How to Change/Convert NTFS to FAT32 without Data Loss

Both NTFS and FAT32 are common file systems on Windows laptops, desktops, and servers. Because of some advantages, NTFS is much more popular than FAT32. However, sometimes you have to convert NTFS to FAT32. A typical example is that some NTFS USB flash drives are not recognized. Many people have Mac and Windows computers, TV boxes, PlayStations, and other types of devices. If you format a USB flash drive as NTFS on a Windows computer, this drive may not be recognized on another device. Therefore, you had better change the USB drive from NTFS to FAT32. This article introduces how to convert NTFS to FAT32 on a Windows PC or server without formatting or losing data.

About FAT32 and NTFS Partitions

The FAT (File Allocation Table) file system was the primary file system in Microsoft's older operating systems and, for the most part, NTFS has replaced it. However, all versions of Windows still support FAT16/32, and it's common for removable disks to use this type of file system.

FAT works like a chain, and the Operating System maintains a hard disk by providing a map of the clusters (the basic units of logical storage on a hard disk). When you write a new file to a hard disk, the file is stored in one or more clusters that are not necessarily next to each other. When you read a file, the Operating System gets the file list and locates the file's location via the table, and then gets the entire data zone and other info.

Files larger than 4GB cannot be saved to a FAT32 partition.

NTFS (NT file system, also called New Technology File System) is a newer file system that came after FAT. Thus, it has some advantages, including but not fully listed as:

1. Use of a b-tree directory scheme to keep track of file clusters.
2. Information about a file's clusters and other data is stored with each cluster, rather than just in a governing table (like FAT).
3. Support for very large files (up to 16 billion bytes in size).
4. An access control list (ACL) that lets a server administrator control who can access specific files.
5. Integrated file compression.
6. Support for names based on Unicode.
7. Support for long file names.
8. Data security on both removable and fixed disks.

Change NTFS to FAT32 via Diskpart and Other Native Tools

It seems a bit complicated, but it is very easy to convert NTFS to FAT32 with free partition software such as NIUBI Partition Editor Free Edition. If you do not like to use third-party software, you have to reformat this NTFS partition.

Formatting will destroy all data in this partition, so remember to back up or transfer files before doing this.

If the NTFS partition that you want to format to FAT32 is smaller than 32GB, there are 4 ways.

4 ways to convert an NTFS to FAT32 partition in Windows (destructively):

1. Press Windows and R together on the keyboard, type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Disk Management, right-click this NTFS partition and select Format.
2. Press Windows and E together to open File Explorer, right-click the NTFS partition and select Format.
3. Press Windows and R, type cmd and press Enter, type format /FS:FAT32 /Q X: (X is the drive letter of the NTFS partition and /Q means quick format).
4. Run the diskpart command:

How to convert an NTFS to FAT32 partition with the diskpart command (destructively):

1. Press Windows and R together on the keyboard, type diskpart and press Enter.
2. Type list volume and press Enter in the diskpart command prompt window.
3. Type select volume D and press Enter (D is the number or drive letter of the partition that you want to convert to FAT32).
4. Type format fs=FAT32 quick and press Enter. (quick means quick format and it is optional).

It takes anywhere from several minutes to over 10 minutes to execute if you format without quick mode. As you can see, if you format an NTFS partition larger than 32GB to FAT32, diskpart reports the error "Virtual Disk Service error: The volume size is too big".

If you format an NTFS partition larger than 32GB via Disk Management or in File Explorer, there is no FAT32 as an option.

For comparison, a 30GB NTFS partition can be converted to FAT32 without issue.

If you want to convert NTFS to FAT32 without formatting or losing data, follow the method below.

Convert NTFS to FAT32 in Windows 11/10/8/7 with Free Converter

With NIUBI Partition Editor, only 3 clicks are needed to complete the conversion. There is no partition size limit, and the conversion can be done in a flash. For Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP (32/64-bit) home users, there is a free edition.

Download this tool, right-click any NTFS partition (except System Reserved, system C:, and small OEM partitions), and select "Convert to FAT32".

Click OK to confirm.

Click Apply on the top left to execute, and you are done. (Any operations made before clicking Apply only work in virtual mode, and real disk partitions will not be modified.)

Watch the video to see how to convert NTFS to FAT32 in Windows 10 with NIUBI:

Besides converting NTFS to FAT32 without losing data, NIUBI Partition Editor helps you convert an MBR disk to GPT, and convert a Primary partition to Logical. You can also shrink, extend, move, and merge partitions to optimize space usage, clone a disk or partition to migrate OS and data, defrag, wipe, hide partitions, scan for bad sectors, and much more.

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