How to format 2TB hard drive to FAT32? Here’s a quick guide – included

Formatting a large drive requires a specific process. So, how do you format a 2 TB drive to FAT32?

Formatting a hard drive is a strange thing. Even for the largest of drives, a quick format takes only a few seconds. Yet, with a normal format, it can take a long time even for just a few hundred GB of data.

This is because the longer formatting process scans the hard drive for bad sectors before formatting, which takes up most of the time. So, what happens when you format a 2 TB hard drive to FAT32?

Does it take the same time, and is it possible to format such drives with the FAT32 file system? Today, we will answer this question and delve deeper into the subject. Let's get started.

Introduction

is one of the crucial file systems in the world of computing. Introduced in 1996, it has remained one of the most commonly used and significant file systems for formatting storage devices. It has been equally supported by both Mac and Windows operating systems through the years.

However, FAT32 is an older technology that has become limited in what it can do. For example, modern boot drives tend to be measured in terabytes, while the FAT32 file system tops out at around 2TB.

The aim of this topic is to discuss how to format 2TB to FAT32 file system. So, let's delve deeper into it to learn more about how to format USB to FAT32.

Yes, you can format a 2TB/4TB hard drive to FAT32, but there's a catch. The FAT32 file system has a limitation on the maximum size of individual files, which is 4GB. Therefore, if you plan to store files larger than 4GB, you will encounter errors. Additionally, some modern operating systems and devices might not recommend or support using FAT32 for drives above 1TB due to performance and stability issues. If you still want to proceed with formatting to FAT32, you can use disk management tools in your operating system (like Disk Management in Windows) or third-party software. Just make sure you backup your data beforehand, as formatting will erase everything on the drive.

The short answer is yes, you can format your 2TB or 4TB hard drive to FAT32. However, this won't happen seamlessly, or without taking the necessary steps. In other words, there are some key requirements that need to be met for this to work.

More importantly, you cannot use standard Windows tools – such as

• Basic formatting tools in Windows
• Format tool in File Explorer
• Disk Management
• Command Prompt

This is because any drive larger than 2TB needs to be partitioned as a GPT partition. The other reason is that FAT32 doesn't support partitions larger than 2TB in the first place. Even so, FAT32 would require converting the partition to a GPT file system to use the full space.

Thus, the two main reasons for the 2 TB limit in FAT32 are:

• While the maximum size limit for a FAT32 partition is 2 TB per volume, Windows doesn't allow any FAT32 partition to exceed 32 GB. Hence, external or third-party support is required.
• The Windows file system format supports larger drives only in GPT.

Thus, you need to follow specific steps and guidelines to use large capacity drives like 2TB, 4TB, etc., on the FAT32 file system. Let's explore how to proceed.

How long does it take to format a 2TB hard drive to FAT32?

The time it takes to format depends on many factors. While there can be an accurate estimate, it can vary significantly from the actual runtime. For instance, formatting a 2 TB drive to FAT32 can take as little as 20-30 seconds with a quick format.

But if you opt for the standard format, you run into a whole host of other problems.

• The processor you're using
• Your laptop/motherboard and the interfaces it supports
• The interface it uses, such as NVME, SATA 3/6GBPs, Type-C, external drives, etc.
• System memory (RAM) and its speed (e.g., 3600 DDR4/5200MHz DDR5)

So the time it takes to format a drive depends on these factors, but on a typical computer today, a full format of a two-terabyte hard disk with the FAT32 file system would take about 30 minutes. If the disk has data on it, the formatting will take longer.

How to format 2TB hard drive to FAT32 with Partition Master? Let the FAT32 formatter help.

We have confirmed that Windows or its built-in utility cannot format a FAT32 drive. Hence, a professional partition tool is needed to do the job. This is where we need to use the Partition Master Professional tool.

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This excellent tool allows users to format any storage capacity type to FAT32. This includes drives as large as 2TB, 4TB, or even 6TB. There are many reasons why you might need this tool, such as:

• Support for formatting any drive to FAT32;
• Bypasses the FAT32 size limitation, enabling use of storage over 2 TB;
• Simplicity in design with an intuitive control panel featuring convenient options;
• Compatibility with all Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, 8, 10, and Windows 11;
• Permits users to clone their operating system from one drive to another.

These factors make it a convenient and overall great choice for formatting large storage to FAT32. So, how do you go about formatting with it? Here's what you need to do:

Phase 1: Downloading and Installing

• Go to the Partition Master tool website: /partition-manager/epm-pro.html
• Download the tool to your computer.

• Run the executable and follow the instructions on-screen
• Finish the installation

Phase 2: Back up your important data

Please note that formatting the drive will result in loss of all important data. So, you need to:

• Save your data to another hard drive.
• Use the right backup method to back up all the data on your hard drive.
• Only save essential data (not downloadable content).

So, you only need to save data like images, videos, or any other important files because you can always download games, apps, or other files later, which will save you time.

Step 3: Format the 2TB/4TB hard drive to FAT32 using Partition Master Tool

In this part, we will show you how to format a large storage device to FAT32 using the Partition Master tool. So, once you've done all the steps above, you need to:

Step 1. Run Partition Master, right click the hard drive partition you want to format and choose "Format".

Step 2: In the pop-up window, set "Volume label", "File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT)", and "Cluster size" for the partition to be formatted, then click "OK".

Step 3: You'll see a warning; click “Yes” to proceed.

4. Click “Perform 1 Task” to review the changes, then click “Apply” to begin formatting the hard drive partition.

Conclusions

This is everything you need to know about formatting to FAT32. We explained why the built-in Windows tool cannot do it and why you need a capable tool like Partition Master.

Thus, make sure to back up important data and understand these aspects before formatting the drive to FAT32 using the Partition Master tool.

Frequently Asked Questions about Formatting 2TB to FAT32

Questions about formatting FAT32 for storage over 2TB abound. So, if you have any similar queries, hopefully, these FAQs will help you find the answers:

< b > 1: Can I format a 4TB hard drive to FAT32?< / b >

Yes, you can. However, to achieve this goal, you need a tool like Partition Master, as it can overcome the limitations of the file system. It will assist you in formatting with non-standard cluster sizes and create GPT partitions.

2. Can you format SSD to FAT32?

Yes, it is possible. Any SSD drive still uses the same clusters and other sector information. Therefore, you can format your SSD to FAT32 using standard methods or with tools like Partition Master.

Question: What is the maximum capacity of FAT32?

It depends on the specific problem. If you're talking about storing a file, then the maximum file size on any FAT32 device is around 4 GB. However, the default maximum partition size for FAT32 is 2 TB, but you'll need to follow the steps in this article to achieve that.