What file system does my internal or external drive have

Knowing which file system your internal or external drive has has several benefits. It can help you determine what the data is for or what you can do with it in the future.

For example, different operating systems (such as Windows, macOS, Linux) have their preferences or limitations when it comes to file systems. For example, NTFS works well with Windows, but may be limited in read/write access on macOS. If you want to use an external drive between different systems, it is important to choose a compatible file system.

In the event of data loss or disk errors, knowing the file system is essential for choosing the right data recovery software. In addition, some file systems are optimized for specific types of tasks. For example, file systems such as exFAT are suitable for USB drives because of their efficiency in handling large files.

What file system does my internal or external drive have

So it's important to know which file system your drive is organized in. In this guide I'll explain how to look this up in Windows in different ways.

via Windows Explorer

1. Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
2. In the sidebar, click “This PC.”
3. Right-click on the drive you want to examine.
4. Select “Properties.”
5. The file system type (e.g. NTFS, FAT32) is displayed next to “File System.”

Via Windows Settings

1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Go to “System” and then select the “Storage” page.
3. Scroll down to “Advanced Storage Settings,” then click “Disks and Volumes.”
4. The file system type is listed below the disk's label.

Via Disk Management

1. Right-click the Windows logo on the taskbar or press the Windows key + X.
2. Choose “Disk Management” from the menu.
3. In the Disk Management window, find the drive whose file system you want to know.
4. The “File System” column shows the type of file system used for each drive.

Via Command Prompt or PowerShell

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Search for “Terminal” and open Windows Terminal.
3. By default, PowerShell will be active. If you prefer Command Prompt, click the down arrow icon and select Command Prompt.

For PowerShell: Type “get-volume” and press Enter.

For Command Prompt: Type “diskpart” and press Enter. Then type “list volume” and press Enter.

You will find the file system per disk in the “FS” column of “File System”.

I hope to have informed you with this. Thank you for reading!