How to format a usb memory stick to FAT!

Hi all!

in this instructable i will tell you how to format a usb memory stick to FAT(not FAT32)

you will need:

USB memory stick(everything under 8gb works)(duh)
computer(duh)
command prompt

Great lets get started

p.s. sorry for low qaulity images i took them with my cellphone

Step 1: step 1

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Put the memory stick into your computer(duh!)

open command prompt ( start > all programs > accesories > command promt. or start > run > cmd)

type:

format x: /fs:FAT

PLEASE NOTE X IS WHERE YOU MEMORY STICK IS LOCATED WHERE THE X IS YOU SHOULD PUT THE LETTER OF YOU MEMORY STICK IN MY CASE E ; AND PLEASE DO NOT ACCIDENTLY FORMAT YOUR HARD DRIVE ITS NOT MY FAULT IF YOU FORMAT YOUR HARDDRIVE SO BE VERY VERY CAREFULL!!!!!!!

Thank you for sharing.Just as a side comment for a question 4 years back. We need FAT to be able to write firmware for certain PLC controllers, FAT32 doesn't work

thank you so much i was so lost on where to find a formatter tool and i forgot i had one right in front of me

stupid auto correct sorry I meant for not form

memory card format

Thx this helped me format my Hard drive so I could get it to work right because form some reason windows was installed on drive d not c

hi i am trying to format my usb stick to FAT but it says invalid media or track 0 bad - disk unusable. please help.

if you found any sol. than plz tell me also]

hi i am trying to format my usb stick to FAT but it says invalid media or track 0 bad - disk unusable. please help.

Thanks Darth Vader. Your USB instruction was indirectly very useful. I needed to format a 4gb compact flash card so that I could use it in an old minolta dimage 7 camera. FAT32 would not work. I followed the process and formated to FAT with 64 bits in each FAT entry. This allows me to take up to 1000 photos.

that is not a 8gig flash drive, you only formating 2gig base on the picture 243mit didnt work on 8gig flash drive

i only have a 32gb flash drive :(

Thanks .. needed FAT for my car to recognize

great tips!!

I have an old pen drive, it's not reading in my computer the following message is shown when connected: "USB Device Not Recognized" What should i do?

I was hoping you would explain why I would want to format a flash drive to FAT instead of FAT32. What are the advantages?

Some of the classic DOS games don't get along with the modern file systems. I just got done doing pretty much the same thing for a friend because the game couldn't read it's own save files from a FAT32 or NTFS hard drive. I'm sure there are other legacy programs that have the same problems and this makes a handy workaround for those time that you can't use a more up to date program.

i dont really think there are any advantages its just if you need 1 to be formatted in FAT

You can't format the system partition while it's still active. I'd be more worried about nuking other detachable storage you might have connected; for example, my old dell has a card reader that maps to E, F, G, and H weather I have cards in it or not, so always triple check the drive letter.

thanks S33PlusPlus, yeah thats true but u can install like a backup linux system or so on a removeable hdd or enven on a memory stick, but thanks anyway:)

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ViperSniper11

Bio: I like making guns and fiddle with computer stuff. I'm considering to study sound engineering or computer networking when I'm done with school

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