Can FAT32 partitions cause file browser problems?

[boothruwindow]

I have just recovered my desktop Ubuntu system, thanks to SuperGrub, and Larryfroot, who pointed me to it. It had crashed due to an incomplete install to a pen drive, but prior to this I had made some changes to my partition layout, and now if such moves could cause the problems I'm having now.

I wanted to be able to access my pictures, music, and projects while testing different Linux distros from CD or pen drive (DreamLinux looks much like the Mac interface, which I like, it's rated for speed, gotta try), but I've not been able to do that from any which I've tried yet. I learned somewhere that replacing the unused bulk of the OS partition with a big FAT32, and moving your files to that drive should make them accessible to most systems. I just viewed my files from the DreamLinux distro CD, so it seems to be working. I knew the action on this type of partition would be slower, and it really is when I move files to it, so is there a better way to get what I want than this?

I have since had the following annoyances from Ubuntu's Nautilus file browser, and am wondering if the drive changes had anything to do with the following:

1. I am getting error messages when I try to move files to this drive through the Nautilus GUI file browser, but then these errors are wierdly negated when the file transfer is performed anyway. Well, I should be happy that it does what I ask, but where are these false error messages coming from?

2. It gets even more strange - when viewing files on Fat32 through Nautilus, in my Ubuntu hard drive partition, the file window has a banner which states "These files are on a Picture CD". Huh??? I know where I moved my files to, and they are not on CD! What is a "Picture CD" anyway?

Can anyone find a logical explanation for these weird messages, or does it look as much to you like corruption damage?

Thanks.

[MikeTbob]

1. What is the exact error msg? What exactly are you doing here? Moving files from partition to partition?

2. I would think it's safe to ignore the "Picture CD" label. Did you mount this fat32 partition yourself?
Post the output of

sudo fdisk -l

[boothruwindow]

1. What is the exact error msg? What exactly are you doing here? Moving files from partition to partition?

2. I would think it's safe to ignore the "Picture CD" label. Did you mount this fat32 partition yourself?
Post the output of

sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa0e4765c

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        3187    25599546   83  Linux
/dev/sda2           59762       60801     8353800    5  Extended
/dev/sda3            3188       59761   454430655    b  W95 FAT32
/dev/sda5           59762       60801     8353768+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

The first of the errors happens (sometimes) when I try to mount the Fat32 partition by clicking on the appropriate icon which is displayed when I open Nautilus through the menu Places>Computer (I have noticed that non-Gnome file browsers don't seem to have any such Windows-like option - if they know about any partitions on the main drive, they spookily quiet about it). That error is (usually, and only the first time I hit that icon)

Unable to mount location

Internal error: No mount object for mounted volume

After that, the partition drive will open without complaint, if I hit the icon again!

There may be an equally weird message the first time I go to move files into the partition drive, but they get moved in anyway!

Also, I'm still getting that message "These files are on a Picture CD", with a button to "Open F-Spot Photo Manager"! It displays in banner form, in the file window of Nautilus, at the top at the top of it for every folder which I navigate to within the Fat32 partition. It seemed to be looking for cameras (don't have any on this machine) from the error I got when I pushed the button.

Maybe this Fat32 idea wasn't such a good one - it's slow, and if I store my pictures on that partition, and then refer to a picture on it for my desktop background, Linux can't access it after I reboot because of security issues (as if I hadn't logged in at startup a few minutes ago). I set it up this way because I wanted to be able to access files which are stored on just one drive, from any pen drive or CD installation, but even with this the results have been mixed (my Dream Linux CD can see these files, but Xubuntu never could see anything - I'll be finding better uses for that CD and pen). Is there a better means toward that end?