How to format usb to fat32 or fat16 as no fat32 option for formatting?

The built-in disk formatting feature in Windows OS is not powerful enough. If you can't format the USB to FAT32, here is quick fix that worked for me two weeks ago:

https://www.devshowto.com/format-usb-to-fat32

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For FAT32, one reliable option is using the "Rufus" tool. It’s lightweight and doesn't require installation. Just select the USB drive, choose FAT32 under file system, and start formatting.
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From my own experience messing around with GUIFormat to format USB to FAT32, I can tell you it’s pretty solid, unlike Windows’ built-in format tool, GUIFormat can handle drives larger than 32GB easily. So if your USB is, say, 64GB or even 128GB, this tool makes it super simple to format to FAT32.

So, you’re thinking about formatting USB to FAT32 using Windows’ built-in tools — cool, it’s super simple. But Windows’ built-in format tool only supports FAT32 for drives up to 32GB. If your USB is bigger, you won’t see FAT32 as an option through the normal format menu. You’d need third-party tools for larger drives. FAT32 doesn’t support permissions, encryption, or journaling. That means your data isn’t protected if something corrupts the drive or if someone else gets hold of it. And FAT32 isn’t as robust as NTFS. If you frequently unplug the drive without safely ejecting, or if there’s a sudden power cut, it’s more likely to get corrupted or lose data.

While FAT32 is super compatible across devices, it’s not ideal for modern use cases like bootable drives for UEFI systems or large file transfers. Sometimes, formatting USB to FAT32 is a trade-off — ease of access but limited functionality.

If your drive is 32GB or less and you’re okay with the file size limit, Disk Management is a good way to go. But for bigger drives or if you need to handle larger files, you’ll want to consider other options like third-party FAT32 formatters or exFAT.

FAT32 also struggles with drives larger than 32GB if you're using Windows built-in tools to format USB to FAT32. Sometimes, Windows won't even let you format bigger drives as FAT32 through the default options, so you might need third-party tools. FAT32 doesn’t support permissions or encryption. So, your data isn’t protected, and anyone can access or modify files if they get hold of the drive.

Compared to NTFS or exFAT, FAT32 isn't as resilient. It’s more prone to corruption, especially if you’re frequently plugging in and removing the drive or if there's a sudden power loss. While FAT32 plays nice with pretty much everything, you might run into issues if you’re trying to make a bootable drive, especially for newer UEFI systems, which sometimes prefer FAT32 but have quirks.

I typically do this thru CLI.

1-Insert a USB flash drive into a running computer.
2-Open a Command Prompt window as an administrator.
3-Diskpart.
4-List Disk

In the new command line window that opens, to determine the USB flash drive number or drive letter, at the command prompt, type list disk, and then click ENTER. The list disk command displays all the disks on the computer. Note the drive number or drive letter of the USB flash drive.

5-Select Disk #

At the command prompt, type select disk <X>, where X is the drive number or drive letter of the USB flash drive, and then click ENTER.

6-Clean

This command deletes all data from the USB flash drive.

7-Create Part Pri

To create a new primary partition on the USB flash drive, type create part pri, and then click ENTER.

8-Select Part 1

To select the partition that you just created, type select part 1, and then click ENTER.

9- format fs=ntfs quick  or   format fs=fat32 quick

To format the partition, type format fs=ntfs quick, and then click ENTER.
If UEFI use   Format fs=fat32 quick

10-Active

Type active, and then click ENTER.

11-Exit

Type exit, and then click ENTER.

12-Open mount ISO file
13-In command prompt change drive to ISO mount drive... ie E:
14-change directory to BOOT... cd Boot
15-type BootSect.exe /NT60 F: (F: being your usb drive)
16-copy the ISO Mount to the usb drive

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj200124.aspx
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001366.htm

Use the right tool for bigger drives, back up first, pick the correct file system, double-check the drive, and safely eject when done. That way, you avoid most headaches! By the way, Windows' built-in formatter (like through File Explorer) won’t let you format drives bigger than 32GB to FAT32. If your USB is over that size, it’ll give you an error. So, you’ll need a third-party tool like GUIFormat to get around this.

FAT32 is good for compatibility (works on pretty much everything — old game consoles, cameras, etc.), but it has a 4GB file size limit. If you need to store bigger files, NTFS or exFAT are better options. So, don’t just format blindly; pick the right file system. It’s a good idea to run a quick check on the drive (via chkdsk) before formatting USB to FAT32. It helps catch bad sectors or errors that could cause issues later.

Double-check what drive you’re formatting! Accidentally pick your internal drive or another USB. That’s a disaster. Always verify the drive letter and size before confirming. Sometimes, drives are set up with GPT or MBR partition styles. FAT32 works best with MBR. If your drive is GPT, you might need to convert it or use tools that support formatting GPT drives to FAT32. After formatting USB to FAT32, always eject the drive properly to avoid corruption. Just right-click and choose “Eject” or use the Safely Remove Hardware icon.

Using Windows built-in tools to format USB to FAT32 is straightforward, but there are some limitations:

• For drives up to 32GB: Windows allows FAT32 formatting directly through File Explorer or Disk Management.
• For drives larger than 32GB: Windows does not natively support formatting larger drives to FAT32 via built-in tools.

How to Format USB to FAT32 Using Built-in Tools:
Method 1: Using File Explorer

• Insert your USB drive into your computer.
• Open File Explorer (Windows + E).
• Right-click on your USB drive icon.
• Select Format.
• In the Format window:
  * File system: Choose FAT32 (Default).
  * Allocation unit size: Leave as default.
  * Volume label: Name your drive if desired.
  * Check Quick Format for faster formatting.
  * Click Start.
  * Confirm any prompts, then wait for the process to finish.

Method 2: Using Disk Management

• Press Windows + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
• Locate your USB drive in the list.
• Right-click on the drive partition and select Format.
• Choose FAT32 from the file system dropdown (if available).
• Follow prompts to format USB to FAT32.

I’ve formatted format USB to FAT32 using tools like GUIFormat, and it’s always gone smoothly — just took a bit longer if the drive was bigger. The key is to be patient and double-check everything. 

No major danger in doing it — just make sure you back up any important data first. When you format, everything on that drive gets wiped out, so if there’s stuff you wanna keep, save it elsewhere.

A few things to watch out for:

• Using third-party tools: Some free formatters are reliable, but always download from reputable sites. There’s a tiny risk of malware if you’re not careful.
• Choosing the right drive: Double-check you’re formatting the correct USB drive. Pick the right disk in the tool or command prompt.
• Interrupted formatting: When you format USB to FAT32, don’t unplug the drive or shut down during formatting. That can cause corruption, which might make the drive unreadable until repaired.