External Hard Drive trouble transferring really large files

Oddler · 07-01-2009, 06:52 PM

I'm looking to transfer huge video files from my Laptops Hard Drive to my Buffalo External HDD. The problem is though that some of my videos are 5 Gigabytes and it will not transfer large files like that.

Is there any way around this on an external HDD? Are there HDDs I can buy that are better? I really need to store some of these uber large files. Any advice here?

Oddler · 07-04-2009, 10:41 PM

Bump

lawson_jl · 07-05-2009, 03:53 AM

The problem your having is that the Buffalo is formated in FAT32 which limits the size of any given file to 4GB. If you can reformat the Buffalo to NTFS you won't have any issues tranffering files over 4GB to the device.

Oddler · 07-05-2009, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawson_jl

The problem your having is that the Buffalo is formated in FAT32 which limits the size of any given file to 4GB. If you can reformat the Buffalo to NTFS you won't have any issues tranffering files over 4GB to the device.

That sounds useful. Do you know the ups and down sides to doing that...and where can I learn how to do this?

lawson_jl · 07-06-2009, 02:34 AM

If your using the drive in a strickly Windows enviroment there isn't any downside. If your using it with an Apple or Linux system you may have some systems that can't read the drive. At this point I pretty sure all major Linux distros can read and write NTFS (Ubuntu can) and I'm not entirely sure what Apple can and cant' read. Natively I'm thinking Apple can't read NTFS but there are addons. Maybe some one more familar with Apple can chime in?

Oddler · 07-06-2009, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawson_jl

If your using the drive in a strickly Windows enviroment there isn't any downside. If your using it with an Apple or Linux system you may have some systems that can't read the drive. At this point I pretty sure all major Linux distros can read and write NTFS (Ubuntu can) and I'm not entirely sure what Apple can and cant' read. Natively I'm thinking Apple can't read NTFS but there are addons. Maybe some one more familar with Apple can chime in?

You lost me :3

I have Windows Vista 32b

I want to change it from FAT32 like you said to NTFS so I can transfer a few files that are over 4 Gigabytes....I dunno how to do that though. How would I go about doing that to transfer some huge files onto that external hard drive?

oregon · 07-06-2009, 10:18 AM

FAT32 and NTFS are both hard drive file systems. FAT32 was designed to be universal (usable by any type of computer) but it is also rather old and one of the disadvantages is that it cannot store files greater than 4GB. NTFS was designed by Microsoft and so is used primarily by Windows. For along time other operating systems could not use it, but now Mac can read it, and even write with certain mods, and apparently Linux can also.

As for what to do, you will need to create an NTFS partition on your drive. I assume right now it is just one partition, so firstly you will need to free up some space, then shrink the FAT32 partition, then create the new NTFS partition with that free space.

To do this, press the vista button, then search msconfig. Open it, then click on drive management, and you should see your drive. Then right click (make sure it's the correct drive) and select shrink volume however much you want to shrink it. After it's done, right click on the unallocated space and right click, then select create new partition, and be sure it is NTFS. Then you should be good to go.

Mr soft · 07-06-2009, 11:46 AM

Are you using this external drive to plug in to a DVD player with usb. I ask because most DVD players will only accept fat32.

There is an easy way to convert if you have space.
Copy your files from your external to another drive.
Go to my computor , Right click on your external drive and format. You will be given an option for ntfs.
Copy your files back on to your external.

oregon · 07-07-2009, 12:50 AM

I just realized I wrote the wrong instructions in my previous post. Instead of searching msconfig, you will want to right click on "Computer" or "My Computer" then go to manage. From there it is the same.

Oddler · 07-07-2009, 01:26 AM

I think I found the format thing when I right clicked my HDD. When I opened it up..this panel flew out and it has some buttons that I don't know what to do with.

Any explanation?

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...rts/NTFS-1.jpg

07-01-2009, 06:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Oddler Bronze Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: California Age: 24 Posts: 65	External Hard Drive trouble transferring really large files I'm looking to transfer huge video files from my Laptops Hard Drive to my Buffalo External HDD. The problem is though that some of my videos are 5 Gigabytes and it will not transfer large files like that. Is there any way around this on an external HDD? Are there HDDs I can buy that are better? I really need to store some of these uber large files. Any advice here?

07-05-2009, 03:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
lawson_jl Platinum Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Illinois Age: 30 Posts: 588	The problem your having is that the Buffalo is formated in FAT32 which limits the size of any given file to 4GB. If you can reformat the Buffalo to NTFS you won't have any issues tranffering files over 4GB to the device. __________________ Any answears I give are free and without warrently. I answear questions from the point of view of a working computer tech because that what I am.

07-06-2009, 02:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
lawson_jl Platinum Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Illinois Age: 30 Posts: 588	If your using the drive in a strickly Windows enviroment there isn't any downside. If your using it with an Apple or Linux system you may have some systems that can't read the drive. At this point I pretty sure all major Linux distros can read and write NTFS (Ubuntu can) and I'm not entirely sure what Apple can and cant' read. Natively I'm thinking Apple can't read NTFS but there are addons. Maybe some one more familar with Apple can chime in? __________________ Any answears I give are free and without warrently. I answear questions from the point of view of a working computer tech because that what I am.

07-06-2009, 10:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
oregon Diamond Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: portland, oregon Age: 19 Posts: 1,578	FAT32 and NTFS are both hard drive file systems. FAT32 was designed to be universal (usable by any type of computer) but it is also rather old and one of the disadvantages is that it cannot store files greater than 4GB. NTFS was designed by Microsoft and so is used primarily by Windows. For along time other operating systems could not use it, but now Mac can read it, and even write with certain mods, and apparently Linux can also. As for what to do, you will need to create an NTFS partition on your drive. I assume right now it is just one partition, so firstly you will need to free up some space, then shrink the FAT32 partition, then create the new NTFS partition with that free space. To do this, press the vista button, then search msconfig. Open it, then click on drive management, and you should see your drive. Then right click (make sure it's the correct drive) and select shrink volume however much you want to shrink it. After it's done, right click on the unallocated space and right click, then select create new partition, and be sure it is NTFS. Then you should be good to go. __________________ MB: Gigabyte P35-DS3L CPU: Core 2 Duo E6550 @3.5hz GPU: PNY GeForce 8800 GT 512 RAM: 4GBs DDR2-800 (Ballistix and OCZ SLI) CL4 PSU: Antec NeoPower 650W Case: Antec 900 HDD: Seagate SATA 250GB, 16MB cache Seagate SATA 320GB, 16MB cache

07-06-2009, 11:46 AM	#8 (permalink)
Mr soft Gold Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Spain Posts: 285	Are you using this external drive to plug in to a DVD player with usb. I ask because most DVD players will only accept fat32. There is an easy way to convert if you have space. Copy your files from your external to another drive. Go to my computor , Right click on your external drive and format. You will be given an option for ntfs. Copy your files back on to your external. __________________ Phenom II 720 Black, Sapphire Pure 790GX , Sammy F1:1T, 2x2g Kingston Hyper-x 1066, ATI 4670 Powercolor , 720w Tacens Radix III. Sound blaster Audigy 2, Antec 300

07-04-2009, 10:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
Oddler Bronze Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: California Age: 24 Posts: 65	Bump

07-07-2009, 12:50 AM	#9 (permalink)
oregon Diamond Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: portland, oregon Age: 19 Posts: 1,578	I just realized I wrote the wrong instructions in my previous post. Instead of searching msconfig, you will want to right click on "Computer" or "My Computer" then go to manage. From there it is the same. __________________ MB: Gigabyte P35-DS3L CPU: Core 2 Duo E6550 @3.5hz GPU: PNY GeForce 8800 GT 512 RAM: 4GBs DDR2-800 (Ballistix and OCZ SLI) CL4 PSU: Antec NeoPower 650W Case: Antec 900 HDD: Seagate SATA 250GB, 16MB cache Seagate SATA 320GB, 16MB cache

07-07-2009, 01:26 AM	#10 (permalink)
Oddler Bronze Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: California Age: 24 Posts: 65	I think I found the format thing when I right clicked my HDD. When I opened it up..this panel flew out and it has some buttons that I don't know what to do with. Any explanation? http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...rts/NTFS-1.jpg

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