Forum Discussion
JonstSlay
Jun 19, 2025Iron Contributor
How to format usb to fat32 or fat16 as no fat32 option for formatting?
I'm trying to format a USB flash drive to FAT32 or FAT16 on Windows 10, but the default Windows formatting tool only offers NTFS and exFAT as options. I need FAT32/FAT16 for compatibility with older ...
AmeliaAdams
Jun 19, 2025Iron Contributor
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.