[Fixed] The Destination File System Does Not Support Large Files
The destination file system does not support large files error can lead to a variety of problems, such as file transfer failures, data fragmentation, and compatibility issues. So there is a need to address this issue on time.
When you transfer files between storage devices, you may encounter the error file is too large for destination. Encountering such an error while working with large data or many backup files can impact operations. To resolve this issue, you need to understand why the error occurs and the steps to fix it, and this article below will provide you with the causes and solutions.
What Causes the Error
This error is usually caused by an inherent limitation in the target storage device's file system. File systems are the way the operating system organizes and stores data on the hard disk. Different file systems have different limitations.
FAT32 File System: This file system is one of the most common causes of this error and is usually found on USB drives, external hard disks, and SD cards. Although FAT32 is compatible with various operating systems, it is limited to a maximum file size of 4GB.
Other Traditional File System: The file systems, including exFAT or NTFS (Windows) and HFS+ (Mac), can support larger file sizes, but if the target device uses an older or less commonly used file system that is more severely restricted, then an error can occur.
Partition Table Limitations: In some cases, older devices or improperly formatted hard disks may have partitions that reduce the available storage capacity and then create size-related limits.
📌Tip: The following is a table about file system limitations to help you have a better usage of them to avoid errors.
File System |
Maximum File Size |
Maximum Partition Size |
Compatibility |
Best Use Case |
FAT32 |
4GB |
2TB |
Widely supported (Windows, macOS, Linux, gaming consoles) |
Small USB drives, memory cards |
exFAT |
16EB (theoretical) |
128PB |
Windows, macOS, Linux (newer systems) |
Large external drives, cross-platform |
NTFS |
16TB (theoretical) |
256TB |
Windows-native, read-only on macOS (without third-party tools) |
Internal drives for Windows PCs |
APFS |
8EB (theoretical) |
8EB |
macOS only |
macOS internal and external drives |
HFS+ (macOS Extended) |
8EB (theoretical) |
8EB |
macOS (older), limited Windows support |
Older macOS systems |
ext4 |
16TB (file), 1EB (partition) |
1EB (exabyte) |
Linux only |
Linux internal drives |
How to Fix File Too Large for Destination File System
To fix The destination file system does not support large files, you can follow the steps provided below.
1. Check the file system of the destination drive
Before making changes, verify the current file system:
- Windows: Right-click the drive in File Explorer > Properties > File System.
- macOS: Open Disk Utility > Select Drive > Check File System Type.
2. Reformatting the hard disk to a compatible file system
If you are using FAT32, reformatting removes the size limitation for the file system, but note that reformatting deletes all data on the drive, so you need to back up your data first.
🔶On Windows (NTFS or exFAT)
- Right-click the drive in File Explorer > Format.
- Select exFAT (for cross-platform use) or NTFS (Windows only).
- Click Start and confirm formatting.
🔶On macOS (exFAT or APFS)
- Open Disk Utility, and select Drive > Erase.
- Select exFAT (for cross-platform) or APFS (macOS only).
- Click Erase and confirm.
3. Split the file into smaller parts
If reformatting is not possible, you can split a large file into smaller parts:
👉Windows Tool: WinRAR, 7-Zip.
👉macOS Tool: KeKa, Split & Concat.
Take WinRAR as an example:
- Right-click on the file > Add to Archive.
- Select Split to Volume, Bytes (e.g., 2GB parts).
- Transfer the parts to the destination drive.
Using a Backup Tool During Reformatting for Data Secure
Solving the destination file system does not support large files error and may involve formatting, this process deletes data, so for the process to go smoothly without losing any data, you can take a backup of your data before formatting. In addition to this, you can also make regular backups of your data regularly to keep it safe. You can back up your data with AOMEI Cyber Backup, which is a professional and powerful tool, that provides virtual machine, database, and physical machine backup, also offers users several options to keep their data safe:
Agentless Image Backup: It creates standalone and image-based backups of VMware ESXi and Hyper-V virtual machines.
Various Backup Methods: You can perform full, incremental, or differential virtual machine backups to capture only changed data and save storage space.
Restore from Any Point: The entire virtual machine can be restored to a usable state from any historical backup version.
Instant Recovery: It reduces business-critical downtime by immediately restoring VMware to a normal state in the event of a VMware crash.
Free, easy, centralized, enterprise data backup solution.
Conclusion
When the file is too large for destination error appears, it is an indication that your storage needs may not be well suited to the file system. In understanding the limitations of the file system and following some of the solutions provided in this article, you can avoid some unnecessary errors and ensure smooth file transfers. At the same time, it should be noted that in the process of solving the problem, you need to back up your data for the sake of data security, to avoid data loss.