Format an External Hard Disk to FAT32, Only Option Showing Is NTFS, How to Fix?

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Cici· Answered on Apr 01, 2025

Before going through the details on how to fix your issue, I will explain why the only option showing in Windows is NTFS. Due to the Windows system limitation, the Windows built-in tool, Disk Management, can only support formatting the hard drive to the NTFS file system. In this case, you can retort to a 3rd party drive formatting software: EaseUS Partition Master is my top advice since it's safe and effective.

This partition expert can break the restrictions and allow users to format their hard drives to several file systems, such as NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, EXT2, EXT3, and EXT4. Refer to the full tutorial on how to format an external hard drive to NTFS with EaseUS Partition Master below:

Note: This operation will delete all the files and data on your hard drive. Ensure you have done the backup of your valuable data.

After successfully formatting your external hard drive, you now have a new NTFS hard drive. Then, if you need to create partitions on this drive, EaseUS Partition Master can also be your helper. Look at the details down here:

Step 1. Run EaseUS Partition Master to detect the unpartition hard drive, and the New Disk Guide window will show.

Step 2. Select "Partition this disk," assign the partition number, and customize the size and style. Hit "Proceed" to begin.

Step 3. Tap on the "Execute 1 Task" and then select "Apply."

For more information, you may go through this related passage: Convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows.