WinRAR: error message despite sufficient storage space - what to do?
Do you get an error message when unzipping an archive with WinRar that there is not enough space, even though there is enough free space on your hard disk? We will help you further.
Possibility 1: There is not enough space for temporary files
If you unpack files with Drag & Drop with WinRar, they are initially stored temporarily in another directory and then moved to the desired location. By default, the directory for the temporary files is on drive "C". You must therefore ensure that there is enough storage space there, even if you want to extract the data to another partition or hard drive. Alternatively, you can change the storage location for the temporary files:
- Click in the menu bar of WinRar first on "Options" and then on "Settings ...".
- Select the "Directories" tab and change the path under "Directory for temporary files".
- Select a folder on a hard drive where there is enough free space.
Option 2: Your hard drive is not formatted in the NTFS file system
If you want to unzip an archive that contains files larger than four gigabytes, you must use a hard disk partition that is formatted in the NTFS file system. This also applies to the temporary directory. If the FAT or FAT32 file system is available instead, the files cannot be unpacked. With FAT32, the maximum file size is limited to four gigabytes. More information about the FAT32 and NTFS file systems can be found here. If you want to change the file system, proceed as follows:
- To check which file system is available, right-click the drive in Windows Explorer and select "Properties". In the "General" tab you can see the current file system.
- Click "Start, " then "Run, " then type "cmd" (without the quotation marks).
- In the new window, type "convert X: / FS: NTFS" (without the quotation marks). Replace the "X" with the letter of the drive whose file system you want to change to NTFS. Normally, the process should be done without data loss, but backing up important files beforehand cannot hurt.
