@raybay
Ummmm... Really???

Microsoft's own Windows XP Professional Product Documentation states for FAT32

FAT32
> Volumes from 512 MB to 2 TB.
> In Windows XP, you can format a FAT32 volume up to 32 GB only.
> Does not support domains.

So how did you do it? Please tell us your trick to "format at 1TB and 1 1/2 TB" using XP Pro with "no problem". Could you please explain? We'd like to see why Windows XP Pro product documentation states otherwise

Nail on the head, brother. That was my question exactly; or at least half of it.

Can you forsee any possible problems I might have from not completeing a full FAT32 reformat? Or should the drive continue to work fine as it is? Does it need to "check each sector" to work better or properly?

Thank you...

With that explaination, conducted some research on full format vs. quick format.

Found that a quick format is sufficient or even preferred when you are "sure" that your drive is not damaged or contains any bad sectors - which should be the case with a brand new external drive previously formatted to NFTS.

Sooooo, by aborting the the full FAT32 reformat, i'm essentially just conducting a quick format (which should be alright on a brand new drive with no possibilities or bad sectors requiring a full format).

Plus, as I'm essentially just conducting a quick format (which is okay in this situation), I should also have no future problems with the drive (which is consistant with me using the drive for over a year already with no complications).

So - I did nothing wrong, everything is good, and reality as we know it is safe once again.

Well, thats my understanding of it right now, at least.

That sound right, or am I off base?

Thanks...

Went and hit "abort" on the 2nd Drive which has been formatting for over 30 hours now. Hit properties and used WIndows error-checking to scan; says no errors or bad sectors and the drive is good. Drive shows as FAT 32 and is recognized by the PS3 and all computers; all test media transferred to the drive can be viewed by the PS3 and all computers.

Everything seems good. Looks like the wise and powerful SNGX1275 was right and hitting "abort" during reformatting was just basicially conducting a quick reformat.

Thanks all...

You can use DOS to format FAT32, but only up to ITB.
Try Swiss Knife after that:
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/formatting-external-hard-drive-to-fat-32/

Had this drive had data, aborting the format would have compromised the FAT, and it wouldn't have worked.
30 hours is just nuts.

For chkdsk:
At a command prompt:chkdsk /r

Have you tried it hugva? i'm just new here looking for inno3d 9800gt 1gb bios wish me luck i need it. i will try it thx

Didnt know about the DOS; thanks.

I swear I tried Swissknife on my 1st 2TB drive a year ago, but for some reason it wouldnt work for me; thats when I kept looking and found FAT32formatter (http://tokiwa.qee.jp/EN/Fat32Formatter).

From what I see online, though, people are saying it will be impossible to format a drive bigger then 2TB to FAT32.

Hopefully a fix for this come out, or the PS3 gets some software update to recognize NFTS; as I know in a year or two, I'll be looking at a 4TB external drive to hold everything I have (at over 1.5 TB right now). Or maybe a new kind of compression to reduce the file sizes (though, would be a pain to have to convert every movie and TV show I have; right now, most all my movies are at about 1GB (MP4/H264) each which still allows for pretty good quality when when watching on a large screen TV).

First post, but I had to throw in my 2c ...

wii - the tool that baged the admin (usually a bad idea) ... if you're going to abuse someone for being wrong, check your info first, Wii drives use WBFS, not fat32 ...

Cancel format - generally a REALLY bad idea, may have worked for one of two reasons:
1. it'd finished, but had semi-hung (or had a brain freeze)
2. the master boot record (MBR) had been updated, which is all that was needed

Partition Magic - didn't want to convert or even format my drive to fat32 from NTFS (admittedly, it was the trial verion, but claimed to be fully featured)

looking forward to trialing fat32formatter tongiht

WD Passport 250gig format to Fat32

The link given by Hughva is no longer valid. Is there another anywhere? I have a 250g passport essential from WD which i would like back to FAT32 so my TV can pick up the movie files. It is currently in NTFS which the TV does not recognise.

I have a 500g WD which is in FAT32 ...files easily read on the TV, so I know it has to be in that format.

Thanks for any help!!!

Michelle

The link is good. Not sure what problem you're having with it.

i will try again....am desperate to get the hard drive into fat32 and is becoming quite a frustrating thing to accomplish...not ever buying WD again!

Buffalo was a piece of cake!

the answer

Okay you go to the start menu and click on run. Type cmd and press enter. A comand promp will appear type format (drive):/FS:FAT32. where (drive) is the letter of the drive you want to format. example.....format F:/FS:FAT32

it will give you a warning all data on drive (F) will be lost.
proceed with Format (Y / N)?
Type Y and there you go.

Hi guys,

Had huge problems myself converting a 1TB HDD to fat32 and found this fantastic application that does it in about 10 seconds and its freeware.

Code:

hxxp://tokiwa.qee.jp/EN/Fat32Formatter/

1) Select the HDD you want to convert from the drop down menu
2) Click Initialize drive
3) Tick the quick format box
4) Click Start
5) Done in 10 seconds