External disk drive - 4 GB limit

Question

External disk drive - 4 GB limit

Hello,

recently I came across a big problem. As I started editing videos, I only converted small files but as I'm having some big files on my laptop, too and I wanted to copy them on my external disk drive as my laptop isn't having that much free space, a failure was caused by the big files (over 4 GB). I made some searching through the internet and got to know that "FAT 32" has a GB limit of 4. Also I read that you have to convert your external hard disk drive e.g. in "NTFS" but with "NTFS" you aren't able to copy files from your apple laptop to the hard disk drive.

My question now: Is there any other setting for external disk drives which accepts copying files bigger than 4 GB for apple systems and if yes, what are the steps I should follow in order to convert the external hard disk drive?
Is the quality of videos becoming worse than with "FAT 32"?

Thanks a lot,

greetings from bavaria,

Philippe

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.4), Video-editing, Final Cut Express

Posted on Aug 19, 2010 7:35 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 19, 2010 8:25 AM in response to Philippe Gnannt

what do you exactly mean by your response?

Instead of using NTSF or FAT-32 you can partition your HDD in GUID and create a Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.
Formatting, Partitioning Erasing an External HDD
• Connect external HDD to computer
• Turn on external HDD
• Start up computer and log in
• Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and launch DU.
• Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
• Select Partition tab in main panel.
• Click on Options button
• Select GUID Partition Table (Intel Macs)
• Click OK
• Select number of partitions in pull-down menu above Volume diagram.
For more partitions than one, after you have selected the number of partitions adjust the size of the partition by selecting the top partition and typing in the size; then move down if more adjustments need to be made.
(See Dr. Smoke’s FAQ Backup and Recovery for tips on partitioning external HDD)
• Type in name in Name field (usually Macintosh HD)
• Select Volume Format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
• Click Apply/Partition button at bottom of panel.
• Select Erase tab
• Select the sub-volume (indented) under Manufacturer ID
• Check to be sure your Volume Name and Volume Format are correct.
• Click Erase button
• Repeat above procedure to erase each partition
• Quit Disk Utility.

But there wouldn't be a problem, would there? I don't want to lose or create a new video project I have been sitting on for more than 15 hours.

The data file itself, if backed up on a different drive, should not be affected by copying it to drive with a different format if you are using the same application to edit it.

😉 cornelius

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Answer 2

brian515

Level 1

66 points

Aug 19, 2010 7:40 AM in response to Philippe Gnannt

If you don't care about sharing the files with a Windows or Linux based computer, use Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) to erase and format the drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). This will format the drive as HFS+, the Mac file system, which will allow you to store more than 4 GBs on the drive.

NTFS is the NT file system which is what Windows uses. As you said, your Mac can read it, but not write to it without third party utilities.

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Answer 3

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 20, 2010 7:35 AM in response to Philippe Gnannt

Why should I partition my external HDD in numbers, isn't it smarter to just have one single external HDD without any partitions which is formated in Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

If you anticipate using all of the space on the external HDD for one specific function, then you partition it for a single partition. One of my external FW HDDs is partitioned in two. The first partition is approximately the size of my internal HDD and I do backups/clones of my internal HDD on it. To have it any larger than the internal HDD would be a waste since I cannot backup more than is on the internal HDD. The second partition I use to store video files I do not need to keep on the internal HDD or the backup. In your case a single partition may be what you need.

Can I decide what's the maximum size of the file by doing this or does Mac OS Extended (Journaled) not care about the size of the file at all and if yes, where and how many GB is the maximum?

The maximum files size in HFS+ is 8EiB. I believe each EiB is 1 billion GBs or 1 million TB. I think it should be plenty larger enough for you.

Please do post back with further questions/comments.

😉 cornelius

Message was edited by: cornelius

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Answer 4

Aug 19, 2010 7:57 AM in response to brian515

All right, thank you! How many GB can be copied to the external HDD with Mac OS Extended (Journaled), more than 20 GB? And how do I format my external HDD, I know I have to make a back-up first, but what are the steps to follow?

Thank you a lot, highly appreciate your efforts,

Philippe

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Answer 5

Aug 19, 2010 8:02 AM in response to cornelius

Hello cornelius,

what do you exactly mean by your response? I could make a backup and then format the external HDD, too if that's the only solution - that wouldn't be a problem though as I am having two external HDD.

My only questions then would be:

I'm having one video done with Final Cut Express using the video files from my external HDD as they haven't been big at all and to this point, I didn't know that there would be a problem with the size of files. Now, when I make a backup and then copy my files back onto my formated external HDD with which I edited my videos, can I still use the video project, I just have to, of course, load the right folder. But there wouldn't be a problem, would there? I don't want to lose or create a new video project I have been sitting on for more than 15 hours.

Thanks a lot, highly appreciate your efforts,

Philippe

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Answer 6

Aug 20, 2010 5:13 AM in response to cornelius

First of all, thank you a lot for this great response! But still I have some questions to this:

Why should I partition my external HDD in numbers, isn't it smarter to just have one single external HDD without any partitions which is formated in Mac OS Extended (Journaled)? Can I decide what's the maximum size of the file by doing this or does Mac OS Extended (Journaled) not care about the size of the file at all and if yes, where and how many GB is the maximum?
By doing this, I have to do an back-up right?

Highly appreciate your responses,

Philippe

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Answer 7

Aug 20, 2010 10:01 AM in response to cornelius

All right, I did everything that you explained in your second response but I just don't get these steps:

• Select Erase tab
• Select the sub-volume (indented) under Manufacturer ID
• Check to be sure your Volume Name and Volume Format are correct.
• Click Erase button
• Repeat above procedure to erase each partition

Please help me, I'm one just about having my problem solved!

Thanks,

Philippe

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Answer 8

Aug 20, 2010 10:17 AM in response to Philippe Gnannt

Edit: Okay, sorry for for my post that I didn't understand the steps, I've done now all of them steps.

At the end I pressed the "erase" button at my sub-volume and it's normal that it still is there right? So now it's like this:

I have a Toshiba external HDD:

1. step:One partition, called USB-HDD, size: 999,00 GB
Guid-Option taken, the first one at the option button
2. step: clicking on the sub-volume and clicking the "erase" button.

I named both volumes "USB-HDD"... it's okay like that, isn't it?

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Answer 9

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 20, 2010 12:45 PM in response to Philippe Gnannt

I named both volumes "USB-HDD"... it's okay like that, isn't it?

If you created a single partition you should have a single volume. In the sidebar of Disk Utility the disk itself will be the manufacturer's ID, in this case Toshiba etc. Indented under the manufacturer ID should be your formatted volume which you have name USB HDD. Is there something else there, or am I not understanding you correctly?

😉 cornelius

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Answer 10

Aug 21, 2010 2:29 AM in response to cornelius

Yes I think it exactly looks like this but to be sure, I made some pictures as I don't know how to make screenshots...

Here you go:

http://img710.imageshack.us/f/img1015g.jpg/
http://img26.imageshack.us/f/img1016g.jpg/
http://img52.imageshack.us/f/img1017m.jpg/

I already put like 250 GB on my external hard disk drive, sorry that it is in german.
Did I make everything right with the Mac Os Journaled, the GUID-Partition and so on?

Thank you so much,

Philippe

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Answer 11

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 21, 2010 9:25 AM in response to Philippe Gnannt

Did I make everything right with the Mac Os Journaled, the GUID-Partition and so on?

Thanks for the screenshots. Everything looks fine. Incidentally, to do a selective screen shot hold down Command + Shift + 4 and select portion of the screen you want. See Making screenshots in Mac OS X. Otherwise click on the Desktop, then go to the Help Menu and type screenshots in the Search field.

Do post back with further questions or comments.

😉 cornelius

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Answer 12

Aug 22, 2010 10:21 AM in response to cornelius

Perfect!
Thank you cornelius and all the others for helping me out with this problem! I highly appreciate that you take your time and look after the peoples' questions!

Keep it going and I LOVE APPLE,

Philippe

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Answer 13

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 19, 2010 7:45 AM in response to Philippe Gnannt

Phillippe:

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

Is there a reason why you don't want your external HDD formatted GUID?

😉 cornelius

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Answer 14

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 22, 2010 1:13 PM in response to Philippe Gnannt

You are very welcome, Phillipe. Please don't hesitate to post back should you have further questions.

Good luck.

😉 cornelius

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Answer 15

JoeyR

Level 6

8,305 points

Aug 20, 2010 7:39 AM in response to Philippe Gnannt

If you just want to use your external drive for storage, then one partition is fine. If you want to use it as a TimeMachine back up drive "and" external storage, you would want to create at least two partitions as TimeMachine will take up as much space is available (within a given partition). Another reason to create multiple partitions is if you plan to install multiple OSs... although this is generally more applicable for internal drives.

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