How to format 1TB drive to FAT32

Nope, quite a few models of both DVD players and TV sets now have ability to connect external hard drives and play media from those. Nothing is lost here. What's baffling is that the manufacturer of the DVD player never updated the firmware to read NTFS.

That assumption, as well, is incorrect.
The drive will work in the way that it is formatted... If anything else is read on an NTFS file, then so is the file you seek.
You have damage or install problems with the optical drive you are using, or with the software that handles DVD, movies, images, or other programs...

Your optical drive (DVD, CD, etc) is it new?

NTFS is an open format if used on a Windows computer.

Then tell us how you think it is an NTFS equipment,, brand and model

Just checked my own manuals. I've got an older model of the BlueRay player and the stupid thing only supports flash devices. My Samsung TV though can work with external USB hard drives formatted in FAT, FAT32 and NTFS. So, I presume, Samsung has a license to use NTFS. I need to actually try hooking up a hard drive to my BlueRay, they may have brought the functionality with the firmware update.

To answer the original question of how to format a 1TB WD drive to FAT32 (Yes, it is possible). If you want a Screenshot of it, I'll be happy to send.

You need another program to do it, Windows will NOT allow you to do it, that much is true. Follow the below link and DL Easeus Partition Master. This will have your entire 1TB drive formatted to FAT32 in seconds.

well, since I don't have 5 posts yet, it won't let me post the URL....

URL to come in 5 posts.

and finally the URL

http://download.cnet.com/Easeus-Par...4-10863346.html?tag=mncol;pop&cdlPid=10982635

i just use my windows cd to format

Why use FAT32?

XBox 360 does not read NTFS
PS3 does not read NTFS

If you want to play videos off external drives via USB then you must have drive formatted in FAT32.

The funny thing about XBox 360 is that it will read HPFS (Mac format) for large file sizes but it will not read NTFS. How silly is that?

Agreed that leaving the drive NFTS would be a much easier solution; but as ZoZo mentioned, some of us are in a situation where we need the drive to be FAT32 to operate for the purposes we need it to.

I have a PS3 and the PS3 will not read NFTS, only FAT32. I use a 2TB external drive, formatted to FAT 32, to hold all my movies, tv shows, music, and photos, which all can be played/displayed on my TV through the PS3.

I just bought a second 2TB drive as a back-up so I wouldnt lose everything on the first 2TB, if anything happened to it.

When I formatted the the first 2TB drive to FAT32, it was running for about a half hour when I accidently hit "abort" and it stopped the process. I noticed though, the drive was then reading as "FAT32", was readable by the PS3 (or any other computer, etc.), and I was able to transfer all my media (just under 1TB at that time) onto the drive without complications. I've since added more media on it since then and now at about 1.5 TB full with still no problems.

With my new second (back-up) 2TB drive, im wondering if I should repeat the "accidental abort" process while the drive is being formatted to FAT32, as it will be considerably less time - and have seen no ill effects from it happening to the first drive. I did test the "accidental abort" process on the new drive, and it does read as FAT32 (like the last one); just worried of possible future consequences, as the drive was not formatted "properly".

My question: Can anyone tell me of a reason not to do this, or any possible problems in the future from doing this? It seems the first 2TB drive is working just fine with the accidental abort during the FAT32 formatting. Was able to transfer all media on to it afterwards and works just fine.

Thanks for any help...

If I could borrow a line from Clint Eastwood "Do you feel lucky, punk?"

Meaning "don't tempt fate". You may have been lucky the first time, if I were you, I wouldn't push my luck

Actually, out of curiosity, I did repeat the abort process with the second 2TB drive. As with the first, it subsequently displayed as FAT32 and I was able to move media onto it which was workable and readable by the PS3 (and computer).

I thought that happening on one drive, much less both, was strange, but admittedly I have little understanding of the process; hence, here conferring with the subject matter experts.

I don't believe it to be a fluke or tempting fate as it has worked on two separate drives now; so there must be some explaination for the process as it works and is consistant.

So here we go folks: Unfinished FAT32 reformat, but works perfectly (for months now on the 1st 2TB drive).

Can anyone tell me why it worked and more importantly if there may be any possible negative future consequences as a result of not completing the full reformat?

Thanks...

Lookin around is right.
This is guaranteed to cause problems if you keep doing it.

Guys, can you provide information on how exactly it will cause problems and what problems it will cause? So far, just comments on how this is a bad thing. Dont get me wrong, I understand the whole "this is bad ju ju and not the way the universe is supposed to work" vibe - which is why i'm here asking about it.

But so far, here are the facts:

1. Both 2 TB drives were aborted not long after the FAT32 reformatting proceedure began and both drives work perfectly (read as FAT32, can transfer media to them, and all media read by all computers and my PS3, etc.).

2. The 1st 2 TB drive has worked this way consistantly for almost a year now; no problems whatsoever.

So, even though I get this slight feeling of dred due to not fully completing the reformatting process the way we're told to, the statistical data i'm receiving says "hey, this works just fine".

Can anyone provide specific information on why it worked (twice now) and what specific problems, if any, this might provide in the future?

Thanks...

What command or software did you use?
Given that the FAT contains a record of the contents of every cluster, aborting a format has to affect these records. You have no files, which probably helped you get away with this.
Have you ever run chkdsk on these drives? It would be interesting to see what it finds (Or doesn't find).

Used "Fat32Formatter", a freeware program by a developer named "Tokiwa" I found online; none of the others I found would work.

You are correct, the drives were both brand new and totally empty with no files/data/media on them when I began the reformatting process.

Not sure what "chkdsk" is. Will do some research to find out and try.

Though I tested the "abort" process with the new 2nd 2TB drive (which worked), I then deleted all content and reformatted it back to NFTS (was very quick, only a few minutes). Then I began the FAT32 reformat process again (before I even began posting), but I've been leaving it run through without aborting it again; so far, its been running/reformatting for about 30 hours. Wow.

Thanks...

You are now the expert... since hardly anybody does what you wished to do.
But there is very good info available, in a general sense, on the Western Digital, Seagate, and Samsung websites that might be helpful.

I think calling me an "expert" of anything is quite a stretch. lol. I just accidently found something that seems to work, even though you think it wouldnt - or shouldnt.

Actually, I believe reformatting external drives to FAT32 is becoming quite popular due to the ability of using a PS3 or X-box as a media server/hub connected to your TV. Unfortunately, they dont seem to want to use the NFTS formatting, only FAT32 (-just got to love proprietary software battles, dont you?). Unless, you are talking about the "abort" process - which was initially an accident; but hey, if it works, why not use it? "Unless" there may be problems with it; which is the reason i'm here asking the real experts if they can think of any dire future consequences from doing this.

I have no formal education or training in computers, so I really have no idea how the "reformatting" process even works; I'm just curious, if anyone knew what possible problems could happen from using a drive that wasnt reformatted properly (-as the first one works fine, and i'm tempted to abort the 2nd one now - as its been running for over a day nonstop.).

Or does anyone have an idea how long fully reformatting a 2TB drive to FAT32 should (apprx) take?

Thanks for any help...

This is not really a proprietary battle as such, but it does go back to the history of X-Box and how they are engineered... Not wise to have two systems when a great number of those users are younger kids and their parents... and tech support becomes an issue.

If there are any tricks in formatting a 1TB to FAT32, let us know. I had no significant problem in my test format at 1TB and 1 1/2 TB using Windows XP Professional

Hmmm. No "tricks" really, just possibly the one I stumbled upon where aborting the FAT32 reformatting process after a few minutes (-noted, on an empty drive) seems to work just as well as letting it run for a decade through a full reformat.

Then again, I dont advocate it at this point as, though it still seems to work perfectly after a year, I dont know any possible future ramifications for doing this. The reason i'm here, actually, is to ask and see if anyone would know any problems that might arise from doing this (drive stops working, blows up, takes over earth, etc.).

Had Windows Vista Ultimate when I reformatted the 1st 2 TB drive a year ago. Using Windows 7 while reformatting this one. Neither gave me an option to reformat the drive(s) through WIndows itself; had to find a third party program.

May I ask how long it took you to reformat both your 1 TB and 1.5 TB drives to FAT32? Might give me an estimation on how long mine will be running (then again, maybe not, as you were using a different program thus changing the variables).

Thanks...