Fat32 - TrekStor USB-Storage 2.0 User Manual

3.2 File systems

3.2.1 FAT32

FAT is the abbreviation for File Allocation Table. The FAT system was already used in DOS
systems. Its 16 Bit version was changed to a 32 Bit system (referred to as FAT32) when Win-
dows 95's second edition was published. Theoretically, a FAT32-Partition may vary between less
than 1 MB and 2 TB (2048 GB). The biggest file size allowed is 4 GB. FAT32 was originally used
by Windows 98 / 98SE and Windows ME. It is also supported by Windows 2000 and Windows XP
but for these two operating systems Microsoft limited the allowed partition-size to 32 GB. The-
refore, using the native Windows formatting or the Disk Storage Management of these newer
versions of Windows, only partitions of less than 32 GB can be formatted with FAT32. Anyhow,
bigger FAT32 partitions that remain from older versions of Windows or that have been created
by other programs can still be used.
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