Large File tranfer to an External Hard drive

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Large File tranfer to an External Hard drive

I need to download a large file from iCloud to an external hard drive. My External hard drive is given a prompt that says: "File too large for the destination".

My external drive is formatted as FAT/FAT32, it seems that I need to format my drive to NTFS or HFS+, correct?

or do I need to buy a new drive that supports that format?

please advise

I am new to video recording and I am not sure what I am doing but I want to make sure that all my family memories are safe on an external hard drive.

Thanks for your help!!

iPhone 6s, iOS 15

Posted on Jan 27, 2024 12:20 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 31, 2024 5:18 AM in response to _Kallista_

Yeah, you are right! Both the FAT and FAT32 file systems have file size limitations. FAT32, in particular, has a maximum file size limit of 4GB. If your large file exceeds this limit, you'll need to change the file system on your external hard drive to overcome this limitation.

But in my opinion, you don't need to buy a new drive. Just use Disk Utility(a built-in tool) to reformat your current external hard drive to NTFS. However, keep in mind that reformatting erases all data on the drive, so make sure you have a backup of any important files that are already on the drive. And if you need to use an NTFS drive on your Mac, the best way is to use a third-party software, like Kingshiper NTFS for Mac, Tuxera NTFS for Mac, or Paragon NTFS for Mac.

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Answer 2

_Kallista_ Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 15, 2024 2:30 PM in response to CasualKate

Thank you, your feedback was extremely helpful and now I have my files in a larger drive that can hold NTFS files for mac.

THANK YOU so much!

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Large File tranfer to an External Hard drive

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