[issue]: fat16 to fat32

[bimizx]

Official FAQ

• [X] I have checked the official FAQ.

Ventoy Version

1.0.99

What about latest release

Yes. I have tried the latest release, but the bug still exist.

Try alternative boot mode

Yes. I have tried them, but the bug still exist.

BIOS Mode

Both

Partition Style

GPT

Disk Capacity

64GB

Disk Manufacturer

SanDisk

Image file checksum (if applicable)

Yes.

Image file download link (if applicable)

No response

What happened?

有办法将fat16分区改为fat32吗，我需要fat32格式的esp分区

[lproven]

The question seems to be:

Is there a way to change the fat16 partition to fat32? I need an esp partition in fat32 format

[steve6375]

It would need to be exactly 32MB even if it was FAT32 and there is very little free file space inside anyway. Also, updating ventoy would just replace it with the FAT16 partition (if update works) anyway. Why not just reformat it as a 65536 block (exact 32MB) FAT32 partition (must start at end of first partition with no gap) and re-write the files back and see what happens?

[attila123]

I ran into the same issue. In the 32MiB FAT16 partition after formatting already 26.0 MiB is used, according to gparted:

I needed to format it to FAT32, then only 528.50 KiB Used is shown.

sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n VTOYEFI /dev/sda2

chatgpt explained this situation like this:

"💡 Why FAT32 works better than FAT16 here

FAT16 has stricter cluster-count limits (max 65525 clusters). With 32 MiB it sits right on the edge, and mkfs.fat sometimes pads the structure, making the BPB inconsistent.

FAT32 is more forgiving and what almost all UEFIs expect nowadays. The spec explicitly requires FAT32 support; FAT12/16 are optional."

Working with chatgpt I tried various partition sizes, ran into various problems, at the end I tried 256 MiB and chatgpt summarized it like this (sorry, I could not copy it as text):

I am not a FAT expert, but apparently using FAT16 seems to be quite outdated, and FAT32 should be preferred, please.

[attila123]

Another issue: a full format on a slower pendrives takes ages to complete if the Ventoy partition is large. I see no option to avoid that:

Usage:  Ventoy2Disk.sh CMD [ OPTION ] /dev/sdX
  CMD:
   -i  install Ventoy to sdX (fails if disk already installed with Ventoy)
   -I  force install Ventoy to sdX (no matter if installed or not)
   -u  update Ventoy in sdX
   -l  list Ventoy information in sdX

  OPTION: (optional)
   -r SIZE_MB  preserve some space at the bottom of the disk (only for install)
   -s/-S       enable/disable secure boot support (default is enabled)
   -g          use GPT partition style, default is MBR (only for install)
   -L          Label of the 1st exfat partition (default is Ventoy)
   -n          try non-destructive installation (only for install)