Microsoft has updated the FAT32 partition size limit in Windows 11 with the release of Insider Preview Build 27686 for the Canary Channel.
Previously, FAT32 partitions were limited to 32GB due to a restriction in place for nearly 30 years, since the development of Windows 95, as reported by The Verge.
This limit has now been increased to 2TB when formatting disks from the command line using the ‘format’ command.
FAT32 size limit: Changes and Limitations
Currently, the FAT32 size limit has only been removed from the command line tool. The existing graphical format dialog box will continue to enforce the 32GB limit until Microsoft decides to update this feature.
Former Windows developer Dave Plummer (@davepl1968), who set this limit, revealed his role on X (formerly Twitter) in maintaining the format dialog box, which has not been updated since.
While Windows 11 now supports creating FAT32 partitions up to 2TB via the command line, the GUI-based disk formatting tool remains restricted to the 32GB limit. Users who need to create larger FAT32 partitions will still require third-party tools or the command line.
This limit update is expected to become available to all Windows 11 users once it reaches the stable channel, allowing broader access to the increased partition size limit.
Availability
This feature is currently available in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686. The update will be rolled out to general users after further testing and validation.