Transferring large files

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Article from Issue 147/2013
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Various alternatives let you work around pesky size limits when transferring a file from point A to point B.

Here’s the situation: You want to store a large file on a USB memory stick, but the attempt fails even though you have enough space. In this case, you have very likely hit the limits of the filesystem on the medium you are using. The possible causes are a full File Allocation Table (FAT) – the directory for the disk contents – or reaching the maximum number of blocks per file.

For compatibility reasons, many manufacturers supply your media with the VFAT or FAT32 filesystems, and you might not notice for a long time that they limit the size of a file. Both can store files up to a maximum of around 4GB; however, you can transport larger files from one computer to another in other ways.

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