The file is too large for the destination file system – Windows 7 usb error

While trying to copy my 6+ GB data to a 8GB usb flash drive in my microsoft windows seven installation i received an error :

The file is too large for the destination file system

Quite amazed at first that why am i getting this too large for the destination file system error, as the usb was completely blank!

The file is too large for the destination file system – Windows 7 usb error

However here’s how i fixed the issue (btw, this also works for external hard disk drives as well as usb flash drives).

Fix file is “Too large for the destination file system” usb error

  1. I checked the file system of the usb getting the “too large for the destination file system error” and it was FAT32 (you can skip this step though)
  2. Goto My Computer
  3. Right click usb drive and click format
  4. chose NTFS and click on quick format check box and click format to start the format process
  5. Try copying the file again and voila! it’s working now!

Please note, all the data inside the flash drive will be deleted once you format it. So backup any important data if you have any in it.

Hopefully you won’t get the file is too large for the destination file system error while copying file on your usb flash drive on windows operating system!

Format Flash drive to NTFS using command line

(thanks to Paul) – if you want to do it via command line

the command for converting fat32 to ntfs is as follows

Start > Run > Cmd

convert d: /fs:ntfs

where d: is the drive letter of the external disk.

61 comments on “The file is too large for the destination file system – Windows 7 usb error

  1. the command for converting fat32 to ntfs is as follows

    Start > Run > Cmd

    convert d: /fs:ntfs

    where d: is the drive letter of the external disk.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.