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Files larger than 4 GB on fat32. How to transfer a large file to a flash drive: types of files, sizes, amount of memory, various ways to copy files

Files larger than 4 GB cannot be written to a flash drive - what is the reason and how to solve the problem?

Let's say you went to a friend's house to pick up the latest video from a holiday, a game image, or a movie in HD quality. Your friend suggests connecting your flash drive or phone with microSD card. No problem, you say, I have more than 20 gigabytes free, upload it. However, when you try to copy a file, the system warns you that there is not enough space and cancels the operation.

You frantically recheck the device and once again make sure that there is three times more space than you need. And a friend calmly asks - what file system do you have? “Uh,” you say, after which your interlocutor looks at the properties of the disk, leans back in his chair and says in a mentoring tone...

Historical educational program

Almost all flash drives and memory cards (up to 32 Gb inclusive) today are sold formatted in the FAT-32 file system. This is easier for the manufacturer, since this FS is supported by absolutely all computers and mobile devices (even very ancient ones). FAT-32 is very fast system, and its reliability is quite enough for not very important operations. However, it has an unpleasant limitation.

The fact is that this file system was introduced more than 20 years ago, in 1996, along with updated Windows 95 OSR2. In those days the most capacious hard disks had a volume of no more than 2 gigabytes, and the size user files rarely exceeded several hundred megabytes. Therefore, the developers allocated only 4 kilobytes (32 bits) to store information about the file size. This allows you to encode in binary system the number is not more than 4,294,967,295 (32 units in a row).

As a result this decision and became the reason why, after 20 years, files larger than 4 gigabytes are not written to a flash drive, and you cannot express your feelings within the censorship framework of the rules of the Russian language. By the way, it is mathematically more correct to say 4 gibibytes, since 4 gigabytes is only 4,000,000,000. And when you buy a flash drive with 32 “gigabytes”, you will see less than 30 in Windows, since it counts everything in gibibytes (although it hides it) .

How to record files larger than 4 GB?

You finally ask your friend this question, interrupting his monologue. You came to him for files, and not for a boring lecture. The solution to the problem is very simple - reformat it to another file system that supports large files. Today there are a great many of them - NTFS, exFAT, ext2, ext3, ext4, HFS Plus and so on. In addition, they are also much more reliable than FAT-32. However, there are two important nuances here.

First, which specific file system should I choose? Logic dictates that it is best to use NTFS, the same as on a Windows computer. But you should remember that not all devices support it. If you try to put a flash drive into a home player or into a TV with a USB port, then there is a high probability that nothing will work - the files will not be visible.

The same applies to memory cards - some operating systems for smartphones, for example, old ones Android versions, do not support NTFS or prohibit writing to it. The best option can become exFAT - it is supported by both Windows (unlike ext2, ext3 and ext4) and most mobile devices. Moreover, this file system is installed by manufacturers on all memory cards larger than 32 GB.

Secondly, reformatting destroys all data on the media. If you don’t have anything valuable there, then let’s proceed with the operation:

If you do not want to lose the information on the drive, then you should use a different algorithm:

  • carry out the first two points indicated above;
  • go to the Start menu and enter “cmd”;
  • in the console that opens, type convert E: /fs:ntfs (substitute your letter and FS);

We wait for the end of the procedure (it may take a long time, depending on the volume).

Hello.

It would seem, it would seem simple task: transfer one (or several) files from one computer to another, having previously written them to a flash drive. As a rule, problems do not arise with small (up to 4000 MB) files, but what to do with other (large) files that sometimes do not even fit on a flash drive (and even if they should fit, then for some reason an error appears when copying)?

In this short article I will give some tips that will help you write files larger than 4 GB to a flash drive. So…

Why does an error appear when copying a file larger than 4 GB to a flash drive?

Perhaps this is the first question with which to start the article. The fact is that many flash drives, by default, come with file system FAT32. And after purchasing a flash drive, most users do not change this file system ( those. remains FAT32). But the file system FAT32 does not support files larger than 4 GB- so you start writing the file to the flash drive, and when it reaches the 4 GB threshold, a write error appears.

To eliminate such an error (or work around it), you can do several things:

  1. write down more than one big file- but many small ones (i.e. split the file into “pieces”. By the way, this method is suitable if you need to transfer a file whose size is larger than the size of your flash drive!);
  2. format the flash drive to another file system (for example, NTFS. Attention! Formatting deletes all data from the media );
  3. Convert FAT32 to NTFS file system without losing data.

I will consider each method in more detail.

1) How to split one large file into several small ones and write them to a flash drive

This method is good for its versatility and simplicity: you don’t need to do backup copy files from a flash drive (for example, to format it), you don’t need to convert anything or anywhere (don’t waste time on these operations). In addition, this method is perfect if your flash drive is smaller than the file that needs to be transferred (you just have to transfer the pieces of the file 2 times, or use a second flash drive).

One of most popular programs, which often replaces the conductor. Allows you to perform all the most necessary operations on files: renaming (including mass), compression into archives, unpacking, splitting files, working with FTP, etc. In general, one of those programs that is recommended to have in mandatory on PC.

To split a file into Total Commander: select with mouse required file, and then go to the menu: " File/split file "(screenshot below).

Split file

Next, you need to enter the size of the parts in MB into which the file will be divided. The most popular sizes (for example, for recording on a CD) are already present in the program. In general, enter right size: for example, 3900 MB.

And then the program will split the file into parts, and all you have to do is write them all (or several of them) onto a flash drive and transfer them to another PC (laptop). In principle, this task is completed.

By the way, the screenshot above shows the source file, and in the red frame are the files that resulted when the source file was split into several parts.

To open the original file on another computer(where you will transfer these files), you need to do the reverse procedure: i.e. collect file. First, move all the pieces of the broken source file, and then open Total Commander, select the first file ( with type 001, see screenshot above) and go to the menu “ File/collect file ". Actually, all that remains is to indicate the folder where the file will be collected and wait a while...

2) How to format a flash drive to the NTFS file system

The formatting operation will help if you are trying to write a file larger than 4 GB to a flash drive whose file system is FAT32 (i.e. does not support such large files). Let's look at the operation step by step.

Attention! When formatting a flash drive, all files on it will be deleted. Before this operation, make a backup copy of all the important data you have on it.

1) First you need to go to “My Computer” (or “This PC”, depending on the version of Windows).

3) Click right click on the flash drive and in the context menu select the function “ Format"(see screenshot below).

After a few seconds (usually), the operation will be completed and you can continue working with the flash drive (including writing files to it bigger size than before).

3) How to convert FAT32 file system to NTFS

In general, despite the fact that the conversion operation from FAT32 to NTFS should take place without data loss, I recommend saving all important documents to a separate medium ( from personal experience : having done this operation dozens of times, one of them ended with some of the folders with Russian names losing their names, becoming hieroglyphs. Those. An encoding error occurred).

Also, this operation will require some time, so, in my opinion, for a flash drive it is more preferred option- this is formatting ( with preliminary copying of important data. More on this in the article).

So, to convert, you need:

1) Go to " My computer" (or " this computer") and find out the drive letter of the flash drive (screenshot below).

2) Next run command line on behalf of administrator . In Windows 7, this is done through the “START/programs” menu; in Windows 8, 10, you can simply right-click on the “START” menu and select this command in the context menu (screenshot below).


All you have to do is wait until the operation is completed: the operation time will depend on the size of the disk. By the way, it is highly recommended not to run extraneous tasks during this operation.

That's all for me, good luck!

You can store movie collections in high quality, images, games, archives. If you tried to transfer something to such a flash drive, and the “File is too large for the destination file system” window or the message “No disk space” popped up, this does not mean that the flash drive is faulty or damaged. Most likely there is a limitation on it. And you won’t be able to transfer a file larger than 4 GB to it. Even if the media memory is 32 GB. At the same time, you can easily upload 10 videos of 3 GB each to it.


This occurs due to the file system (FS) and is associated with some of its features. Typically, flash drives have one of the versions of FAT - File Allocation Table. It is this that prevents you from writing a large file to external drive. Even on a 128 GB flash drive.

There is another FS - NTFS or New Technology File System. It is widely used in Microsoft Windows. And it does not block downloading if the file exceeds 4 GB. Even in NTFS much smaller size each cluster is a certain area into which information is added.

To make an analogy, imagine a piece of paper with a tic-tac-toe board on it. One cell equals a cluster. If you put a cross in it, you will fill it out entirely (that is, you will no longer be able to write any data there). Even if there is still room left in it. For both file systems overall size this field is the same - for example, one notebook sheet. In FAT, it fits 9 cells (3 by 3 field). And in NTFS - 49 (field 7 by 7). Because in the second case the clusters (cells) are smaller.

In addition, in NTFS you can configure quotas and set access rights. There is logging, which increases reliability.

If, when copying, you see the warning “The file is too large for the destination file system,” then the drive is set to FAT. To check this:

  1. Insert the flash drive into the USB port.
  2. Open My Computer. Your flash drive should be displayed there.
  3. Right-click on it.
  4. Select Properties. The information you need will be there.

It’s easy to find out the file type - to do this, go to Media Properties

If “FAT” is indicated, it means that only data up to 4 GB in size can be written to the disk. But what if you downloaded a video and want to watch it on TV? Or do you need to transfer an archive of photos?

You can remove the restriction on maximum volume. Before copying a large file to a flash drive, change the FS. If the drive is a boot disk, you must leave FAT.

Formatting

Most easy way- format the USB drive and immediately assign it necessary settings. But absolutely all information, even encoded and hidden, will be erased from it. Therefore, you need to transfer everything that is there to another medium. Then you can return your documents to the formatted drive.

Here's how to write a large file to a flash drive:

  1. Plug in its USB port.
  2. Open My Computer
  3. Right-click on the name of the flash drive.
  4. Click Format.
  5. Select "NTFS" from the drop-down list.
  6. Click "Start".
  7. Wait.

This will clear the "File is too large for target file system" warning.

If there is no “NTFS” line in that menu, do the following:

  1. Open Control Panel. You can enter it through “Start”.
  2. You need "Device Manager". It is in the Hardware and Sound category. Open it.
  3. Expand the "Disk devices" list.
  4. Find your flash drive in it.
  5. Right-click on its name.
  6. “Properties” item.
  7. "Politics" tab.
  8. Place a marker next to the line “Optimize for execution.”
  9. Click OK.

Try formatting the flash drive to NTFS again. And you can drop a large file on it.

Conversion

The drive can be converted to the desired file system. To do this, Windows has an option “File System Conversion Utility” or “Convert.exe”. There is no need to launch it manually. It is controlled through commands.

Here's how to transfer a large file to a flash drive:

  1. In the input field, write “cmd” without quotes. A window will open with a black background and white characters. This is the command line.
  2. Insert the drive into the USB slot.
  3. Open My Computer.
  4. Find your flash drive there. Look at the name of the disc ( external devices letter names “F:”, “L:”, “H:”) are assigned.
  5. In the command line you need to enter or copy the command “convert [drive name] /fs:ntfs /nosecurity /x”. Instead of “drive name,” write the letter of the flash drive. And after it put a colon. That is, it should look something like “convert G: …”.
  6. Wait until the "Conversion Complete" message appears.

Now try writing a large file to the drive.

When converting, nothing is erased from the media. But still, before changing the file system, clean the flash drive and create a backup copy of the data. There must be free space on the USB drive for successful conversion.

If during conversion the error “Enter a volume label for the disk” appears, write the label (the full name of the disk). Or uncheck it in the “Properties” menu in the “General” section. Just remove what is written in the input field at the top.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

To convert a flash drive, use the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool".

  1. Search the Internet and download this utility. There should only be one executable file"HPUSBDisk.exe."
  2. Right-click on it.
  3. Select "As administrator".
  4. Find your flash drive in the “Devices” list. It should already be inserted into the USB connector.
  5. In field " File system» specify "NTFS".
  6. You can set a label (“Volume Label”).
  7. During the conversion, all data on the drive will be erased. It makes sense to copy them to a PC and then return them to a flash drive.
  8. Click "Start". Before doing this, make sure that you have selected the correct media. So as not to accidentally format something else.

After this, try writing the necessary data to the drive.

Now you know how to transfer a large file to a flash drive. We need to transfer it to another file system. Then the size limitation will disappear. Choose any method you like.

Why can't I transfer a 4GB or larger file to my USB flash drive?
This is due to the FAT32 limitation. Files larger than 4 GB cannot be saved in FAT32 format. Formatting the flash drive in NTFS or exFAT will resolve this issue.

ATTENTION: Do backup your data. Formatting will delete all data in the device memory.

SOLUTION 1. Formatting in exFAT

exFAT is a new file system that allows you to save a file larger than 4 GB on your device. This file system is also compatible with Mac.

Windows 7 and Mac OS 10.6 and higher are compatible with exFAT natively. Previous OS may require a patch for exFAT compatibility.

NOTE: exFAT file system is not compatible with some devices such as TVs, gaming systems, older operating systems, car radios etc.

Formatting a flash drive to exFAT

  1. Double-click on My Computer.
  2. Right-click on the flash drive or memory card and select Format.
  3. In the list of File Systems, click on exFAT.
  4. Select Get Started.
  5. Select OK to start formatting.

SOLUTION 2: Format to NTFS

ATTENTION:
- After formatting your device to NTFS, you will not be able to write to the disk on Mac. Majority Mac computers can read NTFS, but not write.
- NTFS is a journaling file system, this means more read/write activity. Thus, the life expectancy of the device will be reduced.
- Once the device is formatted to NTFS, you should use Safe removal devices.

STEP 1 - Optimizing the Flash Drive for Better Performance

  1. Connect your device to your PC.
  2. Open Control Panel
    a)Windows 8
    b) Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
  3. Right-click on the flash drive and then select Properties.
  4. Select the Hardware tab.
  5. Select SanDisk Cruzer USB Drive, select Properties.
  6. Click the Settings tab.
  7. Select Optimize Performance and then click OK

STEP 2 - Format flash drive

  1. Double-click the My Computer icon.
  2. Right-click on the flash drive, then select Format.
  3. On the list system files, click NTFS.
  4. Click the Start button.
  5. Click OK to start formatting.