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adamberti · Apr 12, 2003, 06:41 PM

I recently started working on a movie with a lot of footage that needs cutting down - so I needed to clear some stuff off of my HardDrive to have space to work on the movie. So I decided that my music would go first. I tried to copy it onto an older mac running OS 9, but it wont support long file names, so I stuffed about 7GB of mp3's and their folders with DropStuff (came with my computer) into 4GB.

Now I went to copy that file onto the computer with OS 9 and it stopped after 2 GB- said it had some error. So I've decided to install OS X on the computer with 9 just for now to copy my music over so I can work with my video. While its installing (right now) I went to unstuff my music so I could copy it over as is, but when I try to unstuff it - I get "An error has occurred while expanding the file "music.sit" (The archive may be damaged). Error #17537."

That's a whole lot of time invested in ripping CD's - the only positive side I can see is that I would have liked to re-rip them to AAC if and when the new iPod comes out anyways.

So basically I'm looking for any solutions to recover the archive - because I would like my music back. I really hope its not all lost. And No, I dont have a back-up as my PB w/Superdrive is very finniky on DVD-R burning.

zubro · Apr 12, 2003, 07:09 PM

Mac does not support files larger than 2 gigs.

That s all. Sorry.

adamberti · Apr 12, 2003, 09:23 PM

Originally posted by zubro:
Mac does not support files larger than 2 gigs.

That s all. Sorry.

Errrr....come to think of it, I do recall hearing that one a while ago - and I laughed - who would ever have a 4GB file! HAH - jokes on me.

I'm confused then, why did it allow DropStuff to make a 4 GB file then....?

Developer · Apr 12, 2003, 09:42 PM

Originally posted by zubro:
Mac does not support files larger than 2 gigs.

That s all. Sorry.

HFS didn't allow files larger than 2 GB, but HFS+ allows extremely large files.

King Bob On The Cob · Apr 12, 2003, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by Developer:
HFS didn't allow files larger than 2 GB, but HFS+ allows extremely large files.

OS 9 still wouldn't. it liked to pretend it still used HSF (No long filename support, no file over 2 GB ect...)

adamberti · Apr 12, 2003, 09:58 PM

Originally posted by King Bob On The Cob:
OS 9 still wouldn't. it liked to pretend it still used HSF (No long filename support, no file over 2 GB ect...)

Ok, so OS 9 wont, but I'm working solely in X now...I can see why it stopped at 1.99 GB - but why is it that I can't unstuff it if X does support it.

Art Vandelay · Apr 12, 2003, 10:25 PM

Originally posted by adamberti:
Ok, so OS 9 wont, but I'm working solely in X now...I can see why it stopped at 1.99 GB - but why is it that I can't unstuff it if X does support it.

Your problem lies with Stuffit. IIRC only Stuffit X (.sitx) supports archives larger than 2GB. It also supports long file names. The old Stuffit (.sit) format does not. Stuffit X requires version 7.x.

adamberti · Apr 13, 2003, 04:07 AM

Originally posted by Art Vandelay:
Your problem lies with Stuffit. IIRC only Stuffit X (.sitx) supports archives larger than 2GB. It also supports long file names. The old Stuffit (.sit) format does not. Stuffit X requires version 7.x.

It was DropStuff 7.0.1 that I did it with - but maybe I misunderstood and you need the full new version for it make larger files?

icruise · Apr 13, 2003, 05:00 AM

I don't mean to to kick you when you're down, but making a 4GB stuffit file and then deleting the original files was perhaps not the greatest idea. As you discovered, if anything goes wrong with that file, all of your MP3s are toast. Not to mention the fact that it must be very time consuming to stuff and unstuff such a large file.

I'm not sure if I get the bit about the other computer not supporting long files names. Even if they don't display properly in the OS 9 finder, that doesn't mean the names are actually changed, does it? Or were you copying them over with the OS 9 finder?

And (as you already no doubt know) you really should have made a couple of data DVDs of your MP3s -- doesn't your superdrive doesn't work at all?

But anyway, sorry I can't help you. Sometimes the best lessons are learned through events like this...

The Placid Casual · Apr 13, 2003, 07:05 AM

I feel your pain

TheMosco · Apr 13, 2003, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by adamberti:
It was DropStuff 7.0.1 that I did it with - but maybe I misunderstood and you need the full new version for it make larger files?

I am pretty sure the defualt compression on 7.0 is .sit and he was talking about .sitx.

Art Vandelay · Apr 13, 2003, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by adamberti:
It was DropStuff 7.0.1 that I did it with - but maybe I misunderstood and you need the full new version for it make larger files?

I believe you have to set DropStuf to use .sitx instead of .sit. I think .sit is still the default compression format.

adamberti · Apr 13, 2003, 04:06 PM

Originally posted by Icruise:
I don't mean to to kick you when you're down, but making a 4GB stuffit file and then deleting the original files was perhaps not the greatest idea. As you discovered, if anything goes wrong with that file, all of your MP3s are toast. Not to mention the fact that it must be very time consuming to stuff and unstuff such a large file.

I'm not sure if I get the bit about the other computer not supporting long files names. Even if they don't display properly in the OS 9 finder, that doesn't mean the names are actually changed, does it? Or were you copying them over with the OS 9 finder?

And (as you already no doubt know) you really should have made a couple of data DVDs of your MP3s -- doesn't your superdrive doesn't work at all?

But anyway, sorry I can't help you. Sometimes the best lessons are learned through events like this...

Oh don't worry, I know I screwed up - I'm fair game for making fun of

My main problem is that this video I'm making has a deadline of Wednesday - and I had to goto my parents house to dump my MP3's and I'm in a real rush. I'm not to fond of my SuperDrive either with the first 4 data DVD's being coasters.

As for the file names, I connected my PB to the Tower through AppleTalk and just dragged the files off of my HardDrive onto the network icon on the desktop - one of the first songs happens to have a really long same - and so it wouldnt even let me copy - it says it can't support the file name or something.

I was trusting the DropStuff cause I've worked with so many stuffed filse and not once untill now ever had a problem with them. I think next time I'll use Disk Copy. Oh well....

adamberti · Apr 13, 2003, 04:14 PM

Thank-you Mosco and Art, you've both nailed it. If I go look at the preferences - there it is right there. Let it be a lesson learned. And to clarify it - .sit can be upto 4 GB, not 2 according to the preferences. I guess that explains why nearly 7 gigs of highly compressed mp3's compressed to 4 - it reached the limit. I wondered about that and thought wow, that cant be right. I bet it only was about 70% of the way through. Oh well - here's a picture, thanks for the help everyone.

icruise · Apr 13, 2003, 07:16 PM

Yeah, come to think of it, I was surprised that mp3s would compress like that, too.