Microsoft is finally addressing the 32GB partition size restriction for FAT32 in Windows 11. Although FAT32 can handle volumes up to 2TB, Windows has kept this 32GB cap in place for nearly 30 years. This restriction is being lifted in the command-line format utility with the latest Windows 11 Canary build, allowing users to create FAT32 partitions as large as 2TB.

Currently, this update only applies to the command-line format tool, leaving the familiar graphical format dialog box still limited to 32GB. Microsoft hasn't announced any plans to update the GUI format tool yet.

The original 32GB limit dates back to the Windows 95 era. Former Windows developer Dave Plummer, who worked on the format dialog box, revealed that the 32GB cap was somewhat arbitrary. He chose it based on considerations related to “cluster slack,” a design decision that ended up sticking for decades.

Windows has supported reading FAT32 partitions up to 2TB for years, but creating such large partitions required third-party software until now. The removal of this cap is especially useful for users with older devices needing FAT32, although the file size limit for individual files remains at 4GB. While alternatives like exFAT have largely replaced FAT32, this update still holds relevance for legacy systems.

This improvement aligns with Microsoft’s ongoing effort to modernize Windows 11 while also addressing long-standing quirks that have persisted through several generations of the operating system.