What is the best allocation unit size for FAT32?

According to Hitachi, the recommended cluster size for a 16GB FAT32 partition is 4KB, the recommended cluster size for a 64GB FAT32 partition is 16KB, the recommended cluster size for a 128GB FAT32 partition is 32KB and the recommended cluster size for a 256GB partition is 64KB.

How do I format a 32GB flash drive to FAT32?

#2. Format USB (Under 32GB) to FAT32 via Windows 7/8/10 Disk Management

1. Right-click This PC in Windows 10/My Computer in Windows 7, and choose Manage.
2. Choose Disk Management under Storage.
3. Right-click on your USB drive and select Format.
4. From the File system drop-down list, choose FAT32 and click OK.

Is 32GB a FAT32?

The reason why the Windows UI has a 32GB limit on the formatting of FAT32 volumes is because retired Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer “said so.” The confession comes “in the latest of a series of anecdotes hosted on his YouTube channel Dave’s Garage,” reports The Register.

Why does Windows limit FAT32 to 32GB?

The 32GB limit is only a limit of convenience made by Microsoft. FAT and FAT32 are really inefficient for larger drive sizes due to it’s simplistic and naive sector allocation map so MS set the arbitrary limit.

Why can’t I format my flash drive to FAT32?

Why can’t you format 128GB USB flash drive to FAT32 in Windows. The reason is that by default, the Windows File Explorer, Diskpart, and Disk Management will format USB flash drives below 32GB as FAT32 and USB flash drives that are above 32GB as exFAT or NTFS.

How long does it take to format a 32GB USB drive?

While this method works with drives larger than 32 GB, it’s really slow – even formatting a 32 GB drive can take up to an hour depending on your computer.

How big can a FAT32 flash drive be?

The truth is that FAT32 has a theoretical volume size limit of 16 TB, with a current practical limit of about 8 TB—plenty for most USB drives. We’re going to show you two ways to format larger USB drives with FAT32.

How do I format FAT32?

1. Connect the USB storage device to the computer.
2. Open Disk Utility.
3. Click to select the USB storage device in the left panel.
4. Click to change to the Erase tab.
5. In the Volume Format: selection box, click. MS-DOS File System.
6. Click Erase.
7. At the confirmation dialog, click the Erase.
8. Close the Disk Utility window.