{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "A transfer failed",
  "slug": "a-transfer-failed",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-transfer-failed",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-transfer-failed.md",
  "category": "Troubleshooting",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting/",
  "tags": [
    "troubleshooting",
    "data transfers",
    "cloud accounts"
  ],
  "summary": "When a transfer in Data Transfers shows Failed, select it to read what happened in plain English, fix what the message points to, then use Run again or Sync again — only what didn't arrive is sent.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T05:53:14.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:41:14.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What you might see",
      "id": "what-you-might-see"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "How to fix it",
      "id": "how-to-fix-it"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again",
      "label": "When an account needs signing in again",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again"
    },
    {
      "slug": "data-transfers",
      "label": "Data Transfers",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-transfers"
    },
    {
      "slug": "sync-again",
      "label": "Sync again and Run again",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/sync-again"
    },
    {
      "slug": "files-that-change-during-a-transfer",
      "label": "Files that change while they're being transferred",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/files-that-change-during-a-transfer"
    },
    {
      "slug": "transfers-and-restarts",
      "label": "What happens to transfers when you restart",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfers-and-restarts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "troubleshooting-start-here",
      "label": "Something's not working: start here",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "bandwidth-and-files-at-once",
      "title": "Bandwidth limit and files at once",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/bandwidth-and-files-at-once"
    },
    {
      "slug": "copying-between-two-cloud-accounts",
      "title": "Copying between two cloud accounts",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/copying-between-two-cloud-accounts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "data-transfers",
      "title": "Data Transfers",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-transfers"
    },
    {
      "slug": "files-that-change-during-a-transfer",
      "title": "Files that change while they're being transferred",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/files-that-change-during-a-transfer"
    },
    {
      "slug": "parking-a-folder-in-a-cloud-account",
      "title": "Parking a folder in a cloud account",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/parking-a-folder-in-a-cloud-account"
    },
    {
      "slug": "troubleshooting-start-here",
      "title": "Something's not working: start here",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here"
    },
    {
      "slug": "sync-again",
      "title": "Sync again and Run again",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/sync-again"
    },
    {
      "slug": "testing-editing-and-removing-an-account",
      "title": "Testing, editing and removing an account",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/testing-editing-and-removing-an-account"
    },
    {
      "slug": "dry-run",
      "title": "Trying a transfer first with Dry run",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/dry-run"
    },
    {
      "slug": "transfers-and-restarts",
      "title": "What happens to transfers when you restart",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfers-and-restarts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again",
      "title": "When an account needs signing in again",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "Recovering from a failed transfer",
      "outline": "- Transfer shows Failed\n  - leads to Select it and read the summary\n- Select it and read the summary\n  - leads to What does it point to?\n- What does it point to?\n  - Files changing: leads to Let them settle\n  - Permission: leads to Check the account with Test connection\n  - Out of space: leads to Free space or pick another destination\n  - Connection: leads to Check your internet connection\n- Let them settle\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Check the account with Test connection\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Free space or pick another destination\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Check your internet connection\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Click Run again or Sync again\n  - leads to Completed?\n- Completed?\n  - No, same message: leads to Contact support with diagnostic logs\n",
      "source": "%% caption: Recovering from a failed transfer\nflowchart TD\n  A[Transfer shows Failed] --> B[Select it and read the summary]\n  B --> C{What does it point to?}\n  C -->|Files changing| D[Let them settle]\n  C -->|Permission| E[Check the account with Test connection]\n  C -->|Out of space| F[Free space or pick another destination]\n  C -->|Connection| G[Check your internet connection]\n  D --> H[Click Run again or Sync again]\n  E --> H\n  F --> H\n  G --> H\n  H --> I{Completed?}\n  I -->|No, same message| J[Contact support with diagnostic logs]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [
    {
      "alt": "The Data Transfers window with a failed transfer selected, its red Failed status, the plain-English error in the details card and the Run again button",
      "caption": "A failed transfer and its details"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [],
  "text": "When a transfer shows Failed in Data Transfers, select it: the details pane says in plain English what happened, lists up to five of the files that weren't copied, and keeps the last lines of its log. Sort out what the message points to, then click Run again (or Sync again ). Only files that changed or didn't arrive are sent the second time. What you might see The details card starts with a short summary. The most common ones: Message begins What to try … couldn't be copied because they changed on the source while they were being copied Let those files settle, for example by quitting the app writing them, then run it again. Everything else was copied. … couldn't be copied because the account didn't allow reading or writing them (permission denied). Check you can open those files in the account itself, and that the account isn't read-only. Test connection on the account confirms it still signs in. … couldn't be copied because the destination ran out of space. Free space at the destination, or choose a different one. … couldn't be copied because they were no longer there when the copy reached them. The files were moved or deleted during the transfer. Run it again if you still need them. … couldn't be copied because the connection dropped while copying them. Check your internet connection, then run it again. The transfer didn't finish. Read the Details: line and the Log card, then run it again. The transfer stopped with error … The last lines of the log follow. Run it again; if it fails the same way, contact support. Transfer failed because the S3 bucket couldn't be found. Edit the account, set the Bucket field to the right name, and run it again. Each summary also says how much was copied — \"Copied … files (…) and checked … items.\" — and lists what wasn't under \"Not copied:\". Two states aren't failures and sort themselves out: Waiting for drive — the transfer is waiting for a drive to come back. Use Check drive once it's plugged in. Needs space — the destination is full. Free some space and click Try again , or Move to another drive . Files that were still being written when they were copied are handled for you: the transfer finishes as Completed and says it's fetching them again, or that \"They'll be copied on the next run.\" Recovering from a failed transfer Flowchart outline: Recovering from a failed transfer Transfer shows Failed leads to Select it and read the summary Select it and read the summary leads to What does it point to? What does it point to? Files changing: leads to Let them settle Permission: leads to Check the account with Test connection Out of space: leads to Free space or pick another destination Connection: leads to Check your internet connection Let them settle leads to Click Run again or Sync again Check the account with Test connection leads to Click Run again or Sync again Free space or pick another destination leads to Click Run again or Sync again Check your internet connection leads to Click Run again or Sync again Click Run again or Sync again leads to Completed? Completed? No, same message: leads to Contact support with diagnostic logs How to fix it Open Data Transfers… from the More menu and select the failed transfer. Read the summary and the Details: line. The Log card below shows the last lines of the transfer's log. Deal with what it names — space, the account's permissions, your connection, or files that were in use. Click Run again — Sync again for a sync. For most transfers it appears once a transfer has completed, failed or been cancelled. \"Runs this transfer again with the same settings. Only files that changed since last time are sent.\" If an account needs signing in again, see When an account needs signing in again . See also: Data Transfers · Sync again and Run again · Files that change while they're being transferred · What happens to transfers when you restart · Something's not working: start here More answers are in the Storage Studio FAQ .",
  "markdown": "When a transfer shows **Failed** in Data Transfers, select it: the details pane says in plain English what happened, lists up to five of the files that weren't copied, and keeps the last lines of its log. Sort out what the message points to, then click **Run again** (or **Sync again**). Only files that changed or didn't arrive are sent the second time.\n\n## What you might see\n\nThe details card starts with a short summary. The most common ones:\n\n| Message begins | What to try |\n| --- | --- |\n| … couldn't be copied because they changed on the source while they were being copied | Let those files settle, for example by quitting the app writing them, then run it again. Everything else was copied. |\n| … couldn't be copied because the account didn't allow reading or writing them (permission denied). | Check you can open those files in the account itself, and that the account isn't read-only. **Test connection** on the account confirms it still signs in. |\n| … couldn't be copied because the destination ran out of space. | Free space at the destination, or choose a different one. |\n| … couldn't be copied because they were no longer there when the copy reached them. | The files were moved or deleted during the transfer. Run it again if you still need them. |\n| … couldn't be copied because the connection dropped while copying them. | Check your internet connection, then run it again. |\n| The transfer didn't finish. | Read the **Details:** line and the **Log** card, then run it again. |\n| The transfer stopped with error … | The last lines of the log follow. Run it again; if it fails the same way, contact support. |\n| Transfer failed because the S3 bucket couldn't be found. | Edit the account, set the **Bucket** field to the right name, and run it again. |\n\nEach summary also says how much was copied — \"Copied … files (…) and checked … items.\" — and lists what wasn't under \"Not copied:\".\n\nTwo states aren't failures and sort themselves out:\n\n- **Waiting for drive** — the transfer is waiting for a drive to come back. Use **Check drive** once it's plugged in.\n- **Needs space** — the destination is full. Free some space and click **Try again**, or **Move to another drive**.\n\nFiles that were still being written when they were copied are handled for you: the transfer finishes as **Completed** and says it's fetching them again, or that \"They'll be copied on the next run.\"\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: Recovering from a failed transfer\nflowchart TD\n  A[Transfer shows Failed] --> B[Select it and read the summary]\n  B --> C{What does it point to?}\n  C -->|Files changing| D[Let them settle]\n  C -->|Permission| E[Check the account with Test connection]\n  C -->|Out of space| F[Free space or pick another destination]\n  C -->|Connection| G[Check your internet connection]\n  D --> H[Click Run again or Sync again]\n  E --> H\n  F --> H\n  G --> H\n  H --> I{Completed?}\n  I -->|No, same message| J[Contact support with diagnostic logs]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — Recovering from a failed transfer. Outline:*\n\n- Transfer shows Failed\n  - leads to Select it and read the summary\n- Select it and read the summary\n  - leads to What does it point to?\n- What does it point to?\n  - Files changing: leads to Let them settle\n  - Permission: leads to Check the account with Test connection\n  - Out of space: leads to Free space or pick another destination\n  - Connection: leads to Check your internet connection\n- Let them settle\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Check the account with Test connection\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Free space or pick another destination\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Check your internet connection\n  - leads to Click Run again or Sync again\n- Click Run again or Sync again\n  - leads to Completed?\n- Completed?\n  - No, same message: leads to Contact support with diagnostic logs\n\n## How to fix it\n\n1. Open **Data Transfers…** from the **More** menu and select the failed transfer.\n2. Read the summary and the **Details:** line. The **Log** card below shows the last lines of the transfer's log.\n3. Deal with what it names — space, the account's permissions, your connection, or files that were in use.\n4. Click **Run again** — **Sync again** for a sync. For most transfers it appears once a transfer has completed, failed or been cancelled. \"Runs this transfer again with the same settings. Only files that changed since last time are sent.\"\n5. If an account needs signing in again, see [When an account needs signing in again](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again).\n\nSee also: [Data Transfers](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-transfers) · [Sync again and Run again](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/sync-again) · [Files that change while they're being transferred](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/files-that-change-during-a-transfer) · [What happens to transfers when you restart](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfers-and-restarts) · [Something's not working: start here](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/troubleshooting-start-here)\n\nMore answers: https://storagestudio.us/faq\n"
}