Can’t Be Copied Because It Is Too Large for the Volume’s Format on Mac

The error message “This item cannot be copied because it is too large for the volume's format” happens when you try to copy or move a file to an external storage device, such as a hard disk or pen drive. It happens because the drive is formatted in FAT32—a legacy disk format that can’t handle files bigger than 4GB.

What does “can’t be copied because it is too large for the volume’s format” mean on Mac?

When Mac users try to move files larger than 4GB to a drive formatted in FAT32, they will see a message that says the data can’t be copied because it is too large for the volume’s format. The drive needs to be reformatted in a different format, such as exFAT, to fix this error.

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How to fix “can’t be copied because it is too large for the volume’s format” on Mac?

To fix the “item cannot be copied because it is too large for the volume's format” issue on a Mac, you need to reformat your external storage device. Use the macOS Disk Utility app and format the drive using Mac OS Extended or exFAT, rather than the legacy FAT32 format.

Here’s how to reformat your external storage:

1. Connect your external disk drive or pen drive to your Mac.
2. Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities.
3. Select your external storage from the list on the left, and click Erase at the top.
4. Rename the disk if you want to.
5. Use the dropdown to select a disk format—anything that isn’t MS-DOS (FAT) or MS-DOS (FAT32).
6. Click Erase.
7. Wait until Disk Utility has finished erasing the external drive, and click Done.
8. Now try transferring files that are larger than 4GB to the drive, and it should work.

A warning from us: When you format your external drive, all data on it will be erased.

Why does FAT32 have a 4GB limit?

FAT32’s 4GB file size limit is caused by the fact it stores data in 32-bit allocation tables. That’s because it was created a long time ago, in an age when 4GB files would have been extremely uncommon. Despite its age and limits, FAT32 is sometimes used for flash drives, because it’s highly compatible with lots of different operating systems, including macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Which disk format should you use for external storage on Mac?

Now you know that FAT32 is stopping you from transferring files to your external storage, what file format should you choose instead?

It depends on what you’re going to use your external drive for. Personally, we use a mixture of different devices, including Macs, Windows PCs, iPads, and Android phones—and we want our external storage to work with all of them.

For that reason, we choose the exFAT when we format our external drives with the macOS Disk Utility. Our exFAT-formatted disks work with all our devices, letting us store and access our data wherever we need it. We don’t have to worry about that pesky 4GB file limit either. In fact, exFAT’s theoretical maximum file size is a whopping 16 exabytes—equivalent to 16 billion gigabytes. You won’t be getting anywhere near that for a very, very long time.

We could also choose to format our external drives with an Apple file system like Mac OS Extended or APFS (Apple File System), but they only work with Macs, so we recommend sticking with exFAT.

A heads-up from our team: 

 

When you’re looking at your Mac’s storage, you may also notice ‘Other volumes in container.’ This is nothing to worry about. Read our guide on other volumes in container on Mac for more information.

What happens to your data when you format a drive on Mac?

If you don’t choose the right disk format for your external storage, you might be unable to copy files from Mac to an external hard drive. Thankfully, it’s easy to format your external drive with Disk Utility.

But back up first! Whenever you format a storage device, you lose everything that’s stored on it.

There are lots of great third-party backup solutions, but we like Apple’s very own Time Machine. Like Disk Utility, Time Machine is built right into macOS, it’s free, and it’s easy to use. Check out our article on how to back up files on Mac for step-by-step guidance on creating your backups.

Use external storage with confidence

When you find a file can’t be copied because it’s too large for the volume’s format, the cause is usually that your external drive is formatted as FAT32. You just need to reformat the drive with exFAT, so you can store files that are bigger than 4GB. Just make a backup before you do it, because we don't want you to lose any data. If the disk formatting doesn’t work as you expect, then try to repair disk permissions on your Mac.

Confused by all this talk of disk formats and backups? 

 

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