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Format Flash Drive FAT32 Mac!!

S

sridvijay

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 9, 2010
18
0
Hey,

I need to format my flash drive into a FAT32 partition. I need this to work on both PC's and Macs. I tried using Disk Utility but that is only FAT. Even if it FAT32, my PC can't recognize it! Please Help! I can do this on my PC, but I want t o know just for information knowledge just in case!

Thanks,
Vijay
 
FAT or MS-DOS File System is the term Disk Utility uses for FAT32.


Guide on how to use Disk Utility from the restore / installation DVD.

Format Your Hard Drive Using Disk Utility

Partition Your Hard Drive With Disk Utility


In Windows you can format via Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management.

removing_partition_hard_drive_using_windows_xp.gif



I have formatted several USB memory sticks in Disk Utility and they worked fine in Windows, just make sure, the partition scheme is set to MBR (Master Boot Record), thus Windows can read and write from and to it.
 
sridvijay said:
Hey,

I need to format my flash drive into a FAT32 partition. I need this to work on both PC's and Macs. I tried using Disk Utility but that is only FAT. Even if it FAT32, my PC can't recognize it! Please Help! I can do this on my PC, but I want t o know just for information knowledge just in case!

Thanks,
Vijay
Click to expand...
Most flash drives are formatted FAT32 out of the blister pack and can be used as is by virtually every Mac ever built. Install NTFS-3G or one of the commercial NTFS drivers, format your thumb drive as NTFS, and have a much more reliable SneakerNet between your Mac and Windows computers.
 
Thanks!

Hey,

Sorry, but I have a Mac, not a PC! And Number 2 is that I formatted my Flash Drive to Mac OS Extended Journaled, to boot a operating system off of it. Now after I did that, I want to put it back to FAT32! I know I can use my PC, but right now I don't have it!

Thanks for the Quick Reply,
Vijay:confused:
 
Can't you just set the partition type to MBR and then the format to FAT32 in the disk utility for the flash drive?

Am I missing something here, I've done that on my flash drives myself and I was able to go back and forth between format types easily within the disk utility.
 
sridvijay said:
Sorry, but I have a Mac, not a PC! And Number 2 is that I formatted my Flash Drive to Mac OS Extended Journaled, to boot a operating system off of it. Now after I did that, I want to put it back to FAT32! I know I can use my PC, but right now I don't have it!
Click to expand...

Follow the links spinnerlys provided. They are for Mac.
 
New to Mac...help with Flash Drive

I just got a new Mac. All of my PC files are on a Flash Drive. I connected the Flash Drive to the Mac and could pull up some of the files (pictures mainly). Then, not knowing not to:(, put the Flash Drive back into the PC. Now I can not open anything on the Flash Drive. Both the Mac and PC says the Flash Drive is not formatted. Can and How do I format the Flash Drive without losing all of my files.
 
Lovie85 said:
I just got a new Mac. All of my PC files are on a Flash Drive. I connected the Flash Drive to the Mac and could pull up some of the files (pictures mainly). Then, not knowing not to:(, put the Flash Drive back into the PC. Now I can not open anything on the Flash Drive. Both the Mac and PC says the Flash Drive is not formatted. Can and How do I format the Flash Drive without losing all of my files.
Click to expand...

I don't think that the is a way to format it without losing your data.
Can you check what file system you have on your Flash Drive?
 
New to Mac...help with Flash Drive

Neither the Mac or Pc will recognize the flash drive. I was told I should be able to format the Flash Drive without loosing my files. How would I do that?
 
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