Formatting on the selected drive. Before proceeding: Formatting External hard drive - Microsoft Q&A
To format an external hard drive in Windows 11: how to format an external hard drive windows 11
Disk Management is useful when File Explorer fails or when you need to manage partitions. Formatting on the selected drive
| File System | Max File Size | Max Partition Size | Best For | |-------------|---------------|--------------------|-----------| | | 16 TB (theoretically 16 EB) | 256 TB (practically unlimited) | Windows-only use, large files (e.g., video editing, backups), internal/system drives. | | exFAT | 16 EB | 128 PB | Cross-platform use (Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox). Ideal for external drives that move between devices. | | FAT32 | 4 GB | 2 TB | Legacy devices (older game consoles, cameras, car stereos). Not recommended for modern large external drives. | | | exFAT | 16 EB | 128