# How can I be out of disk space? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363 "2004-12-23T19:12:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/1 "2004-12-23T19:12:07Z")
I am trying to copy a file from one hard (C:) drive to another hard drive (F:) on the same machine, a Dell running XP Home. The file is about 13G (video capture). The F: drive has a capacity of 57.2G with 33.1G available, according to the Properties. But when I try to move it I get the message that there is no enough free disk space. I have emptied the Recycle bin. I have done a disk cleanup. Why doesn’t a 13G file fit into 33G of disk? ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/2 "2004-12-23T19:24:09Z")
I’m not sure about Windows, but on some Unix systems, copying files from one partition to another can be a two-stage process. The file is first copied into some temporary space and then that copy is moved over to the new file system. I can’t remember, exactly, which situation is which. For example, a copy might go directly to the other file system but a move might hit the two-stage process. If you are using Copy, try Move. If you are using Move, try Copy. Or, I could be completely wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/3 "2004-12-23T19:24:11Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Why doesn’t a 13G file fit into 33G of disk? Do you have Norton Utilities installed by any chance? I once ran into a similar problem with the Norton Protected Recycle Bin. A large number of files (several GB worth) were being kept safe in the “protected” recycle bin, which had the effect of taking up disk space while not actually _appearing_ to take up disk space. I ended up getting the “disk full” warning even though it looked like I had several GB free. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_C.Mulligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@Chad\_C.Mulligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_C.Mulligan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/4 "2004-12-23T19:27:29Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I am trying to copy a file from one hard (C:) drive to another hard drive (F:) on the same machine, a Dell running XP Home. The file is about 13G (video capture). The F: drive has a capacity of 57.2G with 33.1G available, according to the Properties. But when I try to move it I get the message that there is no enough free disk space. I have emptied the Recycle bin. I have done a disk cleanup. > > Why doesn’t a 13G file fit into 33G of disk? How much space is available on the C: drive? This is a guess, but its based on 20 years of working with computers. When copying a file, Windows probably makes a copy of the file on the source drive, and then moves the copy to the destination drive. So if your C: drive doesn’t have 13 GB of free space, it won’t work. Incidentally, this would be true of moving the file as well; then the sequence goes: make copy of file \> move copy to destination \> delete original version of file. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/5 "2004-12-23T20:29:29Z")
Try “Cut” and “Paste.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/6 "2004-12-23T20:47:03Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I am trying to copy a file from one hard (C:) drive to another hard drive (F:) on the same machine, a Dell running XP Home. The file is about 13G (video capture). The F: drive has a capacity of 57.2G with 33.1G available, according to the Properties. But when I try to move it I get the message that there is no enough free disk space. I have emptied the Recycle bin. I have done a disk cleanup. > > Why doesn’t a 13G file fit into 33G of disk? What file system is C: ? What file system is F: ? ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/7 "2004-12-23T22:18:01Z")
Agree with Jonathon - here are the [file size limits](http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp) for various file systems. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/8 "2004-12-23T22:29:07Z")
As soon as I saw the size of the file, I said to myself “that other drive is FAT32” For those that don’t want to read all the Microsoftese, the maximum size for any one file in FAT32 is 4GB. Convert your F: drive to NTFS so you can fit files as big as a smudge under 16 terabytes. Of course, you might want to back it up first in case anything goes boink. CONVERT volume /FS:NTFS [/V] volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name. /FS:NTFS Specifies that the volume to be converted to NTFS. /V Specifies that Convert should be run in verbose mode. ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/9 "2004-12-23T22:41:13Z")
Just for the heck of it, and to put complete information in this thread, I looked up the maximum files sizes for Mac OS X. From [Apple](http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25557): > [@](#): > > The theoretical maximum file size for a Mac OS Extended file system is millions of terabytes. In practice, the maximum file size is equivalent to the maximum volume size, except for a small amount of disk space reserved for file system information. Terabytes = 10[sup]12[/sup] bytes Millions of terabytes = over 10[sup]18[/sup] bytes That’s a big file. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/10 "2004-12-23T23:34:42Z")
> [@leenmi](#): > > If you are using Copy, try Move. If you are using Move, try Copy. In Windows, a move between partitions is a copy-and-delete. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-be-out-of-disk-space/281363/11 "2004-12-23T23:46:32Z")
Before advising OP to do anything dramatic, we need to know the file system type of both partitions (drives) involved and preferably the OS. There are a couple of things I know of in Windows that will consume gross amounts of hard disk space without reporting it as used. One is the temporary internet files and the other is the system restore feature. To clean up temporary internet files, go into tools/options. To clean up restore data, go to the root of the system drive and delete files in the “recovery data” folder. Warning - if you rely on Microsoft system restore to make restore points, you lose that data. In my experience, system restore sucks up a tremendous amont of resources and doesn’t take restore images at the times that would be helpful. I personally just turn off the service… my PC runs faster and uses less disk space. YMMV.