You've stress-tested your drive with F3write and F3read using Parted Magic or another Linux-based tool, formatted it as exFAT, and plugged it back into Windows — only for it to show up as blank, unformatted, or completely invisible. The drive is fine. The filesystem is intact. Windows just refuses to recognise it.
The culprit is a partition type ID mismatch. Linux disk utilities assign a partition identifier that Windows doesn't associate with a valid exFAT volume. The fix doesn't require reformatting or any data loss — just a single metadata correction.
This PowerShell script uses diskpart to reset the partition type ID to 0x07, the value Windows expects for exFAT and NTFS volumes. Once corrected, Windows immediately recognises the drive and mounts it normally.
The script is compatible with:
- Windows 7
- Windows 8 / 8.1
- Windows 10
- Windows 11
Not supported on Windows XP or Vista.
Download exFAT-fix.ps1 from this repository and save it anywhere convenient — your Desktop or Downloads folder is perfectly fine. This is a one-off fix script and doesn't need to be installed anywhere specific.
Warning: Always confirm your disk and partition numbers before running. Use Disk Management or run
list diskinside diskpart to verify.
Step 1 — If you have never run a PowerShell script before, you may need to enable them first. Run this once in PowerShell:
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUserThis allows locally saved scripts to run freely. You will only need to do this once.
Step 2 — Because the script was downloaded from the internet, Windows will block it from running even with the execution policy set. Unblock it by running:
Unblock-File .\exFAT-fix.ps1When you download a file from the internet, Windows silently attaches an invisible flag to it called a Zone Identifier — essentially a mark that says "this came from the internet, treat it with caution."
Unblock-Fileremoves that flag, telling Windows you trust the script. You will only need to do this once per download.
Step 3 — Right-click PowerShell and select Run as Administrator, navigate to where you saved the script, then run it using the .\ prefix:
.\exFAT-fix.ps1If you already know your disk and partition numbers — for example, you only have one fixed internal drive and any new drive will always land on the same disk number — you can skip the script entirely and paste the following directly into PowerShell:
"select disk 1","select partition 1","set id=07 override","exit" | diskpartBefore running, update
disk 1andpartition 1to match your setup. This is best suited for predictable, consistent configurations where the target disk number doesn't change between uses.
MIT
This script is intended for use on freshly formatted mechanical drives, solid state drives, and flash drives that have not yet been populated with data. If you intend to run this script on a drive that contains valuable content, you should first clone the drive using one of the many tools available online before proceeding.
This script modifies low-level disk partition data. While it is designed only to correct a partition type ID and should not affect your data, incorrect use — such as targeting the wrong disk or partition — can result in permanent, unrecoverable data loss. Always back up any important data before proceeding. Use this script entirely at your own risk. The author accepts no responsibility for any data loss, corruption, or damage resulting from its use.