diff --git a/.github/badges/tests.svg b/.github/badges/tests.svg
index 007b7eff..fd00e9b1 100644
--- a/.github/badges/tests.svg
+++ b/.github/badges/tests.svg
@@ -1 +1 @@
-<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="110" height="20" role="img" aria-label="tests: 333 passed"><title>tests: 333 passed</title><filter id="blur"><feGaussianBlur stdDeviation="16"/></filter><linearGradient id="s" x2="0" y2="100%"><stop offset="0" stop-color="#bbb" stop-opacity=".1"/><stop offset="1" stop-opacity=".1"/></linearGradient><clipPath id="r"><rect width="110" height="20" rx="3"/></clipPath><g clip-path="url(#r)"><rect width="37" height="20" fill="#555"/><rect x="37" width="73" height="20" fill="#67ac09"/><rect width="110" height="20" fill="url(#s)"/></g><g fill="#fff" text-anchor="middle" font-family="Verdana,Geneva,DejaVu Sans,sans-serif" text-rendering="geometricPrecision" font-size="110"><g transform="scale(.1)"><g aria-hidden="true" fill="#010101"><text x="195" y="150" fill-opacity=".8" filter="url(#blur)" textLength="270">tests</text><text x="195" y="150" fill-opacity=".3" textLength="270">tests</text></g><text x="195" y="140" textLength="270">tests</text></g><g transform="scale(.1)"><g aria-hidden="true" fill="#010101"><text x="725" y="150" fill-opacity=".8" filter="url(#blur)" textLength="630">333 passed</text><text x="725" y="150" fill-opacity=".3" textLength="630">333 passed</text></g><text x="725" y="140" textLength="630">333 passed</text></g></g></svg>
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="110" height="20" role="img" aria-label="tests: 369 passed"><title>tests: 369 passed</title><filter id="blur"><feGaussianBlur stdDeviation="16"/></filter><linearGradient id="s" x2="0" y2="100%"><stop offset="0" stop-color="#bbb" stop-opacity=".1"/><stop offset="1" stop-opacity=".1"/></linearGradient><clipPath id="r"><rect width="110" height="20" rx="3"/></clipPath><g clip-path="url(#r)"><rect width="37" height="20" fill="#555"/><rect x="37" width="73" height="20" fill="#67ac09"/><rect width="110" height="20" fill="url(#s)"/></g><g fill="#fff" text-anchor="middle" font-family="Verdana,Geneva,DejaVu Sans,sans-serif" text-rendering="geometricPrecision" font-size="110"><g transform="scale(.1)"><g aria-hidden="true" fill="#010101"><text x="195" y="150" fill-opacity=".8" filter="url(#blur)" textLength="270">tests</text><text x="195" y="150" fill-opacity=".3" textLength="270">tests</text></g><text x="195" y="140" textLength="270">tests</text></g><g transform="scale(.1)"><g aria-hidden="true" fill="#010101"><text x="725" y="150" fill-opacity=".8" filter="url(#blur)" textLength="630">369 passed</text><text x="725" y="150" fill-opacity=".3" textLength="630">369 passed</text></g><text x="725" y="140" textLength="630">369 passed</text></g></g></svg>
diff --git a/code/datatypes/+nansen/+stack/+virtual/Binary.m b/code/datatypes/+nansen/+stack/+virtual/Binary.m
index 7e89cef1..5a4a6d36 100644
--- a/code/datatypes/+nansen/+stack/+virtual/Binary.m
+++ b/code/datatypes/+nansen/+stack/+virtual/Binary.m
@@ -360,16 +360,25 @@ function initializeFile(filePath, arraySize, arrayClass)
                 numBytes = nansen.stack.ImageStack.getImageDataByteSize(...
                     arraySize, arrayClass);
 
+                % On Windows, fsutil preallocates the file without writing
+                % its contents. Every other platform, and a failed fsutil
+                % call, falls back to writing a sparse file with fwrite.
+                status = 1;
                 if ispc
                     [status, ~] = system(sprintf('cmd /C fsutil file createnew %s %i', filePath, numBytes));
-                elseif ismac
-                    status = 1;
                 end
 
                 if status % Backup solution
-                    fileId = fopen(filePath, 'w');
+                    [fileId, errorMessage] = fopen(filePath, 'w');
+                    if fileId == -1
+                        error('NANSEN:Stack:Binary:FileNotCreated', ...
+                            ['Could not create the binary file "%s": %s. ', ...
+                            'Check that the folder exists and is writable.'], ...
+                            filePath, errorMessage)
+                    end
+                    fileCleanup = onCleanup(@() fclose(fileId));
                     fwrite(fileId, 0, 'uint8', numBytes-1); % 4th arg: skip
-                    fclose(fileId);
+                    clear fileCleanup % Close the file before it is mapped
                 end
 
             else