How are file sizes >4GB able to be downloaded to the Switch?

[InstantMash]

Just to clarify, I'm not asking how to install games larger than 4gb. I'm wondering how a FAT32 formatted card is able to store a large file (like an NSZ downloaded from Tinfoil). I can copy the file through usb to Windows, but Windows will only copy up to 3.99GB If I try to move it back. Also if the SD is inserted directly into the PC, the NSZ files show as folders instead with smaller files in them.

What sort of magic is at play here? Just a general curiosity as I've been digging into things.

 

[BigOnYa]

Just to clarify, I'm not asking how to install games larger than 4gb. I'm wondering how a FAT32 formatted card is able to store a large file (like an NSZ downloaded from Tinfoil). I can copy the file through usb to Windows, but Windows will only copy up to 3.99GB If I try to move it back. Also if the SD is inserted directly into the PC, the NSZ files show as folders instead with smaller files in them.

What sort of magic is at play here? Just a general curiosity as I've been digging into things.

Just use a usb installer from pc, like DBI or Awoo.

 

[Hayato213]

The installed contents are 4GB or smaller.

 

[RHOPKINS13]

What sort of magic is at play here?

Automatic NSZ/NSP splitting & joining. When you have your Switch connected over USB, you're not accessing the SD card directly. The software is doing some trickery while communicating with the MTP protocol.

 

[InstantMash]

Automatic NSZ/NSP splitting & joining. When you have your Switch connected over USB, you're not accessing the SD card directly. The software is doing some trickery while communicating with the MTP protocol.

Thanks for taking the time to read my question lol. So sort of similar to rar part files, but it shows them all as one?

 

[RHOPKINS13]

Thanks for taking the time to read my question lol. So sort of similar to rar part files, but it shows them all as one?

Yes, exactly. And when you download them, it auto-joins them together for you.

 

[InstantMash]

Yes, exactly. And when you download them, it auto-joins them together for you.

cool! It would be neat if that same functionality was built into Windows, the 4GB limitation wouldn't even matter anymore. But I guess it already doesn't matter when we can usually just use ExFat or NTFS instead.

 

[4d1xlaan]

It's like hayato says, instead of a .nca on sd card, you get a folder called .nca, with 00, 01, 02, 03 inside etc, which are split files

and the .nca folder has archive bit set, so the console sees it as a singular file and automatically reads data from each split part together like it was one large file

afaik it splits nca into 4GB parts even when using exfat?

 

[masagrator]

afaik it splits nca into 4GB parts even when using exfat?

Yes, because HOS has no info if your sdcard is currently using exfat or not, this is handled by driver and HOS doesn't care what you are using as long as driver works with it

 

[duckbill007]

What sort of magic is at play here?

This magic called PrFile2 filesystem over FAT32

Post automatically merged: Thursday at 9:00 PM

The software is doing some trickery

Software does nothing. All is handled by FS driver. Software just create, open, read or write files. No join-split at software side.

 

[linkinworm]

I found DBI was the best way to install games, using a harddrive formatted to exfat. tinfoil and other installers always gave me weird access errors. you'll need a otg adapter though i think never tried without one

 

[masagrator]

I found DBI was the best way to install games, using a harddrive formatted to exfat. tinfoil and other installers always gave me weird access errors. you'll need a otg adapter though i think never tried without one

Read first post again. Nobody asked about this.

 

[impeeza]

Just to clarify, I'm not asking how to install games larger than 4gb. I'm wondering how a FAT32 formatted card is able to store a large file (like an NSZ downloaded from Tinfoil). I can copy the file through usb to Windows, but Windows will only copy up to 3.99GB If I try to move it back. Also if the SD is inserted directly into the PC, the NSZ files show as folders instead with smaller files in them.

What sort of magic is at play here? Just a general curiosity as I've been digging into things.

Another XY Problem!! (https://gbatemp.net/posts/10234332/)

What are you trying to do, storing 4GB+ files on your card is normally not needed.

 

[4d1xlaan]

Another XY Problem!! (https://gbatemp.net/posts/10234332/)

What are you trying to do, storing 4GB+ files on your card is normally not needed.

They're not trying to do anything, they're asking how it works

 

[MightySashiman]

but that won't solve the issue of needing to actually STORE a >4GB file. For instance, a large mp4 or mkv file (that you might want to read with NXMP). Fortunately, since the screen is only 720p, 720p movie files would not be 4GB anyway (especially in x265 or even av1).
A rom >4GB would very very probably be for a platform too powerful for the Switch, so that's out of the question.
Can't really find a use case where a >4GB file would need to be store on the SDcard.

 

[impeeza]

but that won't solve the issue of needing to actually STORE a >4GB file. For instance, a large mp4 or mkv file (that you might want to read with NXMP). Fortunately, since the screen is only 720p, 720p movie files would not be 4GB anyway (especially in x265 or even av1).
A rom >4GB would very very probably be for a platform too powerful for the Switch, so that's out of the question.
Can't really find a use case where a >4GB file would need to be store on the SDcard.

On FAT32 you DON'T store files bigger than 4GB is a limit of the format, period.

The only way is splitting the file with any method, compression or archiving.

Nintendo switch never needs a filter bigger than 4GB on its SDCARD.

So please tell us what are you trying to do

Normally a "ROM" (like the switch ones) is a image of a storage OF SMALL files. So a 1.2TB ROM really is a set of small files at the case of switch NSP and XCI (NSZ, XCZ) are containers of files and folders which can be "installed" (cooied) on the console (SD or NAND)

 

[MightySashiman]

So please tell us what are you trying to do

I gave a use case (not a nintendo one of course). Please re-read my commented ypu replied to...

 

[impeeza]

I gave a use case (not a nintendo one of course). Please re-read my commented ypu replied to...

perfect, answered on:

On FAT32 you DON'T store files bigger than 4GB is a limit of the format, period.

The only way is splitting the file with any method, compression or archiving.

Nintendo switch never needs a filter bigger than 4GB on its SDCARD.

So please tell us what are you trying to do

Normally a "ROM" (like the switch ones) is a image of a storage OF SMALL files. So a 1.2TB ROM really is a set of small files at the case of switch NSP and XCI (NSZ, XCZ) are containers of files and folders which can be "installed" (cooied) on the console (SD or NAND)