trouble with USB memory sticks

[abelito8]

Good morning,

I bought a USB flash memory (Kingston) and it worked fine with my Ubuntu (9.04), then I had to copy some files into a computer using a Windows system and another using a Mac

Since then my system can read what is on the USB but refuses both copying and deleting files from the USB device.

I have formatted it and it seemed to work fine until I copied files from my computer to a windows one...

I thought it might be a problem of the device but today I had the same problem with a Sony Vaio USB I was using for several days until (again) I tried to open it on a windows computer (sorry but they are everywhere!!!) and now I can only read the files written on it but perform no other action (I have clicked on properties and checked, apparently I have full access to all the files)

Any idea of what could be the cause?
Thank you in advance anyway

[Kieren]

What file system are you using for the stick? It is common to use FAT32 as it can easily be used by many operating systems with fewer problems

[abelito8]

Yes this is how it should work...
I cannot see any file even if I ask for the hidden files...maybe the files got corrupted?

[D-cat]

More like the file system is getting corrupted. Are you using the "Safely Remove" feature before pulling out the stick in every OS?

In Windows, you can try to fix it with a scandisk. In Linux, use fsck on the device.
I'm working on a much longer explanation for Linux...

[D-cat]

Finally, I think I'm done.

[CT_Wiebe]

D-cat -- I saved and read your "dissertation" (my Ubuntu couldn't read it directly - I had to save it and open it using OpenOffice). Thank you. I saved it for future reference.

abelito8 -- You didnt' say which version of Windows you are using. If it is Vista, then it can have problems correctly "unmounting" a USB memory stick. You have to click on the "Remove USB drive" and then click "Ok" on the resulting message before removing the USB stick. Otherwise using the USB stick on Linux is going to be "iffy". Windows XP is much better, since it doesn't post the "Ok to Remove" message until it has already "safely unmounted" the device.

The best way to "repair" the USB problems is to use the "Scandisk" function in Windows XP (and that may not even be needed). I've had a lot of problems with my USB sticks (all formatted in FAT32), but all of them are associated with the occasional use on our Vista laptop.

PS - I do not like Vista, it keeps trying to protect me from myself, in unpredictable ways.