[Fixed] The Item Can’t Be Copied Because It Is Too Large for the Volume’s Format

When attempting to transfer or copy files from your Mac to a storage device, such as a USB drive or external hard disk, you might occasionally encounter this error: The item can’t be copied because it is too large for the volume’s format. This prompt indicates that the file system your hard drive is running is most likely to be FAT32, which has a flaw that doesn’t support single file transfer with over 4 GB. Let’s dive in to see how you can solve the problem.

What Does "The Item Can’t Be Copied Because It Is Too Large for the Volume’s Format" Mean?

As simple as the error already tells, this error occurs when the file you are trying to copy exceeds the size limit imposed by the file system of the storage medium you are using. Among all file systems, FAT32 has a clear tolerance for file sizes up to 4 GB.

That’s to say, if you try to copy a file larger than 4 GB to a FAT32-formatted drive, you will receive the error message - The item can’t be copied because it is too large for the volume’s format. Not because the drive itself is short in size, but the way it’s formatted doesn’t welcome any file that’s larger than 4 GB.

Step 1. Check the File System of the Storage Device

To make sure if the flash drive is FAT32-formatted, check the file system of your storage device with the help of Disk Utility. Here’s how:

1. Press Command + Space to bring up Spotlight search. Type in Disk Utility to launch it.
2. Select the storage device on the left sidebar, and the file system will be displayed in the right window.
3. Once you make it certain that the drive is formatted in FAT32, follow the tutorials below to solve the "too large for the volume’s format" error.

Step 2. Choose the File System

If you want to fix the error for good, the best way is to reformat the drive. However, it’s important to know that reformatting the drive means wiping out everything on it. We highly recommend transferring the files to somewhere else before re-assigning a new file system to it.

Once you’ve dealt with the data, the next question that follows is, which file system should you go for this time? To help you make a decision, ask yourself: Will the flash drive be used on multiple operating systems?

If the answer is yes, exFAT is the best choice. exFAT has no file size limitations and offers seamless compatibility across both operating systems. It's ideal for large files and external drives used across different platforms like macOS, Windows, and even Linux.

If the drive is intended for use only on macOS, you can opt for APFS (Apple File System) for flash drives and SSDs, which provides excellent performance and features like native encryption.

Related Article: NTFS vs exFAT vs FAT32 vs APFS: Differences Explanation

Step 3. Clean Up Your Hard Drive (Optional but Highly Recommended)

Before reformatting the hard drive on your Mac, it’s suggested to free up space on your hard drive by removing files that are either very large or haven’t been used in a long time. These kinds of files often take up gigabytes of space without you even realizing it. Deleting just a few of them makes your hard drive run smoother and shortens the time when you format it later on.

Instead of digging through folders manually, let a professional Mac cleaner do the work for you. BuhoCleaner makes this task simple with its built-in Large Files and Duplicate features. It quickly scans your hard drive for bulky files and duplicates, then lets you review and remove them with just a few clicks. Whether you're cleaning up before a backup or trying to fix the ‘can’t be copied because it is too large for the volume’s format’ error, clearing out unnecessary files first is always a good move. Then you can proceed with reformatting.

Step 4. Reformat the External Drive on Mac

1. Open Disk Utility and select the drive.
2. Click Erase.
3. Choose either exFAT or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the file system depending on your needs.
4. Click Erase to reformat the drive.

If reformatting the drive is not an option for you, try splitting the large file into smaller parts to fit the size limitations of the FAT32 file system. Use file compression tools or the built-in Compression feature on Mac to break a large file into smaller parts. Once split, you can copy each smaller part onto the device without hitting the size limit. Clearly, this method doesn’t work out every time, so reformatting is still a better way.

Conclusion

The error ‘The item can’t be copied because it is too large for the volume’s format’ is typically caused by the limitations of the file system, FAT32, on your storage device. By checking the file system, reformatting the device to exFAT or APFS can successfully resolve this issue on your Mac.