Total Size Of Requested Files Is Too Large For Ziponthefly
const archiver = require('archiver'); const fs = require('fs');
Compressing files on the fly requires significant CPU power and RAM. Unlimited file sizes could crash the server.
Understanding why this happens and how to bypass it is essential for handling large data exports efficiently. What is ZipOnTheFly?
Limits are rarely about your internet speed and almost always about server resources.
zip -r largefile.zip /path/to/large/files total size of requested files is too large for ziponthefly
user wants a long article about the error message "total size of requested files is too large for ziponthefly". This appears to be related to web hosting or file management systems like cPanel or DirectAdmin where creating ZIP archives on the fly fails due to size limits. I need to cover the cause, the specific software generating the message, common default limits, and solutions. To cover all these aspects efficiently, I will perform several searches simultaneously. search results provide some relevant information. Result 4 from the first search might be about a passthru size limit. The other results seem to be about file uploads in cPanel and DirectAdmin, but not specifically about the "ziponthefly" error. I need to open some of these to gather more details. search results have provided a wealth of information. The error is likely related to the "ziponthefly" feature in cPanel or DirectAdmin, where the total size of files selected for compression exceeds a limit. The limit might be related to PHP's post_max_size , upload_max_filesize , or other server configurations like client_max_body_size in Nginx, or Max HTTP submission size in WHM. The search results also include forum discussions that mention similar issues. I will structure the article to explain the error, identify the software, discuss default limits, and provide solutions. I'll cite relevant sources for each section. "total size of requested files is too large for ziponthefly" error is a common but often misunderstood problem that occurs in hosting control panels like cPanel and DirectAdmin. While the error message itself might appear cryptic, the underlying issue is straightforward: you are attempting to perform an action that exceeds the server's limitations.
Many frameworks limit on-the-fly zip generation to 2 GB, 4 GB, or 10 GB per request to ensure fair resource distribution among all users. How to Fix the Error (For Users / Downloaders)
Understanding and Fixing the "Total size of requested files is too large for ziponthefly" Error
: Generating a ZIP archive for hundreds of gigabytes requires massive temporary server resources. To maintain performance for all users, many platforms set a hard limit on the total size of an "on-the-fly" request (e.g., limits at 100MB, 2GB, or 120GB depending on the service). ZIP Format Limitations : Standard ZIP archives have a legacy limit of What is ZipOnTheFly
This keeps the total size of each request under the system's "on the fly" threshold. 3. Increase the Limit (For Administrators)
: Use desktop sync apps (like OneDrive or Dropbox) instead of the web browser. 💻 Solutions for Administrators
Compressing massive files requires significant CPU power and RAM. If a user tries to download a 50GB folder all at once, the server could easily run out of memory, spike CPU usage to 100%, and crash the entire Nextcloud instance for all other users.
A developer on the PHP Freaks forum documented a puzzling issue: their "zip on the fly" script worked flawlessly until the total content exceeded . At that point, the download failed, producing a zero-byte ZIP file and a .zip.download artifact. The ZIP itself was fully intact on the server, but the delivery process failed. This case highlights how different server stacks and configurations can produce seemingly random thresholds. This appears to be related to web hosting
If you encounter this error, you can still get your files by changing how you download them:
Folder downloads are limited; individual files have no size limit. Internet Archive Large collections often trigger this; requires
Note: The values are calculated in bytes. In the example above, 10737418240 bytes corresponds exactly to . If you want to increase it to 20 GB, use 21474836480 .
Open your php.ini file and increase max_execution_time and max_input_time to higher thresholds (e.g., 3600 for one hour) to allow the server enough time to process large compression streams.
