Windows 10: Allocation unit size when formatting USB flash drive

Discus and support Allocation unit size when formatting USB flash drive in Windows 10 Drivers and Hardware to solve the problem; Hi: I am currently involved with transferring music MP3 files to a 32-GB thumb drive and have needed to reformat the thumb drive several times during... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Drivers and Hardware' started by VinceB, Jun 16, 2021.

  1. VinceB Win User

    Allocation unit size when formatting USB flash drive


    Hi: I am currently involved with transferring music MP3 files to a 32-GB thumb drive and have needed to reformat the thumb drive several times during the troubleshooting process that I am dealing with. I do not know how to make an intelligent choice for the Allocation unit size, and why. Also, I want to learn how to set/reset the File system (Default) settings. Presently, the File system is showing as FAT32 (Default) and the Allocation unit size is showing as 16 kilobytes (cluster size). Are those selections appropriate for the task at hand? Is there a tutorial/blog available that would provide insight to those formatting selections? TIA.

    :)
     
    VinceB, Jun 16, 2021
    #1
  2. Avocado Win User

    Allocation unit size for USB flash drive 32GB

    The default "Allocation unit size" setting is automatically detected, so do not change the setting.
     
    Avocado, Jun 16, 2021
    #2
  3. Allocation unit size for USB flash drive 32GB

    I just bought 32GB usb flash drive and i want to format it, but i dont know what default Allocation unit size for formating it and also i've no idea what it means.
    Here a screenshot

    Allocation unit size when formatting USB flash drive [​IMG]

    I hope you guys can explain and help me decide which one should i choose. And sorry if this off topic. Thanks in advance.
     
    mikelferdinan, Jun 16, 2021
    #3
  4. topgundcp Win User

    Allocation unit size when formatting USB flash drive

    Allocation unit size for USB flash drive 32GB

    Basically, the allocation unit size is the block size on your hard drive when it formats NTFS (default 4096 bytes). If you have lots of small files, then it’s a good idea to keep the allocation size small so your harddrive space won’t be wasted. If you have lots of large files, keeping it higher will increase the system performance by having less blocks to seek.
    For example:
    with a 1 byte file size will occupy 4096 bytes if allocation unit is set to 4096 bytes while it will occupy 8192 bytes if you set it to 8182 bytes.

    For flash drive. You can either format with NTFS or ExFat. However, NTFS on flash memory has been known to be inefficient. exFAT’s smaller footprint/overhead.
     
    topgundcp, Jun 16, 2021
    #4
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Allocation unit size when formatting USB flash drive

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