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

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!!!!!!!

Comments

[chorusofweasels]

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

[dwathen]

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.

[Sharky44401]

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

[S33PlusPlus]

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.

[Sharky44401]

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:)