You can try out any number of them to see if you have a preference. There are formats specific to macOS too, like APFS. Other formats, like NTFS, will work well if you’re sticking with just Windows. Its age comes with one major perk and one major downside: It is basically universally supported by all computers and game consoles, but it can’t handle files larger than four gigabytes. FAT32 is ancient by computer standards - it has been around since the mid-90s. If you don’t expect to need to move any large files, you should consider FAT32. RELATED: What Is a File System, and Why Are There So Many of Them? The only downside is that storing lots of small files might result in some wasted space due to the block sizes. Needless to say, you won’t have to worry about that limitation with your flash drive any time before 2040 at the earliest. The file system exFat also supports USB drives and files larger than 100 petabytes. ExFAT is supported by Linux, macOS, Chrome OS, and Windows, meaning it will work with the overwhelming majority of all computers you will ever encounter. You should probably pick exFAT If you don’t know which file format you need, or you don’t have any specific use in mind. (For example, you should run a full format to securely erase any sensitive data before disposing of or giving away a USB drive.) Since flash memory has a limited number of writes, you should avoid full formats unless it is absolutely necessary. A full format will overwrite the entire USB drive. A quick format won’t actually wipe any data, it’ll just allow it to be overwritten.

Format Options – You can choose between quick format and a full format.

Volume Label – This is just the name of the drive.Leave it alone unless you have a specific need. Smaller units result in less wasted space, but at a mild performance cost. Allocation Unit Size – The allocation unit size is basically how the space on the USB drive is divided up.They each have different properties that determine maximum file sizes, maximum storage volume, and operating system compatibility.

File System – This lets you pick between a handful of file systems.Capacity – This tells you the size of the drive you have selected.For the most part, you can leave them alone, but here is a breakdown of what each option means if you want to change something: Right-click the USB drive and click “Format.” RELATED: How to Never 'Safely Remove' a USB Drive Again on Windows 10 The “This PC” window updates whenever there is a hardware change, so you’ll be able to spot it when Windows recognizes the device. If you aren’t sure which drive is the USB drive, just unplug it and plug it back in again.

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