SD Card FAT32 Formatter to Format SD Card FAT32 On Windows/Mac and Android Phone (16GB, 32GB/64GB/128GB/256GB etc.) - 4 ways

Background

New TF/SD card not recognized by mobile phone? Since some mobile phones only read FAT32 media instead of exFAT memory cards, which are mostly formatted as exFAT when their capacity is larger than 32GB, users may want to know how to change a 64/128/256GB memory card to FAT32.

There are many chances that a memory card may require FAT32 conversion. As many memory cards are set to be exFAT file system by the manufacturers when they are over 32GB. Is it safe to change a 64GB SD card to FAT32 without losing data? How about changing the 128GB memory card to FAT32? 256GB SD/microSD FAT32 formatting?

What is FAT32 and Why Convert to It?

FAT32 is a file system that is widely compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and many mobile devices. However, larger SD cards (over 32GB) are often formatted as exFAT, which may not be supported by some older devices. Converting your SD card to FAT32 ensures broader compatibility, especially with older hardware.

This article includes the following parts

• 2 Free Third-Party Tools to Format SD/MicroSD to FAT32 in Windows (Including Over 32GB)
• Windows Built-in Tools to Format Memory Cards to FAT32 (Less than 32GB)
  1. Format SD Card to FAT32 with Disk Management
  2. Format SD Card to FAT32 with Right-Click Format in Windows
  3. Format SD Card to FAT32 Using CMD Diskpart
  4. Failed to Format SD Card - Causes
  5. How to Change SD Card from exFAT/NTFS to FAT32 in Windows
  6. How to Change RAW File System SD Card to FAT32
• Freeware to Convert/Format Memory Card to FAT32 on Mac
• How to Format SD Card to FAT32 on Android Mobile
  1. New 32GB exFAT SD/TF Card Not Recognized in Phone

2 Tools to Format SD Card FAT32 on Windows 10/11 (Including over 32GB)

Third-party format software can format SD card to FAT32 regardless of its storage capacity, while Windows built-in methods can only format SD cards over 32GB to exFAT by default.

These following two free FAT32 format tools can format memory cards under/over 32GB to FAT32 when Windows built-in format tools cannot format SD/USB/HDD/SSD to FAT32.

Tool#1 Freeware IM-Magic Partition Resizer

This free tool provides FAT32 formatting for flash drives or memory cards that are over 32GB. What's more, it provides bad blocks repairing for storage drives with its Check Partition operation.

Download Free Now

Tool#2 HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

FAT32 is provided as a file system in HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, which is easy to use and the interface resembles the Windows right-click media quick format option.

Format SD/TF card by HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

Also read: HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool User Guide, Review, and Error Fixings

More tools to format a memory card? Here is an option: 6 Free SD card format tools

Format SD Card FAT32 by Windows Built-in Tools (only for SD cards less than 32GB)

Formatting your SD card to FAT32 using Windows built-in tools is straightforward but is only applicable for SD cards with a capacity of 32GB or less. For larger SD cards, third-party tools are required. However, if your SD card is within this size range, Windows offers two primary built-in methods for formatting: Disk Management and File Explorer. Both methods are effective for setting the file system to FAT32, ensuring compatibility with various devices and operating systems.

Note: Before proceeding with formatting, make sure to back up any important data on your SD card. Formatting will erase all existing data on the card. If you encounter any issues or if the SD card is not recognized, troubleshooting steps may be required.

Here are the three built-in methods you can use:

• Disk Management: This utility provides a graphical interface to manage your disks and partitions. It allows you to format your SD card to FAT32, among other file systems.
• File Explorer: This method is more straightforward and involves right-clicking on the SD card in File Explorer and selecting the format option. It is a quicker way to format your SD card without needing to open additional utilities.
• Command Prompt (Diskpart): This utility allows you to perform advanced disk management tasks through command-line instructions. Using `diskpart`, you can format your SD card to FAT32, even if it is not recognized or if other methods fail. This approach is useful for troubleshooting and handling more complex formatting needs.

In the following sections, we will explore each method in detail to help you format your SD card efficiently and correctly.

Windows Disk Management (Windows 11/10/8/7)

Here in this part, we will show you how to format a memory card to FAT32 using Disk Management.

Preparations: Connect your memory card to your computer (better with a card reader). Open Disk Management by the following steps:

Right-click 'This PC' -> 'Manage' -> 'Disk Management', and it would show up like this.

Open Disk Management

Step 1 - Right-click your media under Disk Management -> Format

Format SD/TF card under Disk Management

Step 2 - Set the file system to FAT32 for your memory card in the format window.

Format SD card FAT32 under Disk Management

Format SD card FAT32 by right-click format

This is the simplest work that could be as easy as starting your computer. And here are the steps.

Connect SD to computer ->Double-click 'This PC' -> Right-click SD card, 'Format' -> Set it to FAT32 in file system -> 'Start'

Right-click memory card - Format

Quick format SD card less than 32GB to FAT32 (Quick Format is optional in this step)

Diskpart CMD to Format SD card FAT32 (Even damaged SD Card in RAW File System)

Windows built-in utility Diskpart could convert SD/TF card from whatever file system, including the raw file system to FAT32.

When the memory card is damaged?

1. It is showing used space '0 bytes' in property with file system RAW
2. It would report error 'You need to format the drive before you can use it'

No matter the memory card is in a healthy state or not, you may get it formatted to FAT32 using Windows command prompt with the following steps.

Preparations: Insert your SD/TF/CF card to Windows 11/10/8/7 with a card reader or your device and then launch cmd by using Windows icon + R on your keyboard, type 'diskpart' and enter to launch cmd diskpart.

Steps to format SD card FAT32 using cmd from file system exFAT/NTFS/FAT/RAW

This guide applies to memory cards of any file system, FAT, EXFAT, NTFS, OR RAW FILE SYSTEM.

1. 1, Type 'list volume' and enter
2. 2, Type 'select volume *' and enter (replace * with your own SD card drive letter that shows in your computer)
3. 3, Type 'format fs=fat32 quick' and enter
4. 4, Type 'exit' and enter

Diskpart command format SD card FAT32

Unable to Format SD Card FAT32 Causes and Fixing

There are many factors that may lead to a sd card format failure.

1. SD card is write protected. (Can be fixed), See how to remove write protected sd card
2. SD card is set read-only. (Can be fixed), See how to remove read only attribution
3. SD card has bad sectors
4. SD card has raw file system => fix raw sd card

The last two errors(bad sectors, raw sd card) could be fixed here: how to repair damaged memory card

There is one dilemma that you need to know, when your memory card cannot be formatted, it may come to its end of life.

We would recommend you watch the following video when memory card cannot be formatted in Windows.

How to change sd card exfat/ntfs to fat32 in Windows

Converting ntfs to FAT32 can be done with free third party software called IM-Magic Partition Resizer. This tool can help convert ntfs to fat32 without losing data. As far as changing the exfat to FAT32, you may format it with this free tool too, with data removal if it's exfat.

How to change raw file system to fat32

Changing SD card raw file system to fat32 can be done just by formatting. You may format it with third party free tools or Windows built-in tools. Please do backup data or recover data from the raw sd card before the formatting.

Freeware to Convert SD Card FAT32 on Mac

If you are converting the sd card on a Macbook or Mac machine, you may use freeware provided by Mac called Disk Utility to get the sd/tf converted to fat32.

Disk Utility to format memory card fat32

Format sd card fat32 on mac? Try this SD card formatter mac

Steps to Format SD Card FAT32 on MAC

• Open Disk Utility, which can be found in Applications -> Utility
• View -> Show all devices
• Select the one you want to erase/format, and then click the Erase button. (The same function that is to perform the function of 'Format')
• Select file system -> MS-DOS(FAT), which represents FAT32 in MAC
• Erase

Also read: 3 free tools to format fat32 on MAC

How to format sd card to fat32 on Android

Is it possible to format sd card fat32 on Android mobile phone? It's simple and easy that could be operated inside of your cellphone to get the memory card formatted when the memory card was FAT32 before the format that only to do a reformatting.

Recommend: How to format sd card on Android phone (The file system remains no change.)

If you are wondering is it possible to change sd card file system on Android? You should know the answer is the following.

NO! If the file system of your memory card was not fat32 and you wanted to change it to fat32 on mobile, the answer would be NO!

Solution: Fomat memory card fat32 in Windows 11/10/8/7 or MAC if you want to change its file system.

New 32GB exfat sd/TF card not recognized in Phone

You may want to know how to fix 32/64/128/256GB SD/TF card not recognized by Android phone like SAMSUNG, HUAWEI, HTC etc., the truth is the memory card which is over 32gb was set to exfat file system that could not be detected/read by many mobile phones.

This could easily be fixed if you change its file system from exfat to fat32, then your mobile would read it without problem.

Other FAQs

Question: Can I format 64gb sd card to fat32 free?

Answer: Yes, you may use free sd card fat32 formatter mentioned above to get your memory card formatted to fat32 for free.

The above sd card formatters may format 128gb sd card fat32, format 256gb sd card to fat32, ie it is regardless of the memory card capacity.

Question: Format 128GB SD card FAT32

You may use free format tool IM-Magic Partition Resizer to format sd card 128gb to fat32 file system.

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Last updated on Sept 10, 2024