Can't format 64 GB USB flash drives as FAT32?

Hello.

I noticed both updated 64bit Windows 7 HPE SP1 & 10 EE won't let me
reformat my new 64 GB flash drives as FAT32 (default originally). Their
Explorers only gave me NTFS & exFAT. Why no old FAT32? Not everything
know exFAT & NTFS.

Thank you in adance.
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On Fri, 25 Nov 2016 17:06:43 -0600, (Ant) wrote:

Hello.

I noticed both updated 64bit Windows 7 HPE SP1 & 10 EE won't let me
reformat my new 64 GB flash drives as FAT32 (default originally). Their
Explorers only gave me NTFS & exFAT. Why no old FAT32? Not everything
know exFAT & NTFS.


Since Windows XP, Windows has a limit on how large a FAT32
partition it can *create*. It's 32GB.

However it has no problem *using* a larger FAT32 partition if
created externally.

On 25-Nov-2016 6:06 PM, Ant wrote:
Hello.

I noticed both updated 64bit Windows 7 HPE SP1 & 10 EE won't let me
reformat my new 64 GB flash drives as FAT32 (default originally). Their
Explorers only gave me NTFS & exFAT. Why no old FAT32? Not everything
know exFAT & NTFS.

Thank you in adance.


Same here on Windows 10 home 64bits for USB 3.0 64GB and USB 3.0 128GB.
NTFS and exFAT only.
Using MiniTool Partition Wizard I can format in: FAT32, NTFS, Ext2,
Ext3, Ext4 and Linux Swap but no exFAT.
This is weird.

Ant wrote:

I noticed both updated 64bit Windows 7 HPE SP1 & 10 EE won't let me
reformat my new 64 GB flash drives as FAT32 (default originally). Their
Explorers only gave me NTFS & exFAT. Why no old FAT32?

Open a command shell (cmd.exe) with admin privileges. Use the
format.exe program inside the command shell. Run "format /?" for help.
You'll need to use the /fs:fat32 argument. explorer.exe has code to fix
the limitation to 32GB hence why you cannot use it beyond that capacity.
This was a deliberate ploy to get users to move to NTFS.

Or use a 3rd party (non-Microsoft) partition manager if you need a GUI.

On 26/11/2016 00:56, VanguardLH wrote:
Ant wrote:

I noticed both updated 64bit Windows 7 HPE SP1 & 10 EE won't let me
reformat my new 64 GB flash drives as FAT32 (default originally). Their
Explorers only gave me NTFS & exFAT. Why no old FAT32?

Open a command shell (cmd.exe) with admin privileges. Use the
format.exe program inside the command shell. Run "format /?" for help.
You'll need to use the /fs:fat32 argument. explorer.exe has code to fix
the limitation to 32GB hence why you cannot use it beyond that capacity.
This was a deliberate ploy to get users to move to NTFS.

Or use a 3rd party (non-Microsoft) partition manager if you need a GUI.


I think this supposed "limitation" appeared when Microsoft introduced
their proprietary ExFAT format.

I think even Microsoft know NTFS isn't a good idea on flash storage that
doesn't have wear levelling.

--

Brian Gregory (in the UK).
To email me please remove all the letter vee from my email address.

On 11/25/2016 7:01 PM, Sergey wrote:
Same here on Windows 10 home 64bits for USB 3.0 64GB and USB 3.0 128GB.
NTFS and exFAT only.
Using MiniTool Partition Wizard I can format in: FAT32, NTFS, Ext2,
Ext3, Ext4 and Linux Swap but no exFAT.
This is weird.


ExFAT is proprietary, Microsoft wants to charge money for using it. The
patents on FAT32 and NTFS ran out long ago, that's why Linux can now
fully use both filesystems nowadays, whereas in the olden days they were
limited to read-only access or **** like that.

Yousuf Khan

In article , bbbl67
@spammenot.yahoo.com says...

On 11/25/2016 7:01 PM, Sergey wrote:
Same here on Windows 10 home 64bits for USB 3.0 64GB and USB 3.0 128GB.
NTFS and exFAT only.
Using MiniTool Partition Wizard I can format in: FAT32, NTFS, Ext2,
Ext3, Ext4 and Linux Swap but no exFAT.
This is weird.


ExFAT is proprietary, Microsoft wants to charge money for using it. The
patents on FAT32 and NTFS ran out long ago, that's why Linux can now
fully use both filesystems nowadays, whereas in the olden days they were
limited to read-only access or **** like that.

Yousuf Khan

I was under the understanding Mac's read/write to exFat. I even
formatted one of my externals once to facilitate visiting a Mac friend
once. Visit didn't happen so still don't know for sure. Can't see Apple
paying MS to support it's file system?

On 11/25/2016 7:01 PM, Yousuf Khan wrote:

ExFAT has some of the security
descriptors from NTFS, without any of the journaling features which can
be used in fixing filesystem errors. Etc.

Yousuf Khan

I always format usb drives ntfs, because I remember how easily FAT 32
got wrecked when Win 98 crashed. Many errors to fix. I don't know if
it's true, but I read an article saying that ntfs is faster on clusters
of small files than fat 32.
--
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http://realnews.com

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Thanks, robots.

pjp wrote:

I was under the understanding Mac's read/write to exFat.

Correct. The Mac operating system comes with read-only support for NTFS
volumes but full read-write support for FAT and ExFAT. Third-party
software is required to write to an NTFS volume.


I even formatted one of my externals once to facilitate visiting a Mac
friend once. Visit didn't happen so still don't know for sure. Can't see
Apple paying MS to support it's file system?

That's my understanding of why Apple doesn't provide full support for
NTFS: it's proprietary.

Neill Massello wrote:
pjp wrote:

I was under the understanding Mac's read/write to exFat.

Correct. The Mac operating system comes with read-only support for NTFS
volumes but full read-write support for FAT and ExFAT. Third-party
software is required to write to an NTFS volume.


I even formatted one of my externals once to facilitate visiting a Mac
friend once. Visit didn't happen so still don't know for sure. Can't see
Apple paying MS to support it's file system?

That's my understanding of why Apple doesn't provide full support for
NTFS: it's proprietary.


The option is available.

http://osxdaily.com/2013/10/02/enabl...port-mac-os-x/

And Apple and Microsoft have a history.

https://www.engadget.com/2014/05/20/...ment-in-apple/

"Steve Jobs and Bill Gates announced that the two companies had entered into a
historic agreement. In addition to agreeing to a broad patent cross-licensing ----
agreement, Microsoft promised to support Microsoft Office for the Mac for 5 years
while Apple agreed to make Internet Explorer the default web browser on the Mac.

Microsoft also promised to invest approximately $150 million for shares of
Apple non-voting preferred stock. Though the Mac faithful at the time were
wary of Microsoft, Steve Jobs at the time famously explained that "we have
to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose."

The deal between the two companies was mutually beneficial from every angle.
Apple got some much needed cash while Microsoft was able to keep a weakened
competitor afloat, thereby alleviating concerns about the company's
monopolistic power.
"

I'm sure there is more to the story than meets the eye.

*******

One thing about foreign NTFS access, is the risk depends
on what you're doing with it.

If you bring an NTFS data drive to a foreign computer,
the risk with analogs of the NTFS-3G driver are low.

Just be careful what you do to C: (OS) partitions over there.
I've trashed Win7 C: via Linux, while reading files in
C:\System Volume Information. Luckily, I had a backup
image made two hours earlier at the time. You don't get
that lucky very often. I tried to repair with CHKDSK but
it didn't work. Whatever the problem was, it was that bad.

Paul