I am trying to download and save a file that is 4.4 GB to my external hard drive. I get a window saying that the file I%26#039;m trying to save exceeds the limit file size allowed on the disc, which it says is 4.0 GB. I%26#039;m thinking this can%26#039;t be true because I have another file that is 4.2 GB on the same drive already. Is there a way I can change the maximum allowed file size to save on my external hard drive? Thanks if you can help.|||By default, all external hard drives are formatted under FAT32 file system. Unfortunately FAT32 file systems accept a maximum file size of 2^32 = 4,294,967,296 bytes or in other words 4.2 GB. That is the reason why you have a file size of 4.1GB sitting silently while a 4.4GB file fails you.
Your PC might have been using NTFS which does not have this limitation. (NTFS, and many other file systems do not have this limitation).
Before you convert your external HDD%26#039;s file system, make sure you have a backup of all your data, as changing the file system requires formatting it. Hope this helps.
The other easier workaround is to split the file into two and storing it. There are many free splitters available in the net. My favorite is WinZIP.|||you have to format it to ntfs ... fat32 `has a filesize limit of about 4 gigs ... if u have a mac dont do it ...|||You can also try defragmenting that hdd to see if that would help|||Sounds to my like the filesystem is corrupt. Try running CHKDSK /R/P from the Command line. Or run Scandisk and have it perform a surface scan as well.|||maybe you need to expand your cache size|||What is the capacity of your USB external hard drive? What is your virtual memory size? Check the property of ext HDD. You have another file of 4.2 GB size on HDD, this does not mean you can save a file of 100 GB, check the free space in your HDD. If space is their on external HDD than you should have downloaded it.|||Nata said it all. You have to get rid of the FAT32... fat32 was used back in windows 95, 98. By windows 2000 the NTFS file system has been the norm.
You said it is an external hard drive. is there a way to connect it to another computer temporarily and copy your files? Once you do that you may reformat it under windows %26quot;disk management%26quot; which is under %26quot;administrator settings%26quot; on every windows computer that I have ever used.
you will have to take it out of the case to reformat it, and when you do make sure you pick the NTFS file system.
