Troubleshooting Storage Issues on Your Flash Drive: Dealing with 'Out of Space' Errors

 

If you have a 32GB  flash drive for example  and you're experiencing issues with storing videos on it, such as getting an "out of space" message even though you've only used 6GB, there are a few potential reasons for this problem:

File System Issue: 

The flash drive might be using a file system that doesn't support large files. To fix this, you can reformat the flash drive with a different file system like NTFS (for Windows) or exFAT (compatible with both Windows and macOS). Be cautious, though, as reformatting will erase all the data on the drive, so make sure to back up any important files first.

File Size Limitation:

Some older file systems, like FAT32, have a maximum file size limit of 4GB. If your videos are larger than this limit, you won't be able to store them on the drive without reformatting them to a different file system.

Hidden Files or Trash:

Sometimes, hidden files or a "Recycle Bin" can take up space on a drive, making it seem like there is less space available than there actually is. Make sure to delete any unnecessary files, empty the trash/recycle bin, and check for hidden files.

Corrupted File System:

If the file system on the flash drive is corrupted, it can lead to inaccurate storage readings. You can try to repair the file system using built-in tools like Windows' Check Disk or macOS's Disk Utility.

Here are the steps to reformat your flash drive and switch to a different file system:

                                                                   For Windows

1.            Plug in your flash drive.

2.            Open File Explorer.

3.            Right-click on the flash drive and select "Format."

4.            In the "File system" dropdown menu, choose NTFS or exFAT.

5.            Click "Start" to begin the formatting process.

For macOS:

1.            Plug in your flash drive.

2.            Open Disk Utility (you can find it in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder).

3.            Select your flash drive from the list on the left.

4.            Click the "Erase" tab.

5.            In the "Format" dropdown menu, choose exFAT.

6.            Click "Erase" to format the drive.

After reformatting the flash drive with the desired file system, you should be able to store large video files without encountering the "out of space" issue. Just be sure to back up any important data before reformatting to avoid data loss.