Choosing the Right File System

NVR and DVR systems may require different file systems depending on the manufacturer, model and intended use. Before formatting a drive, confirm which file system your recorder supports.

FAT32

Best suited for smaller USB drives and systems that specifically require FAT32.

exFAT

Supports larger drives and may be supported by NVRs that need higher-capacity USB storage.

NTFS

Provides additional Windows file-system features, but some NVRs may not support it.

Important: Formatting a USB drive erases the data currently stored on it.

Back up anything important before continuing.

Format a USB Drive to FAT32 in Windows 10

  1. Connect the USB drive to your computer.
  2. Press the Windows key, type CMD, and open Command Prompt.
  3. Enter:

format /FS:FAT32 H:

  1. Replace H: with the actual drive letter assigned to your USB drive in File Explorer.
  2. Confirm the formatting process.
  3. Wait for Windows to finish formatting the drive.
  4. Close Command Prompt.
  5. In File Explorer, right-click the USB drive and select Eject.
  6. Remove the drive after Windows confirms it can be safely removed.

Note: Close any File Explorer windows displaying the USB drive before ejecting it. Otherwise Windows may report that the drive is currently in use.

Format a USB Drive in Windows 11

  1. Connect the USB drive to your computer.
  2. Open File Explorer.
  3. Right-click the USB drive in the sidebar.
  4. Select Format…
  5. From File System, choose FAT32.
  6. Click Start and wait for formatting to complete.
  7. Right-click the drive and select Eject.
  8. Remove the USB drive.

Initialize or Format the Drive From the NVR

Some NVRs also allow storage devices to be initialized directly through the recorder.

  1. Connect the USB drive to the NVR.
  2. Open the NVR’s storage settings.
  3. Look for an option similar to HDD, Storage, Initialize, or Format.
  4. Follow the prompts to initialize the drive.

Warning: Initializing or formatting the drive will erase its existing data.

Next Step: Export Your Footage

Ready to export video?
→ Exporting Footage from Your NVR System

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