this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2024

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Microsoft boosts Windows’ FAT32 partition size limit after nearly three decades (www.engadget.com)

submitted 2 months ago by jeffw to c/technology

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[–] BananaTrifleViolin 225 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

This is badly written and ignorant article. Fat32 supports up to 16Tb partition size (depending on cluster size - 2Tb -16Tb).

Its microsoft's windows tools that arbitrarily only allow users to create 32Gb partitions, and it is this that is being changed. This is not a change to Fat32, this is a change to windows. 3rd party tools on Windows and other systems like Linux have long offered more options for partition size.

That its taken to 2024 for Microsoft to fix the command line tool (and still not fix the GUI tools) is ridiculous.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's what I thought!

The real issue with Fat32 is the 4gb file size limit.

[–] drawerair 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

About 10 years ago, my usb drive was Fat32 by default. I changed it to Ntfs due to Fat32's 4-GB cap, which I've disliked. I'm still using Ntfs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Problem is NTFS isn't as widely supported across alternative operating systems.

[–] drawerair 1 points 2 months ago

Exfat if you wanna use your usb drive on Macos or Linux.

I have Windows so I'm OK with Ntfs.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago

From the department of temporary fixes, becoming a permanent solution. This guy made FAT32: https://youtu.be/bikbJPI-7Kg?si=orQCjxmnOPAhKIeu

[–] Peffse 86 points 2 months ago (4 children)

I love how the arstechnica article words it like you will never need FAT32 and it's silly to consider it.

I had to download fat32format I don't know how many times because I needed to format an extra large SD Card or USB drive for some device. Microsoft really shafted exFAT's adoption with their licensing.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

FAT32 is also really simple to implement. Supporting exFAT may require a larger microcontroller with more memory, which results in a more expensive product.

[–] A_Random_Idiot 32 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

FAT32 is the java of file systems. Works everywhere, on anything. But everyone hates it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Even my speaker can read fat32, but I never format any storage in that system

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I personally haven't had to touch it in over a decade, but I guess there's probably some uses for it still, yeah.

[–] Peffse 43 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Personal computers and flagship phones? Yeah you can probably use exFAT.

Video game consoles and handhelds? Dashcams? Car entertainment centers? Cheap android devices? 100% going to be FAT32 partitioned with a Master Boot Record

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Low end motherboard BIOS flashing

[–] Telodzrum 6 points 2 months ago

I just flashed my mobo last night and it wanted a fat32 fs. It’s not low-end at all.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Yup, I had to download a program to format my 64Gb micro SD card for my 3ds last year.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

I needed it for a printer the other day!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago

Yep, many smart TVs still only accept FAT32 format. I have to split my HDR videos into multiple files to be able to watch them on TV — because of 4GiB size limit.

[–] Angry_Autist 3 points 2 months ago

Rufus is your friend

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Microsoft can suck my FAT32mm Micropenis

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I think there was some kind of tool that let you extend it more. I had a 512gb drive on fat32 but it sucked so much I just reformated to ext4 and it performed much better

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Yeah, GUIFormat can do that. Fat32 has its limitations, but I pretty much always use it as the stuff I use micro SD cards in, require it

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (31 children)

Finally, Microsoft caught up to Linux.

[–] NeoNachtwaechter 20 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Microsoft caught up to Linux.

They cannot even read (let alone write) any of the FOSS file systems used in Linux.

[–] AnUnusualRelic 9 points 2 months ago

Thankfully. I wouldn't trust windows with a mounted foreign filesystem if I dual booted.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That’s an odd statement. I had an ext4 partition mounted on a Windows 11 machine just a week ago.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Natively somehow, or via LFS? If you have LFS set up, explorer lets you use it to mount Linux disks

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Well, I was referring to Fat32. Probably shouldve stated that before lol. But yeah i absolutely agree.

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[–] OutrageousUmpire 1 points 2 months ago

I don’t know how much it matters though? If I try it on my Windows XP machine I’ll still be stuck with the old limit right?

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