FAT32 vs. exFAT vs. NTFS: What's the Difference? - How-To Geek
Aug 24, 2023 · FAT32 is the oldest of the three file systems available to Windows. It was introduced all the way back in Windows 95 to replace the older FAT16 file system used in MS …
How to Format a USB Drive to FAT32 on Windows 11 or Windows 10
Jul 6, 2023 · Formatting a USB drive in FAT32 is as easy as selecting a few options in File Explore or Disk Management, or running a few commands from Command Prompt or …
How to Format USB Drives Larger Than 32GB With FAT32 on …
Oct 17, 2023 · Here's how to get around that. What is FAT32? FAT32 is a solid file system for external drives, so long as you don't plan to use files over 4GB in size. If you do need those …
What File System Should I Use for My USB Drive? - How-To Geek
Apr 8, 2023 · Use FAT32 if you need maximum compatibility between devices and won't be moving files larger than 4 gigabytes. Otherwise, use exFAT --- it supports larger drives, larger …
What Should I Set the Allocation Unit Size to When Formatting?
Mar 26, 2023 · We've put together some tables comparing NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT, since they're the most common formats you'll encounter, and are regularly used with USB flash …
Why Do Removable Drives Still Use FAT32 or exFAT Instead of NTFS?
May 29, 2023 · Some devices will work with NTFS, but you can't count on it -- in fact, you should probably assume that most devices can only read exFAT or FAT32, not NTFS. This is why you …
Switching From Windows to Mac? You Need to Know These File …
Jul 26, 2025 · FAT32 offers more compatibility with older devices than exFAT. macOS can read from and write to any FAT-formatted Windows drive (exFAT included) without needing …
6 Tips and Tricks for Using External Drives on Your Mac
Feb 12, 2025 · Use FAT32 if you need maximum compatibility between devices and won’t be moving files larger than four gigabytes or using partitions larger than two terabytes or volumes …
Windows 11 Will Soon Fix Its Big FAT32 Problem
Aug 16, 2024 · FAT32 is not as widely used as alternatives like exFAT, but it is still used by many older devices that require USB drives or SD cards formatted with FAT32. The change will …
How to Format a Hard Drive or SSD on Windows 11
Dec 10, 2023 · To format a hard drive or SSD in Windows 11, open File Explorer, browse to "This PC," right-click the drive, and select "Format" to start the process. When formatting, consider …