How to format 64GB SD card to FAT32?

Recently, I want to format my 64GB SD card to FAT32 for compatibility with another device. However, when I opened Disk Management, using it to do the format, there was no option of FAT32 under “File System”. So, I turned to DiskPart for help. Unfortunately, I was prompted with an error message saying the volume was too big for FAT32? Can someone help? How to format SD card to FAT32?

What is FAT32

FAT32 is the most common version of the FAT (File Allocation Table) file system created back in 1977. It was employed on Windows PCs prior to the more advanced NTFS file system. FAT32 is widely used for USB drives, flash memory cards, and external hard drives for compatibility between all platforms like Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, and Android.

Why format SD card to FAT32

Since FAT32 shares very good compatibility with other devices, users often format SD card to FAT32 for different purposes. Some types of cameras, for example, Dash Cams, require FAT32 SD card; If you want to connect an SD card with PS4, you also need to format it to FAT32 since PS4 only support FAT32 and exFAT external devices.

How to format micro SD card to FAT32 in 4 ways

When it comes to formatting an SD card, there are more than 1 choice. How to format SD card to FAT32 Windows 10? Here, I provided the top 4 ways. Among them, there are not only Windows built-in utilities but also, third-party software utilities. Select any of them in terms of your own demands.

Method 1. Using File Explorer

When connecting an SD card with a computer, a new partition will appear in File Explorer. Right-click on it and select “Format”. In the popup dialogue box, preset FAT32 as the target format and tick “Quick Format”. Then, click on “Start” to begin the process.

Note: If the SD card is larger than 32GB, for example, 64GB, then, the formatting process can’t be done.

Method 2. Using Disk Management

Disk Management is a system utility in Windows that enables you to perform advanced storage tasks such as formatting volumes, shrinking volumes, and extending volumes. However, it also has the significant limit – only supporting formatting a partition smaller than 32GB into FAT32. As for 64GB SD card, there won’t be an FAT32 option in the utility.

1. Right-click on “This Computer” on the desktop and select “Manage”.
2. Click on “Disk Management” under the “Storage” tab.
3. Then, the basic info of all your disks and partitions will be displayed in the popup window. Right-click on the SD card and select “Format”.
4. Select “FAT32” as the output file system and click on “OK”.

Method 3. Using DiskPart

Another Windows built in utility DiskPart is an even more powerful and functional tool in disk management. Users are able to perform various storage task by inputting command lines. It’s relatively more complex and so, it’s recommended only for those pro users.

The same as File Explorer and Disk Management, DiskPart doesn’t allow formatting a partition larger than 32GB into FAT32 either.

Press “Win+R simultaneously and type “cmd”. Run the program as administrator and then, type the following command lines one by one and remember to hit “ENTER” for each of them.

diskpart

list volume

select volume n (“n” refers to the sequence number of the SD card)

format fs=fat32

Wait until it’s completed

Method 4. Using third-party freeware to format 64GB SD card to FAT32

How to format 64GB SD card into FAT32? As far as we’re concerned, on Windows, you’re not allowed to format any partitions larger than 32GB into FAT32. So, what if you got a 64GB SD and would like to perform the format? Is there any workaround? It’s not a dead end. This time, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, an impressive partition software utility, may help you out. With it, users can format SD cards of all sizes into FAT32 easily and meanwhile, if you don’t wish to lose any data, its feature of NTFS to FAT32 converter is also recommended.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, right-click on the partition of the SD card and select “Format Partition”.

Step 2. Select FAT32 in the file system dropdown menu.

Step 3. In the main interface, hit “Apply” where the screenshot shows to commit the operation.

Conclusion

Wondering how to format SD card to FAT32? In this post, you can find the best answers. 4 practical solutions are provided in this post and each of them has its own distinctions. As for the best among them, I prefer the third-party freeware in Method 4, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. It’s literally user-friendly and multifunctional.

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