How to Format 64GB SD Card to FAT32 on Windows

FAT32, as a traditional file system, is compatible with many classical external media like XBOX, PS3, and Android, etc. However, FAT32 has the limitation to single file. In another situation, FAT32 not only supports many traditional external media but also many operating systems. For instance, one may want to format 64 GB micro SD card to FAT32 on Win 7 for Raspberry Pi, PS3/PS4 as well as format for Nintendo 3DS. It becomes important to know how to format 64 GB micro SD card to FAT32 to work. This tutorial will provide a complete guide on formatting 64 GB SD card to FAT32.

Note: The method provided in this article is suitable for formatting 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, or even larger SD cards to FAT32. Continue reading and see how to format 64GB SD card to FAT32 free on Windows.

Can You Format Format 64 GB SD Card to FAT32?

We know that FAT32 has a limitation on individual files; it does not support reading and writing individual files larger than 4 GB. So, can we directly format 64GB SD card to FAT32? Windows built-in format utility (File Explorer and Disk Management), yet does not support format an SD card or USB drive that is larger than 32 GB to FAT32. If you try to do the formatting, chances are that you’ll receive an error that says Windows was unable to complete the format. So you can't format SD card to FAT32 in Windows.

Fortunately, many powerful format tools support formatting large-capacity SD card or USB stick to FAT32 with ease. For example, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a reliable format utility that allows you to not only format SD card to FAT32 but also to EXT2/EXT3, FAT, and NTFS. This tool can format 500GB HDD to FAT32, too. During the format process, partition label and cluster size are free to change. What’s more, this software can format bootable USB drive to normal even if there are boot programs and files stored.  

How to Format 64 GB SD Card from exFAT to FAT32 on Windows

Now, I will show you how to format 64 GB SD card to fat32. You can directly format a 64GB, 128GB or even larger SD card to FAT32 without losing storage capacity or affecting the read/write speed of the SD card. All data will be erased after formatting, please back up important files before you start.

1. Plug the 64GB SD card to a card reader and insert it into your computer. Be sure that the SD card is detected. Next, install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant.

2. Right-click the SD card and select “Format Partition”.

3. In the pop-up window, specify partition label and select FAT32 from the given list.

4. Click “Apply” to execute the pending operations.

★Tips:

If the 64GB SD card is a new SD card, you can see an unallocated space there. Right-click it and create a FAT32 based partition with “Create Partition”.

The above steps apply to format 64 GB SD card to FAT32 in Windows 10 as well.

You are able to format SD card to exFAT on the contrary as well.

Only four steps you can format 64GB SD card to FAT32 successfully under Windows, it also works when you need to format 128GB SD card to FAT32. Last but not least, it can provide help in different situations, such as, changing file system without formatting on the SD card, recovering lost data, etc.

Bonus Tip: How to Format SD Card to FAT32

If your SD card is not larger than 32GB, you can continue to use AOMEI Partition Assistant or the following SD card formatting tool and format the SD card to FAT32.

Method 1. Format SD Card Using Windows File Explorer

Connect the SD card to your computer via an SD card reader and make sure it can be detected. Follow the instructions below to easily format the SD card on Windows:

Step 1. Press and hold Windows+E to open Windows File Explorer.

Step 2. Right-click the SD card and select "Format".

Step 3. Select FAT32 file system and start formatting.

Method 2. Format SD card using Disk Management

Disk Management is a built-in Windows tool for managing disks on your computer. Some people who are familiar with computers may use Disk Management to format SD card FAT32 as follows:

Step 1. Press Windows Logo Key + X and select "Disk Management".

Step 2. Right-click the SD card drive and select Format.

Step 3. Select FAT32 file system and start formatting.

Method 3. Format SD Card with Command Prompt

Can I format 64GB SD card to FAT32 with command prompt? The command prompt also needs to follow the restriction rules for SD cards. If you are familiar with the Windows command prompt, you can use Diskpart.exe to format the SD card on Windows. The method is as follows:

Step 1: Press Windows Logo Key + R to open the Run box.

Step 2. In the text field, type "diskpart", press Enter, and then click Yes to open the diskpart.exe window.

Step 3: In the pop-up window, execute the following commands one by one.

• List Disks
• Select Disk #
• List Partitions
• Select Partition(s)*
• Format fs=fat32 quick (this command will format the SD card to FAT32)