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Using WindowsXP-Pro, I'm trying to copy a largish file (~28 MB) on to an SD Card.

The copy gets almost completed, when it fails and returns with this error:

Cannot copy <filename> file: Invalid MS-DOS function

There's lots of room on the card 120+ MB. I can copy lots of other smaller files onto the card, so I don't think the media has failed.

Is there something else I've missed?

BIBD
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7 Answers7

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It's possible either the card or your hard disk have problems which the smaller files aren't finding. Have you run ScanDisk on them?

Right-Click | Properties | Tools | Error Checking

Also, is it possible the filename has reserved or otherwise unusual characters in it? Try renaming it to a.dat or something innocuous and see if that helps.

[Edit] OK, now you've tried that, there are a few other possibilities:

  • It's probably FAT16 and can only have 512 files in the root directory (less if you use longer than 8.3 filenames).
  • An obvious point, but can you copy this file somewhere else? e.g. a USB flash drive
  • The next step is to copy everything else off the SD card and try to copy the big file over again.
  • If that fails, reformat the card and start again.
Adam
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Try zipping up the file and then copy it. To see if the filesystem or card is somehow corrupt, backup your data, re-format the card, and try again.

By the way, can you copy that file elsewhere on your hard disk? Because if you can't, then the file is corrupt (or less likely, a part of the filesystem).

Ivan
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In addition to the possible suggested file system problems, I've seen this when the SD card file system is compressed. Copying a file that is not compressible can cause the copy to fail, despite the reported free space being larger than the file being copied.

Mike
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I'm all about narrowing the problem down.

Is the problem with the file? Find another file of the same size or larger & see if that copies. If you can copy the file after zipping it, that also points to a problem with your original file (as mentioned above).

Is the problem with the source computer/driver/port? Email/copy the file to another computer and attempt the copy.

Kara Marfia
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Ok, I think I've got it sorted out.

I think the card was fragmented enough that windows wasn't able to copy file to it without breaking it up in to far to many pieces.

  1. Disk Defragmenter's analysis didn't show a "need" to defragment, but there were lots of little gaps, and not very many bigger gaps. I know defragging SD cards and USB drives is considered harmful, so...
  2. I moved another big file off, and then moved my original file on and that worked. But moving the first big file back on again didn't. So...
  3. I moved the contents of the whole card off onto the C drive, and then back on (effectively a defrag without all the writes that Disk Defragmenter would do). This allowed me to move all the files onto the SD card. I was even able to fill up the rest of the disk without that error occurring again.
BIBD
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format the card to NTFS and start again...

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Formatting this on NTFS or FAT32 will not solve the problem if it is a hardware problem, both will fail, looks like a (hardware) damaged destination drive

Arabcoder
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