How can I tell if my hard disk is formatted as FAT32 or NTFS?

Answer: In order for your computer to read and write data on the hard disk, it must be formatted using a specific file system. If you are using Windows 2000 or later (including Windows XP), your computer's hard disk should be formatted as either FAT32 or NTFS.

To check what file system your computer is using, first open "My Computer." Then right-click on the hard drive you want to check. In most cases, this is the C: drive. Select "Properties" from the pop-up menu. The file system (FAT32 or NTFS) should be specified near the top of the Properties window.

Published: February 17, 2006 — by Per Christensson