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An expert tool for recovering lost partitions
Last updated: Jan 26, 2024

Need to Format SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10? You can do it!

If you want to or have to format a micro SD card to FAT32 on Windows 10, but you aren't successful? This article is for you!

Here you will find out:

  • why you cannot format SD card
  • how to format SD card to FAT32
  • how DiskInternals can help you

Are you ready? Let's read!

Why can't I format SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10?

Why you cannot format SD card into FAT32

You may encounter problems with formatting an SD card to FAT32 and it turns out that this is not as simple as it seems at first glance. The most common issue is that your SD card, probably is too large in volume. In Windows 10, it is difficult to format a flash drive into FAT32 if its memory size is more than 32 GB. This is due to its longevity as a file system.

And since this article exists, formatting a 64 GB SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 still possible, and here it will be described in detail how to do it.

1. When Windows File Explorer and Disk Management works

Keep in mind: Disk Management will work if the SD card is 4 GB or less, while File Explorer is useful if the memory card is 32 GB or less. Then you can try these methods.

Let's start with File Explorer: you can open it through the Start menu by selecting the appropriate line. Under the line "Devices and Drives", select the desired SD card with the right mouse button. Now click Format -> FAT32 -> Ok.

Format SD card into FAT32 via File Explorer

Now in Disk Management: also in the Start menu, only now find the Disk Management line and click on it. All subsequent actions are no different than with Explorer. You just have to wait for the end of Windows 10 formatting an SD card to FAT32.

Format SD card into FAT32 via Disk Management

2. Format SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 with Diskpart

First open Command Prompt as an administrator (you can do this through the Start button). Now you need to enter some commands:

  • "diskpart" then press Enter.
  • "list volume" then press Enter.
  • Type "select volume x", where x is the drive letter, then press Enter.
  • Type "format fs = fat32", press Enter.
Format SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 with Diskpart.

Wait for the completion of the formatting of the SD card into FAT32 on your Windows 10 computer.

3. Format SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 with the command line

This option for formatting a 64 GB micro SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 works like this:

Here you need to do everything the same as in the previous paragraph, only the command will be like this:

Write this line to format SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10.
  • R - drive letter. You need to write your drive letter.
Format SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 with CMD.

After that, press Enter and patiently wait for the action to complete.

If you need to restore files from an SD card, use DiskInternals

If you need to recover deleted files from an SD card, use DiskInternals Uneraser. This app is universal and can recover any type of file and work with any version of Windows. Anyone, even the most inexperienced user, can use this program, thanks to the built-in Recovery Wizard.

If you formatted the SD card and you need to restore the files, it is better to use DiskInternals Partition Recovery in case of loss or deletion of the partition, OS failure, full formation, or deletion of files. Partition Recovery is also a universal application with an even deeper search capability for lost data. It covers a wide range of file systems: UFS, HFS, ReiserFS, Reiser4, FAT 12, FAT 16, FAT 32, ReFS, XFS, NTFS4 and NTFS5, and Ext2/3/4.

The program searches for any lost information on each partition of the disk using deep scanning. Although this is not such a quick process, it's worth it — you will not be disappointed in your choice.

Do not delay retrieving your data — this is good advice. Indeed, data overwriting may happen very soon.

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