[header] How to format an external hard drive to fat32 [title] Check your external hard drive. [step] Plug-in your external hard drive and verify that it is in working condition by clicking on the start menu button (located in the bottom left corner of your screen), then click' computer', and locate your external hard drive in the computer window. [title] Back-up your external hard drive. 
[step] Back-up any data in the external hard drive that you wish to save. If you do not back up the data in your external hard drive now, it will all be deleted when you reformat the hard drive.