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Author USB stick from Mac to PC only works once - file format error?
Balling
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Registered: 7th Apr 04
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16th Dec 13 at 08:40   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Not sure what the hell is going on here.

I load a USB stick with files and give it to a colleague.
She transfers the files to her hard drive and unplugs the stick.

Now, if I get the stick back it continues to work. If I put on some new files, it'll continue to work.

However, if she needs to use the stick a second time, without me putting on new files, the stick will break and need reformatting.

Any clue what's causing this? I'm guessing this has something to do with the different file formats.


AlunJ
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16th Dec 13 at 11:00   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

I find on my mac if I delete stuff on a memory stick, it never actually physically deletes it so you can't then put other files on until it's formatted if it was previously full.
Balling
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16th Dec 13 at 11:03   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Probably forgetting to empty the trash?


evilrob
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16th Dec 13 at 11:59   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Is she ejecting the drive properly before physically removing?
Balling
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16th Dec 13 at 13:22   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Apparently so, yes.

This pattern happens every time, btw. Not just once in a while.

If she tries to use the USB stick more than once it breaks.

[Edited on 16-12-2013 by Balling]


Gaz
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16th Dec 13 at 13:33   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Is this not to do with the original format of the stick, eg FAT32 won't be written by Mac but can be read...?
Balling
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16th Dec 13 at 13:36   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Every time the error occurs, I format the disc in MS DOS FAT. The other format options aren't readable in Windows.


Dom
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16th Dec 13 at 13:38   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

What filesystem are you formatting the drive?

And by 'break' what do you mean? Does the Windows system display? Is it the 'Found errors, click Yes to fix' type error?

Try a different USB drive to rule out it being faulty. And format the drive ExFat or Fat (that order).


Rob - Not saying you shouldn't unmount drives but Windows tends to be pretty lenient with drives being pulled; OSX/Linux not so much.



quote:
Originally posted by Balling
Every time the error occurs, I format the disc in MS DOS FAT. The other format options aren't readable in Windows.


Format it on the Windows system as ExFat

[Edited on 16-12-2013 by Dom]
Balling
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16th Dec 13 at 13:41   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

quote:
Originally posted by Dom
And by 'break' what do you mean?
"The disk you mounted needs formating."

Something along those lines. Only option I get (on both OS X and Win) is to format it.

Will try formatting it on the Windows machine, see if that helps. Cheers.


Dom
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16th Dec 13 at 13:47   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

quote:
Originally posted by Balling
quote:
Originally posted by Dom
And by 'break' what do you mean?
"The disk you mounted needs formating."

Something along those lines. Only option I get (on both OS X and Win) is to format it.


Suggests the drive is corrupted.

I'm guessing you get the same issue on another Windows system in that scenario? And it works fine if you use it on another Mac?

As said, try formatting the drive as ExFat as it's designed for removable storage and cross-compatibility between OS's unlike FAT.
Balling
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16th Dec 13 at 13:55   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

quote:
Originally posted by Dom
Suggests the drive is corrupted.

I'm guessing you get the same issue on another Windows system in that scenario? And it works fine if you use it on another Mac?
I've tried three USB sticks of different brands.

Yes, the error happens with different PCs, but can't be replicated with other Mac's.

Will try the ExFat format.



 
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