how to format fat32 usb drive windows 10

Therefore, if you want to store large files on your USB drive, a large cluster size will make it run faster. Larger cluster leads to more waste or slack space, while smaller cluster means smaller pieces of a file which need longer time to access the file and the USB drive becomes slower. Like other hard drives, USB drive is also organized in cluster and the allocation unit size describes the size of a single cluster. In addition, NTFS is not recommended for USB flash drives, even when they are bigger than 32GB. FAT32 is compatible with virtually all operating system, takes up less space on USB drive has less disk writing operations (faster and less memory usage).ĭue to its nature, FAT32 is suitable for USB drives smaller than 32GB and in an environment where you never need to store files larger than 2 or 4GB. NTFS reads/writes files larger than 4GB, creates partition larger than 32GB, compresses files and saves disk space, has better space management (less fragmentation), allows more clusters on a large drive (less wasted space), adds user permissions to individual files and folders encrypts file system. But have you ever wondered what the various options mean? Usually, we go with the default setting, but the optimal settings depend on the type of drive and what you are planning to do with it. Why need to format or convert USB drive to FAT32?įormatting a USB drive is the same as formatting any other drive, so does convert a USB drive between NTFS and FAT32.

How to format fat32 usb drive windows 10