Why can't I copy a large file to my USB when there is plenty of space?

Say for example you have an 8gb USB key. Not a single thing on it so it should show at least almost 8gig free, right?
Now, you go to copy a 6.5 gb file. Yeah, it's big, but it should fit. So why then, does windows say "disk full" or "not enough space in this file system".

One possible reason is that the file you're copying is stored on an NTFS file system and the USB key to which you're trying to copy is formatted as a standard FAT32 file system.

It's very likely that if you are using XP, Vista, or windows7 as your operating system, then files stored on your harddrive are NTFS. And, many USB keys come from the store pre-formatted as FAT32.

HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT FILES SYSTEM YOU ARE USING:
(if you don't care and just want the solution now, skip to the next paragraph)
To find out for sure, you can right-click on "My computer" and choose "Manage". When the management window comes up, click on "Disk Management". Then look at the drive information that appears in the right side of the screen.

FORMATTING the USB for NTFS
Open up the "My computer" and look for the icon that represents the USB key. Right-click that icon and choose "format". In the Format window, there will be a drop-down menu for choosing a file system. Choose NTFS. Also, check the box for "Quick Format".

!!! WARNING, formatting the USB key will erase anything already on there, so copy those files off to some other location before the format!!!!!


Once the format is done, try your file copy again.

Virgin Mobile 3G USB modem review

I bought one of these Virgin Mobile 3g USB modems about a year ago (april 2010). I needed portable internet access for my work. And, tethering the cell phone was just getting to be a pain in the @ss.

The model I have is the Novatel Wireless MC760. It runs on the Sprint CDMA network (yes, the service is offered by Virgin Mobile, but it's really the Sprint network - this is no secret).

One of the key drivers of my decission on the Virgin Mobile solution instead of Sprint, Verizon, AT&T or other was that, at the time, you could get 5gb of bandwidth per month on a prepaid plan (as opposed to a 2 year contract). And, the price was only $40 per month, compared to the big three who were getting $50-70 for the same amount of bandwitdh on a contract plan!

Since then, Virgin mobile now offers the same prepaid $40 plan with unlimited usage (no more 5gb cap). There is a slight catch though - if you read the details, even though you are allowed unlimited bandwidth, you will be throttled after you pass the 5gb threshold.

Performance: Good for email, reading text, light surfing. But, for file transfer, video streaming - probably not the best solution.