Best Free Software to Format SD Card to exFAT on Windows
What is the difference between exFAT and FAT32 and NTFS?
Windows supports three types of file systems: NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT. These file systems determine how information is stored, what can be stored, and how data can be accessed on a particular partition. When formatting an internal, external, or removable drive, you can choose one of these file systems. Each type has its own characteristics and uses.
NTFS, the most modern file system, has been the default choice for Windows system drives since it excels with large-sized partitions and files. Its advanced properties are particularly beneficial for operating systems, making it a reliable choice for storing and managing data.
FAT32 is a widely compatible file system for Windows, but it has its limitations. Although it's compatible with various operating systems and older devices, it's not practical due to its limitations, such as a maximum file size of 4GB. This can be a significant drawback in today's digital landscape where larger files are common.
exFAT overcomes the 4GB file size limit of FAT32, making it suitable for large files and partitions. While it offers more compatibility than NTFS, it still lags behind FAT32 in this regard. For users who need strong compatibility and frequently work with large files, exFAT is a good choice.
A Samsung Galaxy S4 user wants to format their SD card to exFAT32 to use it with their PS4, but Android devices typically only support formatting to FAT32. To achieve this, they would need to use a computer or an external device to format the SD card to exFAT32, as Android devices cannot perform this specific formatting type.
How to format SD card to exFAT on Windows with built-in tools?
To switch between file systems, you can use various tools. For example, you can convert FAT32 to NTFS using Windows' built-in partition manager, which also allows formatting. If you need to format an SD card for use with an Android phone, remove it from the phone first and use an SD card reader to make it readable.
Format SD card to exFAT in File Explorer
1. To access your SD card, connect it to your computer using an SD card reader or slot, ensuring it's detected. Then, open Windows File Explorer by double-clicking on "Computer," "This PC," or "My Computer."
2. Locate your SD card, typically found under "Devices with Removable Storage". Right-click on it and select the "Format" option.
3. To format an SD card to exFAT, select exFAT from the file system list at the pop-up window, then click "Start" to begin the formatting process.
Wait patiently and you'll get the SD card formatted with exFAT. Make sure to check "Quick Format" for faster results.
exFAT format SD card in Command Prompt
The aforementioned GUI formatting method is user-friendly and suitable for common users. However, for those who prefer command line operations, this method also meets their needs.
1. Run diskpart as administrator.
2. Please type the following commands in order, each followed by an Enter: (insert commands here).
- list disk
- To select your SD card, type "select disk n" in the command prompt, where "n" is the number of your SD card.
- list partition
- Select partition m, where m is the number of your SD card partition.
- format fs=exfat
- exit
SD card should be formatted with exFAT in a short while. If you have more than one partition or have unallocated space on that SD card, to format entire SD card or micro SD card with exFAT, try following commands.
- list disk
- To select the SD card, type "select disk n" in the command prompt, where "n" is the number of the SD card you want to access.
- clean
- create partition primary
- format fs=exfat
- exit
Windows unable to format SD card to exFAT
Users can easily format their SD card to exFAT, FAT32, or NTFS using Command Prompt or File Explorer, but some users have experienced issues with formatting to exFAT.
If your SD card cannot be formatted, there are a few possible reasons. Firstly, the SD card may be write-protected, in which case you'll need to remove the protection before attempting to format it. Alternatively, the SD card may be corrupted or damaged, and running a "chkdsk" check can help confirm this and guide you in fixing any errors. If the SD card was previously working fine but is now refusing to format with Windows tools, or if DiskPart is taking an excessively long time to format, you may want to try using a more powerful format utility instead.
Better freeware to format SD card to exFAT without hindrance
Qiling Disk Master Standard is a free disk partition manager that allows you to easily format SD cards, including micro SD cards, SDXC, and others, to exFAT. With its user-friendly interface, this software can complete the formatting process in simple steps, and it also supports formatting to other file systems such as NTFS, FAT32, Ext2, and Ext3. The software is compatible with Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, XP, and Vista, making it suitable for every PC user. You can download and try it out to format your SD card to exFAT. This tutorial will guide you through the process of formatting an SD card to exFAT in Windows 7.
Step1. 1. Connect your SD card to your computer as instructed previously. 2.
Step2. To format your SD card, right-click on it at the main interface and select the "Format Partition" option.
Step3. In the pop-up window, select "exFAT" from the drop-down menu, specify the partition label, and optionally change the cluster size if desired.
Step4. Preview the virtual result. If everything looks good, click "Proceed" to execute pending operations.
Tips:
- If your SD card is brand new, you'll see "Unallocated" in that space instead of partition. Right-click the unallocated space and select "Create Partition" to format it with exFAT.
- This software supports formatting a 64GB SD card from exFAT to FAT32, allowing for a partition size larger than 32GB, unlike Windows tools.
Summary
You can successfully format an SD card to exFAT in Windows 7/8/10 within a few steps using Qiling Disk Master Standard, a free all-around hard drive manager. This software not only formats SD cards but also allows you to format external hard drives to the exFAT file system, and it provides additional features for securely wiping hard drive data.
Qiling Disk Master Professional, the advanced edition of Standard, includes more helpful features like SSD secure erase, quick partitioning of hard drives, and the ability to change partition type ID and serial number.