Error: Unsuitable drive

Linked This page is linked to in the Audacity app from the help button in the warning/error dialog.

Do not rename or delete this page unless and until the corresponding link in the app is changed. Pseudo renames can be achieved with a DISPLAYTITLE. If a rename is absolutely necessary then a redirect must be left behind.

This is essentially a landing page in the Manual for the handling of errors (via a help button) that occur in the Audacity application.

• There is also an entry in FAQ:Errors so that this page will get pulled into the released Manual.

This error message is telling you that the drive you are using is not suitable for Audacity use.

Contents

1. FAT formatted drives
2. Workarounds
3. Recording
4. Exporting

FAT formatted drives

Disks or drives that are formatted as FAT/FAT32 are subject to a maximum file size limit if 4GB, this is about 2 hours 22 minutes of stereo.

But a much shorter project can readily approach or exceed the 4GB with temporary filespace usage as you edit.

Therefore to ensure the security of data, avoiding project loss or damage, Audacity prevents you from opening or saving a project using a FAT formatted drive.

Workaround

Opening an older project that as save to a FAT formatted drive

Simply copy your project (AUP and _Data folder) to an NTFS formatted drive (APFS on macOS), normally your system drive, and open the project from there.

Saving a project

If you need you project to be on a FAT drive (a USB clip for example to send a project to a friend or colleague) save your project to an NTFS formatted drive (APFS on macOS), normally your system drive, and then use your computer's file manager to copy the AUP3 project file to the FAT-formatted drive. Note this will only work if the AUP3 project file is less than 4GB.

===Exporting an audio file===.

Exporting to a FAT formatted drive

Disks or drives that are formatted as FAT/FAT32 are subject to a maximum file size limit if 4GB, this is about 2 hours 22 minutes of stereo WAV files, more if using a compressed format like MP3.

So if your export exceeds this limit you will get an error even though the drive as a whole is not full.

In this case freeing up space will not work you will need to Export to a non-FAT formatted drive.

Recording to a FAT formatted drive

This is likely to blocked as a way of fixing Bug #2575.