Most USB flash drives will already have a FAT32 file system. It is the most compatible file system for both Windows and Mac computers, gaming consoles, etc.
How to check if your flash drive is formatted as FAT32
Windows
1. Plug your flash drive into your computer.
2. Open File Explorer by clicking on the File Explorer icon in the Task Bar.
3. Right-click on the flash drive and then click Properties.
Mac
1. Plug your flash drive into your computer.
2. Open the Finder by clicking on the Finder icon in the Dock.
3. Right-click on the flash drive and select Get Info from the dropdown menu.
How to format your flash drive as FAT32
Windows
1. Plug your flash drive into your computer. If you have information on the drive, then backup the data before proceeding with any formatting.
2. Open File Explorer by clicking on the File Explorer icon in the Task Bar.
3. Right-click on your USB flash drive, then select Format from the dropdown menu.
4. In the File system field, click on the little arrow on the right and choose FAT32.
5. Press the Start button.
6. A window will pop up warning that all data will be erased on the disk. Press the OK button.
7. When the formatting process is done, a window will pop up with the Format Complete notification. Press the OK button.
Mac
1. Plug your flash drive into your computer. If you have information on the drive, then backup the data before proceeding with any formatting.
2. Open Spotlight Search by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
3. Search for and open Disk Utility.
4. Select the flash drive and click on Erase.
5. Change the name of the flash drive if you choose to do so. Choose the MS-DOS(FAT) for the formatting process.
6. Change the Scheme to Master Boot Record.
7. Click Erase.
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