How To Format Hard Drive in FAT32 ★ All Host

Table of Contents

FAT32 is one of the most common formatting options, so keep that in mind if you need to format your hard drive. This file system is compatible with virtually all contemporary operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux. In this piece, we’ll walk you through the process of formatting your hard drive using the FAT32 file system on both Windows and macOS.

Before we get started, it is essential that you are aware that formatting your hard drive will remove all of the data that is currently stored on it. Because of this, it is imperative that you have a backup of any and all files that are of critical importance before continuing.

Formatting a Hard Drive in FAT32 on Windows

Open the Disk Management tool. Simply right-click on the Windows Start button, then go to the context menu and pick Disk Management from there to launch the Disk Management program.
Select the hard drive you want to format. A list of all the drives that are linked to your computer will be displayed in the window labeled “Disk Management.” Right-click on the drive you wish to format, and then pick Format from the context menu that appears.
Choose the file system. Click the drop-down arrow next to File system in the Format box, and then select FAT32 from the list.
Set the allocation unit size. You also have the ability to set the allocation unit size, which controls how large the clusters are on the hard disk. If you are unsure about what option to pick, it is best to stick with the default configuration.
Name the drive and choose Quick Format. Name the drive, and then make sure the Quick Format option is chosen in the drop-down menu. Quick Format will format the disk in a shorter amount of time, but it will not inspect the hard drive for corrupted sectors.
Confirm and format. To confirm your actions and get the formatting process started, click the OK button. Depending on the capacity of the hard drive, this procedure could take a few minutes to complete.

Formatting a Hard Drive in FAT32 on macOS

Open the Disk Utility tool. To open the Disk Utility tool, go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
Select the hard drive you want to format. A list of all the drives that are attached to your computer will appear in the window for the Disk Utility program. Choose the drive that you would like to format.
Erase the drive. To delete something, use the toolbar’s Erase button. This will open up the window for erasing.
Choose the file system. Choose MS-DOS (FAT) from the Format drop-down selection located in the Erase window.
Name the drive and choose the scheme. First, give the drive a name, and then choose the appropriate Scheme from the drop-down menu. If the drive is going to be used on a Windows computer, select the Master Boot Record (MBR) option. If the drive is going to be used on a Mac, select the GUID Partition Map option.
Confirm and erase. To confirm your selection and get the deleting procedure started, click the Erase button. Depending on the capacity of the hard drive, this procedure could take a few minutes to complete.

Alternative Methods for Formatting a Hard Drive in FAT32

If you prefer a command-line interface or a third-party utility, there are alternative methods to format a hard drive in FAT32.

Command Prompt on Windows

Open the Command Prompt. To open the Command Prompt, press the Windows key + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
List the available drives. In the window for the Command Prompt, type diskpart and then press the Enter key. In order to view a list of all the disks that are attached to your computer, type list disk followed by the Enter key.
Select the hard drive you want to format. Type select disk X (replace X with the number of the drive you want to format) and press Enter.
Clean the drive. After typing clean, hit the Enter key. This will delete all of the data that is currently stored on the hard drive.
Create a new partition. Type create partition primary and press Enter.
Format the partition in FAT32. Type format fs=fat32 quick and press Enter. This will format the partition in FAT32 with the quick option.

Disk Utility on macOS

If you’re using a Mac, you can also use the Disk Utility to format your hard drive in FAT32. Here’s how:

Open Disk Utility. You can open Disk Utility by going to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
Select the hard drive you want to format. You will be able to view a list of all the drives that are attached to your Mac within the Disk Utility application. Choose the hard drive that you wish to format and click “Next.”
Erase the drive: Click on the Erase button in the toolbar. This will open the Erase window.
Choose the file system. In the Erase window, select the Format drop-down menu and choose MS-DOS (FAT).
Name the drive and choose the scheme. First, give the drive a name, and then choose the appropriate Scheme from the drop-down menu. If the drive is going to be used on a Windows computer, select the Master Boot Record (MBR) option. If the drive is going to be used on a Mac, select the GUID Partition Map option.
Confirm and erase. Click the Erase button to confirm and start the erasing process. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the size of the hard drive.

Third-Party Utilities

There are also many third-party utilities available that can format a hard drive in FAT32. One popular utility is EaseUS Partition Master. Here’s how to use it:

Download and install EaseUS Partition Master. You can download EaseUS Partition Master from the official website.
Launch EaseUS Partition Master. Launch EaseUS Partition Master once the installation is complete.
Select the hard drive you want to format. You will be able to view a list of all the drives that are linked to your computer within EaseUS Partition Master. Choose the hard drive that you wish to format and click “Next.”
Choose the file system. Click the Format button located in the toolbar. Click the drop-down arrow next to File system in the Format box, and then select FAT32 from the list.
Set the allocation unit size. You can also set the allocation unit size, which determines the size of the clusters on the hard drive. If you’re not sure what to choose, leave it at the default setting.
Name the drive and choose Quick Format. Give the drive a name and make sure the Quick Format option is selected.
Confirm and format. To confirm your actions and get the formatting process started, click the OK button. Depending on the capacity of the hard drive, this procedure could take a few minutes to complete.

Conclusion

Even though formatting a hard drive in FAT32 is a straightforward process, you should take precautions and make sure you have a backup of all data before you begin. There are built-in utilities for formatting hard drives in FAT32 in both Windows and macOS. There is also the option of using a command line interface or a third-party utility. To prevent data loss and other problems, always carefully adhere to the instructions provided.

Alex Rabchun

I specialize in cloud technologies. So in a few years, he has become one of our top field specialists and has moved from intern's potion to a fully trained professional DevOps in an impressive fashion. I work in a wide range of areas that require in-depth knowledge, such as working with Linux-based infrastructure; setting up and managing databases; CI/CD platforms, Kubernetes; Helm, Docker; Python, Ansible; TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, SSH. I am also fond of hunting, fishing and traveling. You can see more information about me on my social media pages.