Disk Utility - "image/device is too large"

Having a problem with Disk Utility. Here's the setup:
2 HD's, 2 partitions on 80G, 3 partitions on 160G. I do music/audio production, so various apps and files are carefully managed and stored among partitions. 10.3.9 is installed on volumes A, B, & C.
Problem:
I've attempted to image a 13G volume (volume A) to a storage/archival volume. Message box states that image is too large. There is approx >31G of space on the target storage volume. (attempting a read-only image, nothing fancy). This occurs whether I startup from volume B or C. I've tried to save the image to another volume, same problem. In the past, there were no problems creating images.

I have 30 Emacs in my lab right now.What I did before is install and conifig one computer first.After that,create the image from that hard drive and use that image to image rest computers.It worked before when I was using OS X.3.5.
Now I upgrade my computer to OS X.4.3.After that ,I couldn't create image anymore.I always got same error message:"Image/device is too large!".

Similar Messages

Disk Utility: Creating a new blank image receiving "file too large" error.

Hello All!
I'm trying to create a 10GB non-encrypted, non-compressed RW blank image via the disk utility. The DU runs for a few minutes then barfs out "file too large" error. I have over 30GB free on my HDD. I tried with a smaller size of 6GB to no avail. Also tried unsuccessfully to create from a file (about 4 GB). My ultimate goal is to create a case-insensitive image to run an extremely important program needed for high priority work productivity (i.e. WoW). Thanks in advance for any advice! You will be my new best friend if you help me resolve this. =D
Hollie
"There are only 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don't."

Hi Hollie, and welcome to the forums!
Have you created images before successfully?
Is this to/on your boot drive, or an external drive?
Have you done any Disk/OS maintenance lately?
We might see if there are some big temp files left or such...
How much free space is on the HD, where has all the space gone?
OmniDiskSweeper is now free, and likely the best/easiest...
http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnidisksweeper/
WhatSize...
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/13006/
Disk Inventory X...
http://www.derlien.com/
GrandPerspective...
http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/

Disk Utility Image backup - 8 hours and counting. ?

So I'm doing a backup image in Disk Utility. Started up from the install DVD 10.6 and went into D U and making an image of my Macbook's (2008) HD (250gb) and saving it to a WD usb 2.0 external drive. I'm going on 8 hours. I know it takes a while but I swear my iBook from 2002 is faster on USB 1.0 . Is this normal? I feel like I would have been better off putting it in Target Disk Mode and used another Mac to back it up instead. I want all my data after the restore so I thought the image was the best way to go. This can't be the fastest way. Would this go any faster on FireWire? I know the file transfer itself can't take 8 hours can it? I'm miffed. Any advice?
PS - Used SuperDuper a month ago and that took 7 hours.

Thomas A Reed wrote:
+_Also, why did you boot from the install disk? That is absolutely not necessary. I'd also absolutely, 100% recommend against using disk images for backup. Large disk images are too easy to corrupt, which will cause you to lose everything they contain. They're just not good enough for backups. Use [Carbon Copy Cloner|http://www.bombich.com> or SuperDuper instead...+_
I was following Apple's instructions http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1553
I had it backed up in SuperDuper and Time Machine as well. I knew I could get all of my data with an image and I've never used SD for importing data, only whole disk images.
_+You didn't say how full your hard drive is. If your drive isn't anywhere near capacity, it shouldn't be taking that long. If it is too close to capacity, that could be part of the problem.+_
Yeah, I was at 240/250gb. I didn't think about that. Thats also good to know.
The external 1TB WD USB2 drive I used was the same drive that a few months back I transferred 900+ gigs to from my W7 computer with a esata drive. (1tb WD usb2 to esata 1tb through my W7 PC). While I know the esata is super fast, that WD 1TB USB2 drive "was" fast (35 - 50 sustained speed?) and it took maybe six hours for 900+gb. Thats why I'm confused.
All in all I really don't care if it takes that long if I know that ahead of time. It's one thing to hit a button and go to sleep, but another to get it done ASAP because it's 5am and I should have been done by midnight at the latest. I need to use it all day today.
Thanks guys.
Message was edited by: dtommyd2

Disk utility reports "Device could not be opened" - error when trying to format a new drive in a Mac Pro 1,1

MacPro 1,1 Quadcore 3 GHz (2006 "Woodcrest")
32 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 5770
OS X 10.7.5 Lion
I have encountered the following behavior when trying to format a new drive with disk utility. This description has also been send via the Mac Pro feedback as a bug report to Apple.
On searching the web and forums with this particular error message and behaviour I could not find any usful results. So maybe the following description may be helpful for some users.
Best regards.
1. Drive Bay 1 contains the original 250 GB Startupdisk. It works without errors.
2. Drive Bays 3 and 4 contain each a WD Caviar Black 2 TB SATA 3 HDD. They work without errors.
3. I have purchased a third WD Caviar Black 2 TB HDD.
4. In Drive Bay 2 there has been a Seagate 750 GB HDD, which worked in conjunction with all the other drives without error.
5. I exchanged the Seagate HDD in Drive Bay 2 with the new WD Caviar Black 2 TB HDD.
6. On starting the system, it will report to initialize the new drive.
7. On trying to initialize the new drive with disk utility it reports the error [translated from German] "Erasing of the volume has failed. The device could not be opened."
8. I thought that the drive is faulty. Thus I created an RMA-Case at WD. They exchanged the drive without problems.
9. On getting the exchanged WD Caviar Black 2 TB drive I put it in Drive Bay 2 as before.
10. On trying to erase and format the exchange drive I got the same error message "Drive could not be opened."
10.1 On selecting the physical drive in the devices list, disk utility reports all information in the bottom area of its window as usual, e. g. hard disk description, connection bus, type and place, capacity, write status, SMART-status, partition scheme.
10.1 On leaving that drive selected in the devices list and clicking the info-button, disk utility will also report additional information as usual, e. g. Name, Type, partition scheme, media-identification, media name, media type, device tree, … , number of relocated sectors, etc.. All this information appears to be valid, as can be compared to the other devices information inside the other Drive Bays. Also the disk numbering scheme appears to be standard - 4 HDDs give the numbering disk0, disk1, disk2, disk3.
10.2 From that information I conclude that the SATA-bus and connectors electrically work properly, the drive has spun up and can be accessed by the system normally.
11. I powered down the computer, took out the HDDs from Drive Bays 3 and 4 and put the caddy with the new exchange drive in Drive Bay 4 [Maybe, I could have also just left it alone in Drive Bay 2, or 3].
12. After powering on the system, disk utility will quick format the exchange drive without any error message. Also, when erasing again by selecting the option to write zeros to the drive, disk utility will finish without error.
13. After disk utility finished formatting, I put back the original drives into Drive Bay 3 and 4 and put the now newly formatted drive back into Drive Bay 2.
14. After switching on the computer the system start and login proceeds without any error message. All drives appear as expected on the desktop.

If anyone is reading this still looking for what caused the issue and how to fix it here is what I discovered.
The antivirus program our company uses, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, was causing some of the PDF files not to open. After troubleshooting the different modules and settings the culprit was..
Scan SSL in Privacy Control Settings. Turning it OFF solved the problem and all the PDF files that previously would not open now open just fine. This issue has been sent to Bitdefender for them to review. If you use a different antivirus program and are having this issue try locating the Scan SSL setting and see if turning it off solves the problem.

Disk Utility image disk doesn't work

Disk Utility doesn't help
Hi there!
I try to install the os x mavericks update on a Snow Leopard 10.6.4 Mac from the Apple page. A message told me there was an error on the disk so I tried to repair it with Disk Utility. It didn't work. It ask me to make an image copy, It doesn't work neither. I am not able to go back or forward from there.
There was a message coming up telling me "cannot allocate memory".
I wrongly supposed it was a external hard disk problem so I bought a 3TB hard disc to make an image disc copy but again it didn't work.
I try to use Disk Utility to repair or make an image copy of the Macintosh (running from my Mac or the Install DVD) but it cannot repair the hard drive or make a disk image. Depending on the options I choose messages like: "input/output error" or "cannot allocate memory".. keep coming up. I don't know what to do any longer.
Before going forward I want to save my all my data.
Can you help me please?

Step one is to erase and reformat the 3 TB HD you bought. Ensure that it's Mac OS Extended with the GUID option. Next, use something like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! to put a bootable backup/clone onto the ext HD. Ensure that you can boot the machine with it. Boot into the backup/clone, launch Disk Utility and repair the int HD. If successful, update it to 10.6.8. Boot with the int HD and update the clone. Once that's finished, try upgrading either it or the clone to Mavericks.
iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4), SL & ML, G4 450 MP w/Leopard, 9.2.2

Why does good disk utility image generate error message?

I created a disk image of a data cd using disk utility. When I open the dmg file I get the message:
"The disk image you are opening may be damaged and could damage you system. Are you sure you want to open this image?"
When I open the image there are no issues and the content is correct. Why is this message being generated and what can I do to keep it from happening?

Hi Burkely,
"The disk image you are opening may be damaged and could damage you system. Are you sure you want to open this image?"
This is a standard message ...
Dimaxum

Disk Utility Image from Disk (whole disk) Error -39...

Hi - I've been trying to make a compressed/encrypted image of my primary hard drive without success. Using Disk Utility so I can have an image I can mount to retrieve files off an external HD when necessary. Booting from external firewire drive (partition 1), and attempting to clone/backup image from Primary internal boot drive to external firewire drive (partition 2). Have also tried the following: setting the save-to location to the second internal hard drive; doing it uncompressed / unencrypted. I have run Repair, Permissions, Disk Warrior and no issues with the file system/drive I'm trying to image.
The only references I've seen to error 39 is End of File (EoF) corruption or error. Since the drive/files check-out, Disk Utility must be creating an error somehow. It always happens when the backup is totally complete, and appears it's finishing up the file.
Any thoughts? Thank you!!

I'm having the same problem on a Power Mac G4 with OS 10.4.6 using disk utility.
I've tried this on a 400gig seagate in a raid array
on a 120 gig seagate
from the raid array to the 120 gig
from a 120 gig to a second 120 gig
from the disk and it crashed and sent an error message to apple
I have plenty of space
I've seen this on the discussion forums so I know others are having this problem.
I'm writing to you pro's in hopes that you may have some suggestions.
I'm just trying to create backup images of my primary hard drive.
I've been in the Mac family since the early 80's... I've found other mac users to be very helpful:)
An ideas??

A Disk Utility Image Restore Question

I like to create a bootable partition on my external firewire HD and then restore my bootable utility disks to it, so that I have access to all of them without using the actual disks.
I'm curious if there is a better way of doing it than I am using now. Currently, I use drive genius to make as small a partition as possible (because disk utility seems unable to partition this external HD at all anymore) and then restore the image to that partition, but this always leaves partitions that are much bigger than they need to be.
Is there any way to have disk utility create a partition that is the same size as the image I want to restore from? Putting a 2GB bootable disk on a 2GB partition, or a 600MB disk on a 600MB partition? It just seems silly to have a 600MB disk on a 5GB partition.

Eehatu wrote:
I like to create a bootable partition on my external firewire HD and then restore my bootable utility disks to it, so that I have access to all of them without using the actual disks.
I'm curious if there is a better way of doing it than I am using now. Currently, I use drive genius to make as small a partition as possible (because disk utility seems unable to partition this external HD at all anymore)
then something is wrong with your drive or it has the wrong partition scheme. I would reformat it completely with disk utility. make sure that the partition scheme you use is GUID.
and then restore the image to that partition, but this always leaves partitions that are much bigger than they need to be.
Is there any way to have disk utility create a partition that is the same size as the image I want to restore from? Putting a 2GB bootable disk on a 2GB partition, or a 600MB disk on a 600MB partition? It just seems silly to have a 600MB disk on a 5GB partition.
I believe 1 Gb is the smallest partition size you can possibly get with disk utility. If GUI disk Utility won't make a partition small enough you can do it from terminal using diskutil command.
I just tried using diskutil and was able to reduce the size of a partition on one of my drives to 1GB although it did not want to do it in one step. I first had to reduce it to 10GB then to 5GB and then to 1GB.
enter
man diskutil
for command usage

Mountain Lion Adding over 100 Gb of misc disk space to Disk Utility Image

I've been building 10.8 images for my company. I've been building them on a Mac mini with 8gb of ram running 10.8. Attached to the mini is an external hard drive, connected via 800 firewire. The hard drive has a couple of partitions in it, including a 200 GB "sandbox" partition that I use to create the builds. The builds include MS Office 2011 for Mac, and a couple different versions of CS 5.5 and CS 6. After I create the builds I image the partition to be used later. Using this simple technique, a few months ago I created and imaged 4 different builds using 10.7, Mac for Office and CS 5.5. The completed compressed images ranged in size from about 7 GB to 10 GB.
This past week, I used the same process to build 4 different images using OS X 10.8, MS Office and CS 6 Suite. It wasn't until I suddenly ran out of hard drive space during compression, that I noticed that each of the completed images for 10.8 were roughly 100 GB in size. I can't figure out why these new builds are five times the size of the old ones. The actual programs don't differ that much in terms of software versions and size. I've tried running permissions on the new build. I've tried erasing free space. Nothing. When booted to the image, nothing shows up out of the ordinary in Grand Perspective. However, when I boot off a different partition, then analyze the sandbox partition, GP shows all identifyable programs using about 19 GB of space. There is also a huge gray box it refers to as "146 GB of used space."
It appears that when Disk Utility creates an image from the build on the sandbox partition, its treating the 146 GB of mystery space as if it was actual used space, and builds a humongous dmg. GP doesn't let me delete the space, nor does it identify it's location. I've only run into this once before, on an OS X server where backup software was creating a hidden cached file that grew exponentially. This time around, I'm at a loss. Anyone run into this issue?

i was going to combine these screenshots into a single file but i literally have 0bytes of space left on this hard drive so i obviously cant
this is exciting!
and then about 10 minutes later...
and then about 10 minutes later...
and then about 10 minutes later...
and then about 10 minutes later...
and then about 10 minutes later...
so those are the processes that were running and thats how much they changed in 10 minutes!
Who murdered my hard drive space- where were they doing it, how'd they do it and why!
It's a true mystery!

Disk Utility Images of Mac OS, Linux and Windows?

Quick questions: am I able to use Disk Utility to make an image of a Windows partition that is NTFS? And, be able to restore it back if I need to? Same goes for the Linux: can I make an image of an ext3 partition, then restore it if need be?

Not of NTFS. OS X cannot write NTFS, only read. Same for LInux. OS X does not support the Linux extn filesystems. You will need to find Windows and Linux software for that. OS X can image a FAT formatted Windows disk. Of course I don't know if there's a DVD big enough for a Windows system or for OS X.

Moutain Lion Time Machine Backup To WHS 2011 Via Disk Utility Image On Windows Share?

I read that with Lion you could do a Time Machine backup to a network share on Windows Home Server 2011. I read you could create a image file via Disk Utility that would be placed on the network share, but mounted as a regular disk in Mac. I think I read this method no longer works on Moutain Lion though. Has anyone tried it? I'm setting up a new Mac Mini and would like to do time machine backups to my WHS 2011 drivepool. If it is possible great, any way to use the backup for bare metal restores as well? (ether across the network, or putting that image file on a usb drive first etc) I use bootcamp to go back and forth on my Mac Mini, but I'd like to keep things backed up on the Mac side via standard time machine.

I re-googled and found something I read about a few days ago that shows how it was done in Lion:
http://basilsalad.com/how-to/create-time-machine-backup-network-drive-lion/
I think maybe I found someone that tells how to do it:
http://www.jamesbadger.ca/2012/09/12/mountain-lion-time-machine-over-afp-auto-mo unt-edition/
The question is, how do I use this backup for a baremetal restore then? I'm assuming I would do a generic Mountain Lion restore, and then just restore over the network after I manually re-mount the image again first.
Does this sound like a real option/solution? Looks like maybe I answered my own question, but I'd like to hear anyone else confirm it works and is worth trying.
So my goal is to do a time machine backup over the network to a windows machine.
If it's not possible, I guess I'll have to break down and plug in an external USB drive, but I'd still like to know if it's possible for another friend as well.

Disk Utility Image Error

Hello,
I am trying to take a disk image of my flash drive but getting the following error:
I am unsure what to do as there is no documentation about this error number. Information about my drive is as follows:
The disk is formatted in the FAT32 format as it is one of few that can be used with Pioneer's CDJ's. Any help with this issue would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks.

I'm having the same problem on a Power Mac G4 with OS 10.4.6 using disk utility.
I've tried this on a 400gig seagate in a raid array
on a 120 gig seagate
from the raid array to the 120 gig
from a 120 gig to a second 120 gig
from the disk and it crashed and sent an error message to apple
I have plenty of space
I've seen this on the discussion forums so I know others are having this problem.
I'm writing to you pro's in hopes that you may have some suggestions.
I'm just trying to create backup images of my primary hard drive.
I've been in the Mac family since the early 80's... I've found other mac users to be very helpful:)
An ideas??

DISK UTILITY/IMAGE

After creating a new encrypted image, the image doesn't not ask for the password to open the volume disk. I have tried both 128 and 256-bit AES encryption without any results.

Open the Keychain Access applications in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder and delete the entry for those images; to stop new keys from being placed here, uncheck the box to add the password to the keychain.
(27537)

After downloading pictures to computer I am unable to transfer photos to disk because the photos are too large. how do I reduce them to fit

After downloading photos off of my 4s onto my Mac I am unable to transfer photo's to a disk because they are said to be to large. is there a solution

Best if you try and explain what you are trying to acheive.
Iphoto is a different paradigm than you're used to. I don't understand why you are trying to transfer your edited photos back to an external disk.
There are tutorials here
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/photos/
Regards
TD

Images come in too large in Appleworks 6.2.4

I scan a paragraph from a newspaper in Photoshop, save as PICT, insert into AW and it comes in about the size of my fridge! I use "scale by percent" to reduce size and then it is unreadable. Word inserts the image at acctual size. Is there a way to insert the actual size image without it ballooning out into something that would coverr my wall?

I scan a paragraph from a newspaper in Photoshop,
save as PICT, insert into AW and it comes in about
the size of my fridge! I use "scale by percent" to
reduce size and then it is unreadable. Word inserts
the image at acctual size. Is there a way to insert
the actual size image without it ballooning out into
something that would coverr my wall?
Assuming the pics are JPEGs, AW imports them at 72 ppi. So, a picture at a resolution of anything more than 72ppi will be display as you have seen.
As Appleworks imports PICT files while retaining their original edited sizes,
I suggest you convert the image(s) to PICT format before importing. (GraphicConverter is a great help here.)
Hope this helps
B&W G3 (1GHZ Sonnet G4 card) Mac OS X (10.4.8) Separate partition for MAC OS 9.2.2 (serious work)

Disk Utility - "image/device is too large"

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for