. However, Windows’ built-in features can’t format drives with more than 32GB of storage space, so you’ll have to use PowerShell or Command Prompt.
The problem is the time it takes to format the drive to completion. A 64GB USB drive can take more than an hour when formatted using PowerShell or Command Prompt.
In addition to being far superior in speed, the FAT32 format is also very practical to use and has a small file size. The license also allows you to use the FAT32 format at any time for free.