Troubleshooting Flash Drive Compatibility Between Linux and Windows

[Alamino]

I bought a Flash Memory Drive and I was using it in my computer in the university, which runs Linux, and in my computer at home, which runs Windows. Today, suddenly, my comp. at the university simply does not even recognize the flash drive, although it's still working perfectly on Windows. Does anyone know what could be the problem and how can I fix it?

 

[Anttech]

what file table are you using? FAT32 FAT, NTFS etc

 

[Alamino]

Sorry, but I'm not a computer scientist (just a physicist...) and I have not any idea about this. The only thing I know is that I've already have this problem in the past with floppies, but in that case I've simply thrown them away...

 

[Alamino]

Ok. Now I found it. My file system is FAT32.

 

[Anttech]

Fat32 is compatible with both systems so that isn't the problem...

Have you tryed a different Linux box, it could be a local problem to that 1 particular box

 

[Lars Thorsen]

Hi,

I'm using a flash drive, a Memorex 1GB, and loading music onto it, then transferring that file onto my MacBook using OS X 10.4 Tiger, then when the file is in iTunes I drag the file icon to the trash, the icon in the flash drive window. This should empty the flash drive yes? But then when I go back to download more music on the flash drive the loading device says the drive is full ! Somehow I am not correctly emptying the flash drive, but at the Memorex site and in the Apple directions and in the instructions for the flash drive there are no specific directions on how to empty the drive. I mean they are empty-able and reusable, yes? It would seem like they are not a one time use, and you can't empty them and refill them.

There are instructions to reformat the flash drive, but that seems excessive, all I need to do is empty it.

Anyone have familiarity in how this is usually done?

 

[BoredNL]

In windows explorer, go to the flash drive when it's plugged in, locate the files and delete them?

 

[ranger]

Alamino, perhaps we can see what's happening when you plug your flash drive into the linux box.

Post the output of:
dmesg | tail
immediately after you have inserted your flash drive.EDIT: Just realized that someone went and dug up an old thread.

 

[Crosson]

then when the file is in iTunes I drag the file icon to the trash, the icon in the flash drive window. This should empty the flash drive yes?

I think all this does is prepare the flash drive to be disconnected, similar to "Eject".

What you need to do is to "format" the drive, which means erase and format for new data. I am not a mac user so try searching using the key term "format".

 

[neurocomp2003]

if you have a OS on your flash drive it will only appear on windows...as for the flash drive itself you may have to "mount" the device in which case you will need to know what device you are adding.

However the flashdrive should automatically be detected on linux, as etiher the company name or "removable" which is what my sandisk comes up as.

Might help if you post what linux IDE you are running

as for the mac problem: doesn't MAC bring up a do you want to delete message? if that doesn't come up maybe you aren't deleteing properly...

all and all YAY FOR WINDOWS.

 

[Crosson]

To the OP: I have a Sandisk 2GB flashdrive with its own operating system, that it loads into memory everytime I use it. Its quite pathetic, however, as I am usually done transfering my files before the OS loads itself, and as such I hardly deal with it at all. If the OS (aka Sandisk virus) does manage to load itself, then I have to format the drive or else trying to use it is a punishment.

In any case, if the OS is on the drive then the RedHat Linux machine does not even notice me put it in, but without the OS it works properly.

 

[ranger]

In any case, if the OS is on the drive then the RedHat Linux machine does not even notice me put it in, but without the OS it works properly.

Did you check the output of dmesg to make sure that it really didnt recognize the flash drive? It seems rather odd that it would just ignore an inserted device. I ask this because I have a drive with one of those OS things. It works perfectly. I don't have the automatic "detect and mount device" [automount] thing enabled. So I have to check what device linux sees my flash drive as...

 

[Lars Thorsen]

Thanks for your advice. I went into town today and the local computer store has a very helpful young man. He put the TravelDrive into a USB cable and showed me the files were still there, and then deleted them. He was using a Windows OS. What I have to do in OSX is to 'select' the file icon (highlite it), then drag it to the trash, then empty the trash. All three operations must be done to empty the TravelDrive. I didn't highlite, or empty the trash; so my system showed no files, and the music loading device still saw files. I guess it took a different system to see the files. All is well now, it is just a frustrating learning curve, as even the smallest misstep will cause an error, and who is here to tell me of my small missteps? This is a great site, and at some future time I'll make use of the higher math capabilities. Caio