Format USB drives In FAT32 Or NTFS Format In Arch Linux

Formatting USB drives in Arch Linux doesn’t need to be complicated. Whether you’re prepping a stick for cross-platform use (FAT32) or want to move large files (NTFS), this guide gets straight to the point. No fluff — just clean commands that work.

Why FAT32 or NTFS?

• FAT32: Widely supported (Windows, macOS, Linux, game consoles). But has a 4GB file size limit.
• NTFS: Great for large files and Windows systems. Not ideal for macOS without extra drivers.

Choose based on what you need: compatibility (FAT32) or capacity (NTFS).

Step 1: Identify the USB Drive

Plug in your USB and run:

lsblk

Look for the device that wasn’t there before. It’ll usually be something like /dev/sdX (e.g., /dev/sdb). Double-check — formatting the wrong drive is irreversible.

Step 2: Unmount the USB Drive

If it’s auto-mounted, unmount it:

sudo umount /dev/sdX1

Replace X1 with your actual partition.

Step 3: Format as FAT32

Use mkfs.fat, which is part of the dosfstools package (install it if you haven’t):

sudo mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdX1

This sets up the drive with a FAT32 filesystem. Done.

Step 4: Format as NTFS

Install ntfs-3g if it’s not already installed:

sudo pacman -S ntfs-3g

Then format:

sudo mkfs.ntfs -f /dev/sdX1

The -f flag forces the format and skips confirmation.

Optional: Label the Drive

Want to give your USB a name? Add a -n flag:

• FAT32: sudo mkfs.fat -F32 -n YOUR_LABEL /dev/sdX1
• NTFS: sudo mkfs.ntfs -f -L YOUR_LABEL /dev/sdX1

Wrapping Up

Now your USB drive is formatted and ready to roll. Use FAT32 for plug-and-play across nearly any device. Go with NTFS if you’re shuttling big files or working in a Windows-heavy environment.

Got questions or ran into trouble? Drop a comment below — let’s troubleshoot together.