If Windows won't format your USB drive to the FAT32 file system, remove the write protection or use CMD, PowerShell, or free software to do the same.

This guide show how to format a USB drive to FAT32 file system using File Explorer and Disk Management tool on a Windows 11/10 PC.

If you need a USB drive that's widely compatible with different devices, you may want to format it to FAT32. Here's how to do so on Mac and PC.

Learn how to boot Windows directly from a USB drive with this step-by-step guide. Perfect for troubleshooting or running Windows on the go.

Jesus Vigo shows you how to create bootable USB flash drives that are used to install just about any OS on your computer with the help of Rufus.

If you are unsuccessful in formatting USB sticks using Windows on-board tools, you can alternatively use the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool.

Knowing how to format a hard drive seems like something that should be simple, but as with many aspects of computers, there are added layers of complexity that might come into play.