I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
important data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the backup
was terminated after only a little over half the capacity was reached:
showing free space of 3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
alternative?
Would much appreciate comments/advise...thanks...Emry
On Wed, 14 May 2008 23:15:42 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
wrote:
>I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
>important data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the backup
>was terminated after only a little over half the capacity was reached:
>showing free space of 3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
>The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
>alternative?
>
>Would much appreciate comments/advise...thanks...Emry
>
Possibly not enough space ; I would buy one with at least 50% more
space " over the top " .
How were you backing up the files. If you are using a program that
compresses the files into one container file, yes that is your problem since
a FAT 32 file can only be 4 GB in size. 7.42 minus 4 is just about what you
have left (3.41 GB).
You would have to either format the flash drive to NTFS or break up your
backup into smaller chunks to save it. NTFS has no individual file size
limit.
"Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net> wrote in message
news:yoKWj.2198$Yp.2022@edtnps92...
>I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
>important data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the backup
>was terminated after only a little over half the capacity was reached:
>showing free space of 3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
> The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
> alternative?
>
> Would much appreciate comments/advise...thanks...Emry
>
On Wed, 14 May 2008 23:15:42 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
wrote:
> I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
> important data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the backup
> was terminated after only a little over half the capacity was reached:
> showing free space of 3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
> The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
> alternative?
Yes, that's the reason. FAT32 has a limit of 4GB for a single file.
Use NTFS instead.
--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Thanks Ken, alas I do not know how to use NTFS....IB
"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:fbvo245a0qbnejntdr1gnibk6om4oe7qcs@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 14 May 2008 23:15:42 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
> wrote:
>
>> I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
>> important data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the
>> backup
>> was terminated after only a little over half the capacity was reached:
>> showing free space of 3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
>> The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
>> alternative?
>
>
> Yes, that's the reason. FAT32 has a limit of 4GB for a single file.
> Use NTFS instead.
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
"Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net> wrote in message
news:yoKWj.2198$Yp.2022@edtnps92...
>I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more important
>data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the backup was terminated
>after only a little over half the capacity was reached: showing free space of
>3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
> The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
> alternative?
>
> Would much appreciate comments/advise...thanks...Emry
>
As long as you don't plan on using this flash drive with a computer running an
earlier version of Windows, you could format it NTFS.
On Fri, 16 May 2008 17:11:21 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
wrote:
> Thanks Ken, alas I do not know how to use NTFS....IB
There's very little you need to know. Just reformat the drive and
choose NTFS.
> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:fbvo245a0qbnejntdr1gnibk6om4oe7qcs@4ax.com...
> > On Wed, 14 May 2008 23:15:42 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
> >> important data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the
> >> backup
> >> was terminated after only a little over half the capacity was reached:
> >> showing free space of 3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
> >> The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
> >> alternative?
> >
> >
> > Yes, that's the reason. FAT32 has a limit of 4GB for a single file.
> > Use NTFS instead.
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>
--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
"Nepatsfan" <nepatsfan@SBXXXIX.com> wrote in message
news:Oo5HLl3tIHA.3792@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net> wrote in message
> news:yoKWj.2198$Yp.2022@edtnps92...
>>I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
>>important
>>data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the backup was
>>terminated
>>after only a little over half the capacity was reached: showing free space
>>of
>>3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
>> The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are the
>> alternative?
>>
>> Would much appreciate comments/advise...thanks...Emry
>>
>
>
> As long as you don't plan on using this flash drive with a computer
> running an
> earlier version of Windows, you could format it NTFS.
>
> Format a USB Flash Drive NTFS
> http://www.ntfs.com/quest22.htm
>
> Good luck
>
> Nepatsfan
>
Thanks, I suppose the ntfs site would show me how?! IB
>
>
"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:qpgr24p6amlecvop2kd88pc6vqlth5v38g@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 16 May 2008 17:11:21 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Thanks Ken, alas I do not know how to use NTFS....IB
>
>
> There's very little you need to know. Just reformat the drive and
> choose NTFS.
Thanks again, I guess one has to learn how to reformat!? IB
>
>
>> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
>> news:fbvo245a0qbnejntdr1gnibk6om4oe7qcs@4ax.com...
>> > On Wed, 14 May 2008 23:15:42 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> I just bought one of these flash drives to back up some of the more
>> >> important data on my computer (Windows XP), and for some reason the
>> >> backup
>> >> was terminated after only a little over half the capacity was reached:
>> >> showing free space of 3.41GB, from the capacity 7.42GB.
>> >> The File system was FAT 32. Could this be the reason? And what are
>> >> the
>> >> alternative?
>> >
>> >
>> > Yes, that's the reason. FAT32 has a limit of 4GB for a single file.
>> > Use NTFS instead.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
>> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>>
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
"Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net> wrote in message
news:58pXj.3073$KB3.1955@edtnps91...
>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:qpgr24p6amlecvop2kd88pc6vqlth5v38g@4ax.com...
>> On Fri, 16 May 2008 17:11:21 GMT, "Imre Bella" <bella-i@telus.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks Ken, alas I do not know how to use NTFS....IB
>>
>>
>> There's very little you need to know. Just reformat the drive and
>> choose NTFS.
>
> Thanks again, I guess one has to learn how to reformat!? IB
If you've looked at that website Nepatsfan linked to, you'll see that the
instructions are all there.
Don't forget to back up the data already on the drive first.