How to Check the File System of a Hard Drive, SSD, or USB Flash Drive in Windows

Sometimes you need to find out the file system of a storage device, whether it's a hard drive, SSD, or USB flash drive. This can be necessary to check compatibility with other devices, for formatting purposes, or when troubleshooting technical issues. Here are a few simple ways to determine the file system in Windows.

Method 1: Using File Explorer

  1. Open File Explorer (Windows + E).
  2. Navigate to “This PC” or “My Computer”, depending on your version of Windows.
  3. Locate the drive (hard drive, SSD, or USB flash drive) you want to check.
  4. Right-click the drive and select “Properties”.
  5. In the “General” tab, look for the “File System” section, which will show the type (e.g., NTFS, FAT32, exFAT).

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

If you prefer the command line, you can use the diskpart or wmic commands:

  1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
  2. Type the command wmic logicaldisk get name,filesystem and press Enter.
  3. You will see a list of drives with their respective file systems.

C:\> wmic logicaldisk get name,filesystem
Name  FileSystem
C:    NTFS
D:    FAT32
E:    exFAT

Method 3: Using Disk Management Tool

  1. Press Win + X and choose “Disk Management” (or type diskmgmt.msc in the Run dialog).
  2. In the Disk Management window, you will see all connected drives and their file systems.
  3. The file system is displayed in the “File System” column under each volume name.