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How can I format my 320gb external hard drive into NTFS while overcoming the 32gb limitation in Windows 10?

Anonymous
2019-07-11T18:22:36+00:00

I am running Windows 10 & wanted to use my 320gb external hard drive to store a system image. But it is formatted in FAT32, not NTFS. I can re-format it to NTFS, but I cannot overcome the 32GB capacity limitation in Windows. Can this be done? If so, How?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-07-11T18:33:52+00:00

    Hi Clunky

    I am an Independent Advisor here to help

    I would recommend that you proceed as follows

    Search for the command prompt on the Start Menu by typing cmd. Right-click the command prompt icon and select “Run as Administrator.”

    type the following command into command prompt

    diskpart

    press Enter

    Type the following command and press Enter

    list disk

    you will see connected disks have numbers

    Type

    select disk # (replace the # with the number of the disk that you wish to format)

    Press Enter

    Type

    clean

    Press Enter

    Type

    create partition primary

    active

    Press Enter

    Type

    format fs=ntfs label="insert your choice of name of drive here" quick

    Press Enter

    Type

    assign

    Press Enter

    Now you are done and the disk is formatted to NTFS

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  2. DaveM121 868.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2019-07-11T18:28:16+00:00

    Hi ClunkyFaun5

    Please explain this in more detail, there is definitely no 32GB limit on an NTFS file system, there is difficulty formatting large drives to FAT32, but not NTFS. There is a theoretical 32GB volume size limit on a FAT32 formatted drive, but that is easy to overcome . . .

    If you do in fact want to format that drive to NTFS, then just right click the drive and choose Format, set the file system to NTFS and click Start, you will have no difficulty . . .

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2019-07-12T20:32:50+00:00

    Thanks. I was able to get the job done by partitioning & formatting the UN-formatted portion of the drive.

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  4. DaveM121 868.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2019-07-12T06:18:52+00:00

    Hi ClunkyFaun5

    Sorry I was offline . . .

    Thank you for the screenshot, I think I now know what is going on . . .

    Open Disk Management (accessible by right clicking your Start Button)

    Please provide a screenshot of that window . . .

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-07-11T23:15:48+00:00

    It is not the NTFS limitation. It is Windows only allowing 32gb capacity. There is no way to tell it to format it to 320 gb.

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