Windows 10: Reformatting external hard drive from FAt32 to NTFS

I reformatted a WD passport to FAT32 to back up my ps4. Now I'd like to format is back to NTFS so I can use it as a back up for my pc.I can't see the drive when I connect it to my pc, under "This PC." So I can't right click, go to properties and reformat.I went to disk management and I can see the drive but when I right click the only options are "convert to dynamic disk, convert to MBR disk" or properties. There's no format option in properties.I tried diskpart command line, but I wasn't able to get that to work either.If this isn't the right place to put a question like this please let me

:)

 

Compatibility FAT32 to NTFS

Yes. Windows 10, regardless of whether it itself is installed on an NTFS or FAT32 drive, is compatible with NTFS, FAT32, and FAT16 drives, whether they are flash drives, internal hard drives, external hard drives, SSDs, etc.

 

External hard drive is NTFS but Xbox pc wont recognise it...

Dear Mothcat182,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community



Thank you for reaching out regarding the issue with your Xbox app not recognizing your external hard drive as an NTFS device. It sounds frustrating, but I'm here to help you troubleshoot this problem. Here are a few steps you can follow:

1. Verify NTFS Format and Sector Size: First, let's ensure that your external hard drive is formatted to NTFS and check the sector size, as this might be the cause of the issue:
   
   • Open Command Prompt by typing cmd in the search bar, right-clicking on it, and selecting 'Run as administrator'.
     
   • Enter the following command: fsutil fsinfo ntfsinfo D: (replace 'D' with your drive letter). This will display the NTFS volume information.
     
   • Look for the “Bytes Per Sector” and “Bytes Per Physical Sector” in the output. For compatibility with the Xbox app, these should ideally be 4096 bytes or less.
     
2. Reformat the Drive with Correct Sector Size: If your sector size is not 4096 bytes or less, you may need to reformat the drive with the correct sector size. Note that reformatting will erase all data on the drive, so make sure to back up your files first.
   
   • Back up all important data from your external hard drive.
     
   • Right-click the drive in 'This PC' or 'File Explorer' and select 'Format'.
     
   • Choose NTFS as the file system and set the 'Allocation unit size' to ‘4096 bytes’.
     
   • Check 'Quick Format' and click 'Start'.
     
   • This will erase all data on the drive, so make sure to back up any important files before proceeding.
     
3. Use another hard drive: If you cannot reformat the hard drive or the hard drive is still not recognized after formatting, it is likely that there is a compatibility problem with the hard drive. Please try using another hard drive to complete the installation.
   

I hope these steps help you get your drive recognized and allow you to reinstall your games. If there are any more questions or if you need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.



Best Regards,

Martin | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

what is the difference in fat32 and NTFS HDD formating???

NTFS is far superior when it comes to data safety, as when it comes to performance with large files. Just disconnect and connect a FAT32 USB drive a few times without using the remove button and then do the same to a NTFS drive. The FAT32 drive will be screwed while the NTFS drives requires a run of chkdsk at the most. I wouldn't safe anything I wish to keep on a FAT32 disk.