How to Format a USB Drive in Old FAT32 with Windows 10

Are you looking for a way to format an old USB drive that is still using the outdated FAT32 file system? Formatting your USB drive can be beneficial if it's slow, corrupted, or not recognized by your computer. In this article, we'll guide you through the process of formatting a USB drive in Windows 10.

Before You Begin

Please note that formatting will erase all content on the device. Make sure to back up any important files before proceeding with the format.

Formatting Your Old FAT32 USB Drive with Windows 10

To start, connect your old FAT32 formatted USB drive to your computer and follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer on your Windows 10 machine.

2. Find and select the USB drive from the list of devices on the left-hand side of the screen.

3. Click on 'Erase' at the top of the window.

4. Enter a name for your USB drive in the provided field, then select 'FAT32' as the file system format you want to use.

5. Confirm that you want to erase all data by clicking 'Erase'.

6. Once the formatting process is complete, click on 'Done'.

Tips and Considerations

Formatting your old FAT32 formatted USB drive in Windows 10 will give it a fresh start, allowing you to store documents, pictures, videos, and other files once again. However, keep in mind that using an older file system like FAT32 may limit the size of individual files or folders.

If you need more advanced features such as NTFS permissions or larger file sizes, consider formatting your USB drive with a newer file system like NTFS. For instructions on how to do this, check out our separate article: 'How to Format a USB Device for FAT32 or NTFS'.

Formatting an old FAT32 formatted USB drive in Windows 10 is a straightforward process that can help improve performance and functionality. By following the steps outlined above, you'll be able to erase all data on your device and start fresh with a new file system.

Remember to always back up important files before formatting any storage device, as this process will permanently delete all content without exception.

How to format a usb drive in old fat32 with windows 10