I have just bought a new Extreme Pro portable SSD to store my Apple Photos libraries on. I have two libraries, one 1.3TB and one 1.7TB. I therefore thought the 4TB drive would be enough, as the total space I need is only 3TB. It has copied one library (the smaller), but just before it finishes copying the second, I am getting a ‘this operation can’t be completed because your disk is full’ message. This has happened twice now. Surely this can’t be right? Maybe if I was trying to copy 3.9TB or similar, but a ful TB under? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks in advance for any help.
@TheFellaLondon There’s 3.7 TB +/- available for physical storage on a 4 TB drive.
Have you checked our knowledge base articles?
(Get Support for Your SSDs and Flash Products | Sandisk)
Try this one
Have you opened a Support Case?
If not, contact SanDisk Technical Support for assistance.
(Contact Support | Sandisk)
Thanks for responding to my post. I did try and open a support case, but got a blue warning when I tried to send it, and a message saying there was an issue. That said, I have had an email suggesting a case has been opened, so who knows? As mentioned in my original post, I am trying to copy 3TB to a 4TB drive, not 3.7. I appreciate no storage will hold the full amount, but a full TB less is not acceptable. There is either an issue with the drive or the way the storage works. In either case, I would either need a replacement or a refund. I will keep my fingers crossed for a response from Sandisk.
Is 3TB the total size of the amount of files or the entire size of the .photolibrary database files?
The total size of the entire . photolibrary database should be much larger than the size of the files shown in the app. The database contains the original files, file histories and lots of other meta-data content.
A 4TB drive should give you about 3.5 to 3.7TB of usable space. Getting only around 3TB means there’s likely a problem with the drive or its formatting.
Check the real size and free space using Terminal commands (diskutil list and df -h) and run Disk Utility’s First Aid to check for errors. If the drive isn’t providing close to the expected space, request a replacement or refund from Sandisk.
Thanks for this, but how do I use those Terminal commands? I know how to get into Terminal, but do I type both the commands you mention, or the first, and then try the second? I suppose I need to know exactly what to put and in what format! Thanks again.
The information here might be helpful for you:
Steps to Resolve a Drive or Memory Card Capacity in the Operating System Does Not Match the Label:
If this does not work, there are other steps to try:
Force Spotlight to re-index your Mac hard drive
Clear up unwanted, duplicated and useless files from your Mac.
Disable “Optimize Mac Storage” in iCloud
Check the fixes: Mac Says Not Enough Disk Space But There Is
