Microsoft has not made an official announcement on why the option to format FAT32 is no longer available for devices 64GB in capacity and above.

In both Windows 10 and Windows 11 the format option given by Windows is either NTFS (New Technology File System) or exFAT (Extended File System). The option to format FAT32 is no long available in Windows.

Without an official announcement from Microsoft we can only speculate the reason is do to single file sizes averaging a larger size as of 2023.

The largest single file size supported by the FAT32 file system is 4GB. This is due to the limitations of the file system’s design. FAT32 uses a 32-bit file allocation table, which means it can address up to 4,294,967,295 clusters. Since each cluster in FAT32 is typically 4KB in size, the maximum file size is limited to 4GB (4,294,967,295 clusters multiplied by 4KB per cluster).

If you need to store files larger than 4GB, you will need to use a different file system that supports larger file sizes, such as NTFS (New Technology File System), exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table), or others. NTFS, in particular, is commonly used in modern Windows operating systems and supports much larger file sizes, making it suitable for storing large files and operating system installations.

We speculate, to reduce customer inquiries or complaints to Microsoft they have eliminated the option of FAT32 to any device of 64GBs or larger in capacity. The reason is that a user will receive an error message from the device when an attempt to copy a single file of 4GBs or larger to a FAT32 device. To reduce the frequency of error messages, by formatting the device as exFAT will eliminate this error.

The ExFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) file system supports significantly larger file sizes compared to FAT32. The maximum file size supported by ExFAT is a staggering 16 exabytes (EB), which is equivalent to 16 million terabytes (TB) or 16 billion gigabytes (GB). This vast file size limit allows for storing extremely large files, such as high-resolution videos, large databases, or disk images.

ExFAT was specifically designed to overcome the limitations of FAT32, including the maximum file size restriction. It is commonly used in various devices and operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and some embedded systems, for handling large files and providing interoperability between different platforms.

It’s important to note that while ExFAT supports large file sizes, the actual maximum file size might be limited by the specific implementation or the capabilities of the storage medium itself.

If the above information was helpful, please consider looking at some advanced flash drives offered by Nexcopy. Advanced functions include USB copy protection, USB write protection, USB CD-ROM, and HIPAA compliant flash drives. These functions are done at the hardware level and are universal solutions.

The Romotow T8 is an great conceptual caravan that has taken the world of mobile homes by storm for it’s sleek design and create form. One of the most intriguing features of the Romotow is its swiveling design which reminds us much of USB swivel drives you’ve seen so on this website.

It was created by the renowned New Zealand architecture firm W2, and it is unlike any other RVs you you’ve ever seen. With its unique design, advanced technology, and luxurious features, the Romotow T8 offers a unique camping experience for those looking to flex their muscles by owning the latest and greatest RV designs.

The caravan is built on a fixed chassis with a curved side, and the inner section can rotate up to 90-degrees. This totally new design allows the caravan to expand and contract, offering indoor and outdoor living spaces as required. When the caravan is in its open position, it offers a spacious decking area, where you can sit back and enjoy nature. The large doors open up to a sheltered living space, providing you with a comfortable and luxurious living experience.

Apart from its eye-catching design, the Romotow T8 boasts a range of features that will impress anyone. You can order the caravan with wall-mounted TVs, an outdoor projector, a pumping audio system, and a bedroom with either a single bed or a double bed. The caravan also runs off a 200-Ah lithium battery that’s charged by solar panels on the roof, making it eco-friendly and perfect for those who want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Despite its advanced features and unique design, the Romotow T8 may pose some challenges in certain camping sites. Some campers have noted that the caravan’s size and shape may not fit well in certain campgrounds. Specifically, many camping spaces are long and narrow, which could make it impossible to open up the Romotow T8 without damaging the RV of your neighbor. In fact most camping sites use slim parking stalls for the RVs, camper vans and caravans. The Romotow is probably best suited for wide-open camping spaces, rather than RV park.

While the Romotow T8 is a luxurious and innovative caravan, it does come with a hefty price tag. At $266,000 USD, it is undoubtedly one of the most expensive caravans on the market. Additionally, if you live in the United States or any other country, you may have to pay extra fees to import the caravan, which can add to the overall cost.

Windows doesn’t boot and all I’m seeing is a black screen after turning on via the power button.

If this sounds familiar, read on.

Given this website is dedicated to USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology, then let us provide a tip, which is USB related, as to the possible cause of your black screen upon boot up.

Check your computer to make sure a USB flash drive is not connected at the time of power up. If you have a USB drive connected, disconnect it and try again. If upon this recommended tip, things work, then you have a bootable USB flash drive which is causing the problem. In addition, your BIOS is setup to boot from a USB flash drive. Both of these things can easily be corrected.

Of course the simple solution is removing the flash drive. But if you want to FIX the problem, there are a couple steps you can perform to get things resolved.

First, you can remove the boot code from your flash drive. Unfortunately, you cannot do this with a simple format or even a full format. What you’ll need to do is clean the flash drive via disk part. What this function does is wipe the flash drive clean of boot code so you have a simple Mass Storage Device, not a bootable Mass Storage Device.

Do the following: (note: doing this step will remove all data from being accessed because we are cleaning out the file allocation table)

Orange County, CA – December 2022 – Forza Tek offers a range of computer services including Cyber security solutions, software consulting and software development services.

Forza Tek provides a broad variety of IT services and advice, including the creation and deployment of business applications as well as the setting up and upkeep of business infrastructure, so management can concentrate on expanding the company.

Cyber Security

Computer security, cyber security, or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from malicious actors who may cause unauthorized information disclosure, theft or damage to hardware, software, or data, as well as disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

Because of the increased reliance on computer systems, the Internet, and wireless network standards such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, as well as the proliferation of smart devices such as smartphones, televisions, and the various devices that comprise the Internet of things, the field has grown in importance (IoT). Due to the complexity of information systems and the societies they support, cyber security is one of the most significant challenges of the modern world.

Software Development

The process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing that goes into creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components is known as software development. Software development entails writing and maintaining source code, but it also encompasses all processes from the conception of the desired software to its final manifestation, typically in a planned and structured process. [1] Research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, and any other activities that result in software products are also included in software development.

Technology Services

Technology services are delivered in the IT industry in accordance with business or enterprise requirements. Services range from basic Internet access to enterprise application software (EA). Internet service providers (ISP), application service providers (ASP), cloud providers, and developers are examples of technology service providers.

• Software development, integration, and maintenance are examples of technology services.
• Hardware Integration, management, and upkeep of networks
• Information safety (IS)
• Management consultants in information technology
• Services for mobile phones
• Web-based applications

Software Consulting

Most USB specification speeds are shown in Mbps or Megabits per second, but nearly all users reference data storage in MB (Megabytes) or GB (Gigabytes) so this post converts the Mbps rate to MB/second and presents them in a picture graph. Scroll down to see the image.

In the year 1995 seven companies came together to develop USB or Universal Serial Bus. The overall goal was making a uniform way storage devices would connect to computers. (Seven companies are: Compaq, DEC, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, and Nortel)

• USB 1.0 was introduced in 1996.
• USB2.0 was introduced in 2000.
• USB 3.0 was introduced in 2008 with the next generation of USB 3.0 called 3.1 introduced in 2013.
• USB 3.2 was released in 2017.
• USB 4.0 specification was released in 2019.

USB speeds shown in MB per second is shown below as a picture graph. The graph below shows the MB/second in relationship to the USB version. In addition, the USB connector type is highlighted for the versions which are available.

The adoption rate of USB specifications to enter the market typically has a 2 year delay from the time of specification release to products becoming available. The duration for those technologies to become fully saturated in the market takes even longer. For example, the USB 4.0 specification may take another four years before the majority of products available will support those transfer speeds.

The data transfer speeds of USB 4.2 will be welcome as moving 10,000 MB/s will easily satisfy the human expectation of “is it done yet!”

Two things to consider however when it comes to our expectations and reality.

1. The transfer speeds from these specifications (or any specification like PCI or SCSI) are always the theoretical speeds. Actual, real life speeds will be less.
2. Although USB 4.2 sounds incredible fast, the possibility of files increasing in size is about as exponential as Moore’s Law anyway. Meaning our MP4 video file of today that is 100MB in size… will be higher resolution and better sound a year or two down the road and will balloon in size to 500MB or more.

The device market for all USB technologies in the year 2021 was valued at an estimated $35.3 Billion US Dollars.

The growing use of consumer electronics such as smartphones and laptop computers in developed and developing countries is primarily due to rising disposable income, population growth, and increased Internet penetration. Significant technological advancements have resulted in an increase in the penetration of these devices across several economies. According to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), smartphone sales in the United States will total 152 million units in 2020.

USB devices have emerged as a dominant interface for meeting the growing demand for fast data transfer between end devices such as laptops, smartphones, PCs, and digital cameras. As a result of the increasing demand for consumer electronics and data transmission products, global USB device market players are focusing on launching new products in order to achieve sustainable growth and differentiate themselves from competitors, thereby contributing to market growth.

IBM introduced the world’s first commercial storage system, the 305 RAMAC. in 1956. A magnetic disk was used to store data and was intended for a secondary storage system. RAMAC stands for Random Access Method of Accounting and Control and was designed for real-world needs of accounting in business. The first customers was the US Navy.

This physical size of the 305 was 6′ wide by 5′ deep (feet). Total storage capacity was 4.4MBs (megabytes). The weight for this storage system was just over one ton (source).

Today, (2022) we can see a 1TB (terabyte) of storage in a microSD card (TF Card) at the small size of 15mm x 11mm and the weight is under one gram.

The big selling point from IBM in 1956 was the ability for the 305 to store the equivalent of 64,000 punch cards on its magnetic disks. Punch cars are stiff pieces of paper which contain digital data represented by the presence [or absence] of holes in predefined positions on the card.

The IBM 350 disk system could store 5 million alphanumeric characters as six data bits, one parity bit, and one space bit, for a total of eight bits per character. It had fifty disks with a diameter of 24 inches. Under servo control, two independent access arms moved up and down to select a disk and in and out to select a recording track.

In comparison, today’s 1TB microSD card will hold about 6.5 million documents and said another way, 6.5 million documents bit in about 1,300 filing cabinets. The seek time to find a single file is about

In 1957, IBM would lease the RAMAC 305 for about $3,200 per month (roughly $33,000 in 2022 dollars). Over one thousand 305 systems were manufactured before production ceased in 1961.

Digital Storage in the Future

If we consider Moore’s Law which is storage capacity and technology in general will double every 18 months, we can calculate 43 cycles of Moore’s Law between today and 65 years into the future. Doing some advanced math, we figure the storage capacity of a microSD card, if still available, in 2087 will be 18,446,744,073,709,600,000,000,000 TBs of data.

eVehicles are all the trend for new cars… and many Tesla owners are discovering the joys of camping with their eco-friendly cars. With ample interior space, comfortable seating, and advanced features, a Tesla makes for a convenient and sustainable option for camping adventures. However, some Tesla owners have encountered issues with power supply while camping, particularly when using devices like eCoolers or medical devices like CPAP machines that require continuous power.

Here is our quick and easy solution for how to keep the 12v outlet on to power an eCooler or CPAP machine.

One Tesla owner recently shared their experience with trying to power an eCooler during a camping trip. They tried using Sentry mode and camping mode, but found that once the car went to sleep, the 12v outlet in the back of their Model Y stopped providing power. Frustrated, they stumbled upon a solution by accident – they put their duffle bag in the driver’s seat while troubleshooting. By doing this, the car didn’t go into sleep mode because the car’s operating system thought someone was sitting in the driver’s seat, and consequently kept the 12v power going, allowing the eCooler to continue operating.

This simple trick of adding weight to the driver’s seat proved to be a great way to keep the eCooler running throughout the camping trip. This little “hack” would also work for those who need to use a CPAP machine, as these are crucial medical devices for individuals with sleep apnea.

It’s worth noting that while this trick has been effective for some Tesla owners, it may not be a foolproof solution for everyone. Tesla’s software updates and electrical systems are constantly improving, and the need for such workarounds may become obsolete in the future. But for now, this unexpected solution is the ticket to keeping the 12v going all night.

Me: ChatGPT – Would you be so kind to write a five paragraph thriller novel about international espionage where a USB flash drive is used to hid secrets from the KBG.

As a renowned international spy, Sasha had faced countless challenges and dangers. But nothing had prepared her for the mission she had been tasked with. She was to retrieve a USB flash drive that held vital information about the KBG’s plans to launch a massive cyberattack on the United States. The stakes were high, and the clock was ticking.

Sasha knew the risks involved in such a mission, and she was willing to go to any lengths to complete it. She flew to Moscow under the guise of a journalist and managed to sneak into the KBG’s headquarters. The flash drive was heavily guarded, and Sasha knew she had to act fast. With her quick reflexes and stealthy moves, she managed to grab the drive and slip away unnoticed.

But the KBG wasn’t going to let go of their secrets so easily. Sasha soon found herself on a secret plane bound for Washington DC, with KBG agents hot on her heels. With time running out, she had to come up with a plan to keep the flash drive out of their hands.

As the plane took off, Sasha felt a sense of relief. She had managed to outsmart the KBG and keep the flash drive safe. But her relief was short-lived when she realized that the flash drive was corrupted, and she couldn’t access the information it held. Someone had tampered with it.

Sasha knew she had to act fast to uncover the truth. She suspected that there was a mole within her agency who had sabotaged the mission. She had to find the mole before it was too late. With the clock ticking and danger lurking around every corner, Sasha set out on a perilous journey to uncover the truth and protect her country from a devastating cyberattack.

As Sasha raced against time, she found herself embroiled in a deadly game of cat and mouse. With the KBG hot on her heels, she had to stay one step ahead of them to uncover the truth. But with the fate of the country hanging in the balance, Sasha knew she had no choice but to risk everything to protect it.

TLC memory writes slower than MLC memory because it stores three bits of data per cell, rather than the one bit stored by SLC and the two bits stored by MLC. Writing three bits of data to a single cell requires more complex programming than writing a single or two bits of data, resulting in slower write speeds and shorter endurance levels. Additionally, the number of program and erase cycles that TLC memory can endure is significantly lower than SLC and MLC memory, further reducing its overall write performance.

More complex programming is required because eash cell can hold three bits of data (with TLC memory) and because of this trait, when new data is added to the cell, the original data must be erased, remembered, and then re-written back to the same cell, in addition to the new bit of data being added to the three layer cell. The speed at which a memory block gets erased depends on the type of memory being used. Generally, Single Level Cell (SLC) memory gets erased the quickest, while Multi Level Cell (MLC) and Triple Level Cell (TLC) memory take longer due to their increased layers. As a side note, the size of the memory block, as well as the type of controller being used, can also affect the speed of erase operations.

The five steps when writing to memory space in TLC memory are as follows:

• Erase – The existing data in the memory cell must be erased before new data can be written.
• Program – The new data is programmed into the memory cell.
• Verify – The new data is verified to ensure it was written correctly.
• Refresh – The memory cell is refreshed to prevent data corruption due to charge leakage.
• Read – The data is read from the memory cell to ensure it was written correctly.

If additional data is to be written to another bit of the same cell in a TLC memory, the existing bit must be erased first and then added back in. The overhead in processing slows down the overall speed of the device and directly affects the performance.

To get a bit more information about SLC memory, please visit our original post about this back from 2006.

Sometimes Windows cannot delete the system volume on the disk because the partition table is corrupt. The solution is very easy and all the tools required to solve this problem are pre-installed and ready to use on any Windows 10 (+) computer.

In short, the Disk Management utility cannot delete the volume because there is corrupt data in the partition table of the device. This issue we are talking about is most likely associated with a USB flash drive and sometimes USB hard drives.

One of the reasons a user will get a corrupt partition table is from formatting the USB device over and over again. Sometimes computers just don’t do what they are supposed to do! Surprise!

A common reason a user would like to delete the volume of a flash drive is to start “clean” with a fresh device. The reason to start “clean” is because some other function or task is not working as expected. For example, a user trying to create an digital image file (.img) from a physical USB flash drive continues to create corrupt image files. Well, when you start with a corrupt partition table, you’ll end up with a corrupt image file.

Another reason could be a user is trying to make a two partition flash drive using Disk Management. However, you cannot make a two partition flash drive if you cannot delete the volume in the first place!

We did a great write up about “How to partition a USB flash drive in Windows” a while back. A good read if you have the time.

The below steps will show you exactly how to fix this problem. There is a video at the bottom of this post showing the steps.

• Connect your flash drive
• In the search field in Windows (bottom left white box that says “Type here to search”) type “Disk Management” and click ENTER on the keyboard. Disk Management should pop up.
• In the search field in Windows type “diskpart” and click ENTER on the keyboard. DiskPart will either pop open, or a dialogue box will ask if you want to open it, click YES
• In DiskPart type “list disk“
• From the list provided determine which disk number represents your USB flash drive or hard drive
• In the screen shot below, our disk is #1
• Type “select disk x” *In this example we typed “select disk 1”
• Type “clean“
• When that is complete, toggle over to the Disk Management utility
• Right click the box which represents the USB flash drive and select “New Simple Volume“
• Follow the prompts in the wizard to complete the process

After completing the above steps the flash drive is now ready for use. In addition, if it is required to go back and delete the volume, say to make a two partition flash drive, you can now do this without the error message “This Request Is Not Supported”

Here is a video for the above process:

Micron Memory, a leader in worldwide supply of semiconductors, committed 15 billion dollars for the new construction of a manufacturing plant in Boise Idaho.

This new plant will be the first built in over 20 years inside the United States. In addition, it will become the only operational manufacturing facility within the United States. The 15 billion dollar investment by Micron will span the next ten years with investments inside of Boise and in other states as well.

This is the first of several planned US investments by Micron following the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act. This is the largest private investment ever made in Idaho. The new manufacturing fabrication facility will be a co-location with Micron’s Research and Development (R&D) center. Being this close to the company’s headquarters will improve operational efficiency, accelerate technology deployment, and shorten time to market.

The CHIPS and Science Act is a federal law in the United States that was passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 9, 2022. The act includes billions of dollars in new funding to boost domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing in the United States. The law is divided into three sections, each with its own short title:

• Division A is the CHIPS Act of 2022
• Division B is the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act
• Division C is the Supreme Court Security Funding Act of 2022.

This endeavor will generate an estimated 17,000 new American jobs in which 2,000 will be Micron direct hires. To support Micron’s growing employee population, the company plans to open a world-class childcare facility operated by our local partners at the Treasure Valley Family YMCA across from Micron’s corporate headquarters. The center will provide STEM-based programming and easy access for parents to interact with their children during the day, as well as ease the transition for those, particularly mothers, returning to the workforce.

Boise State University, which is located less than ten minutes from Micron’s headquarters, is ranked 131 in Engineering. The press release from Micron did not mention investments or support to improve the engineering school’s rank over course of the 15 billion dollar investment. The #1 engineering school in the United States continues to be MIT (Massachusetts Institute in Technology).

Beginning with macOS Ventura, a new layer of protection offers some reassurance to enterprise IT against USB device-borne attacks.

Mac computers using the new Apple silicon will require USB and Thunderbolt accessories to be approved by the user before the accessory can communicate with macOS.

When a new USB or Thunderbolt device is connected to a Mac, the user will be prompted to approve the connection. The end user must unlock a locked Mac before the computer will recognize the accessory. This makes use of the allowUSBRestrictedMode restriction, which is new to the Mac. When your Mac is locked for more than an hour, the protection kicks in.

It does not apply to power adapters, displays, or connections to an approved hub, according to Apple, and devices will continue to charge even if you select Do Not Allow Use of a Connected Accessory. Energy flows, but data does not, according to the theory.

Where does USB Restricted Mode operate?

• On Apple Silicon Macs, the protection is enabled by default.
• The enabled protection is to Request New Accessories; other options include:
• — Every time, inquire.
• — When unlocked, this happens automatically.
• — Always.
• Requesting new accessories is the bare minimum of security, though highly secure enterprises will want to request permission each time.
• You can disable / enable the setting by going to: System Settings>Security & Privacy>Security
• Setting up an accessibility Switch Control configures the policy to allow accessory use at all times.
• For up to three days, approved devices can connect to a locked Mac.

This is a new security setting and configuration Apple is planning to introduce from Ventura forward. More articles related to USB and Mac computers.