Have you ever encountered this error “the file is too large for the destination file system” while moving files from your windows PC to USB flash drive or external hard drive?
If yes, then first you need to understand why it happens and how you can solve it. And this is what I am going to explain with all possible solutions.
So, let’s get into details…
What is “The File is Too Large for the Destination File System” Error?
This is the problem associated with the file system of the destination drive.
There are different types of file systems like FAT, FAT32, NTFS, FAT16, which windows PC and flash drives are using.
Generally, all USB flash drives are using FAT32 file system. It supports a maximum single file size is of 4GB.
It means, when you are copying multiple files from your Windows PC to USB flash drive it might be possible that there is one file which is larger than 4GB in size.
And this what preventing the destination drive from accepting your files and causing the File Too Large error.
To fix this problem you can convert the file system into FATS. It supports a maximum single file size of 1TB.
I will show you two different ways to convert your FAT32 file system into FATS.
Caution: Make sure you take the backup of your drive or else you need to perform data recovery if anything goes wrong.
2 Methods to Solve “The File is Too Large for the Destination File System Error”
Now, let’s discuss two proven methods which can help you to solve the problem by converting FAT32 to FATS.
#Method 1 – Format the Destination Drive to Convert FAT32 to FATS using Windows Built-in Features
- First, connect USB flash drive or external hard drive to your Windows PC. Wait until the drive shows on your PC.
- Next, right-click on the external drive you have connected and select Format.
- Now, select NTFS from the file system options.
- Hit the Start button.
That’s it; your external drive will be formatted in few seconds. Now, you can copy large-size files from PC to external drive.
#Method 2 – Use a Third-Party Tool
Well, there are plenty of free and paid tools available in the market which can help you to fix the File Too Large issue.
Out of all these, I personally recommend the EaseUs Partition Master tool.
It helps you to convert FAT32 to FATS without the need of formatting the external drive and without losing data.
Below are the steps you need to follow with this partition software –
- First, install and open the EaseUs Partition Master software in your PC. Make sure you have connected your external drive with your PC.
- The software will show all the drives associated with your PC including the external drives with their file system types.
- Next, tap on the FAT32 drive and right click on it.
- Now, select Convert to NTFS option. A pop-up will open.
- Click “ok” on the dialogue box.Now, check in the top left corner.
- Click on Execute 1 Operation tab. A dialogue box will open with operation details.
- You need to click “Apply” and Finish once the process completes.
Now you can store large files above 4GB without any hassle. Besides it, this tool will also allow you to copy OS to SSD, you can even resize and delete the partition.