Disk full error transferring to SD card via USB

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Level 1

6 points

Disk full error transferring to SD card via USB

I'm trying to transfer image files onto a 2 GB SD drive (via USB) to use in a digital photo frame. The problem is that it says the disk is full after transferring only a portion of the total files. Out of about 900 photos (505MBs of data total) it stops after about 121 of the files a transferred. The disk is totally empty to start with (as far as I can see), the trash is emptied, it shows 1.89GBs available, but still it stops showing 1.82 GB still available.

I've seen other posts about this issue, including some partial solution involving reformatting the drive to FAT32 instead of FAT16 using a windows machine. That solution didn't sound complete (and I don't have a windows machine...).

Any ideas about why I can't use the available space, or some kind of workaround?

Thanks a lot (and my Mom will thank you too when she gets the frame filled with LOTS of photos...)

Macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Jul 5, 2008 1:47 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 5, 2008 2:00 PM in response to jh2336

Hi! The picture frame probably is set for DOS (fat32). I'd probably try reformatting using the Apple Disk Utility and format it to DOS and retry. Also you often can't have pictures with names containing odd characters and keep the file transfer to small groups because you exceed DOS file limitations. Tom

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Answer 2

deh2k

Level 4

1,890 points

Jul 5, 2008 2:11 PM in response to jh2336

The first thing I'd do is to make sure there is no way to get those photos on the card. Try smaller batches (say, 100 at a time). Make sure the file names are not unusual (not too long and no funny characters). Don't use any folders.

But if none of that works then it may be the formatting on the card, as you say. I hear it is possible to format it in either FAT16 or FAT32 without Windows. The following thread has a lot of information about it:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1302331

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Answer 3

jh2336 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 5, 2008 3:03 PM in response to deh2k

Hi - Thanks for the response - I've tried smaller batches - same problem. I went to that link and it got into a lot of terminal commands that, when I got into the detail, were a little vague for me - so I avoided that.

I guess I'm just surprised that 2GB card is only about a 75MB card on a mac, unless I reformat it to a format that makes it unusable to anything but the mac. I don't get it.

So I'm still looking for an answer that definitively offers a solution, or the simple bad news that yes, that's all the card will hold (and still be useable on another device).

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Answer 4

deh2k

Level 4

1,890 points

Jul 5, 2008 4:50 PM in response to jh2336

Did you catch the fact that you can format the card in FAT16 or FAT32, which is a Windows format and should be readable by your photo frame, on your Mac?

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Answer 5

jh2336 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 7, 2008 11:01 AM in response to deh2k

This is what ended up working - used disk utility to reformat (though it's called 'erase' in disk utility) and it automatically reformats as FAT32. That allowed me to use all the SD card's space and it is working in the photo frame.

Still can't get movie files on there (in any format) but other than that it's a solved problem! Thanks!

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Answer 6

Jul 7, 2008 12:17 PM in response to jh2336

The problem is likely that you are putting all your files into the root folder. You need to create a subfolder and put your files in there. There is a limit (of about 112) files in the root of a FAT drive. The limit is actually twice that, but long filename support cuts it in half.

Message was edited by: AndreTheGeek

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Answer 7

jh2336 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 7, 2008 12:21 PM in response to AndreTheGeek

Interesting, since I think it was exactly 121 files that it was allowing. I didn't handle it any differently when it was a FAT16 (and didn't work) and when I'd reformatted it as FAT32 (and it did work) - I just dropped the files onto the drive icon. Maybe the Mac formatting somehow addressed the root folder issue you mention without me knowing it.

But it sounds like you are definitely on the right track.

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Answer 8

Jul 7, 2008 1:25 PM in response to jh2336

A 2GB card would be FAT16. FAT32 has a higher limit (double??), which you will hit again. Create subfolders to be safe.

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Answer 9

jh2336 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 7, 2008 2:14 PM in response to AndreTheGeek

Not sure what "A 2GB card would be FAT16" means.

I've put about 1GB on it so far - seems to be working fine. The Disk Utility says it's now FAT32 after "erasing".

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Answer 10

Jul 7, 2008 3:42 PM in response to jh2336

Has the card been used before? I've been caught out by erasing files from disk-like devices but not emptying the 'trash' which in the OS X world means that the files on the disk are simply copied to a hidden directory but not removed from the disk. The disk itself shows plenty of room but you get 'disk full' errors way too soon. Simply empty the 'trash' and the actual space is recovered.

Just a thought

Susan

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Answer 11

Jul 8, 2008 7:20 AM in response to jh2336

"A 2GB card would be FAT16" means that from the factory, it would have been formatted as FAT16. Mac (and Windows) will format it as FAT16 by default, based on it being under the 2GB FAT16 limit (for default cluster sizes).

To format it as FAT32, you have to 'force' it, either with a 3rd party utility, or from a command prompt in Windows.

Bottom line, both have limits as to how many directory entries can exist in the root folder. Subfolders do not have these limits.

Actually forcing FAT32 on a smaller device (2GB or less) makes it non-standard. Your best bet is to keep it the standard FAT16, and use sub-folders to store your files. FAT32 should work fine on it, but you may find some device that doesn't like it being non-standard.

I'm an old Windows guy, so that's why I know these "legacy" things.

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Answer 12

jh2336 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 8, 2008 7:45 AM in response to AndreTheGeek

Actually, Disk Utility didn't give me a choice beyond FAT, and when it was completed it showed it was FAT32. Also, I didn't create any folders on it and it seems to be holding quite a lot (over a gig). Maybe Mac is handling that somehow without me knowing it? Anyway, it's working fine now and the Mac reformatting (why does it call it "erase", that's confusing...) did the trick.

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