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    USB Flash Drive not recognised with NTFS format

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by TeeJay 44, May 31, 2008.

  1. TeeJay 44

    TeeJay 44 Notebook Deity

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    Hi everybody

    I have a Kingston 4GB Data Traveller which came with FAT 32 format. I decided to reformat it to NTFS and now my computer does not recognise it.

    I am running XP SP3 on an Acer 5684WLMi which is formatted with FAT 32.
    And ideas anybody?

    Kind regards,
    Theo
     
    TeeJay 44, May 31, 2008
    #1
  2. Thomas

    Thomas McLovin

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    Q- Why is your Acer FAT32?
     
    Thomas, May 31, 2008
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  3. TeeJay 44

    TeeJay 44 Notebook Deity

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    Brand new out the box with FAT 32.

    Cheers,
    Theo
     
    TeeJay 44, May 31, 2008
    #3
  4. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    Go to the Disk management and see if it detects it from there
     
    flipfire, May 31, 2008
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  5. TeeJay 44

    TeeJay 44 Notebook Deity

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    Yup, shows up in Disk management and Device manager says this device is working properly?
     
    TeeJay 44, May 31, 2008
    #5
  6. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    fat 32 can't read ntfs files. that's bad business on acer's part. ntfs is faster and more secure AAAAND can read fat32 files. why they did that is terrible and inconvenient for you. and i don't know what kind of os system you have to put your os back on your hard disk, whether it be hdd based and some restore feature or an optical disk, but i'm willing to bet if it came like that, if you try to reformat and reinstall, it will default to fat32 leaving you no option to reformat in ntfs format. baaaaad business.
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #6
  7. Nebelwand

    Nebelwand Notebook Consultant

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    Does it have a drive letter assigned to it? If not do that...

    The file system used on the OS partition it totally irrelevant here. And even if it wasn't, he could just use MS' convert.exe
     
    Nebelwand, May 31, 2008
    #7
  8. Nocturnal310

    Nocturnal310 Notebook Virtuoso

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    Re-format it to FAT32 and check if it works.
     
    Nocturnal310, May 31, 2008
    #8
  9. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    it is relevant if he's trying to read ntfs files. but i'm sleepy. what is irrelevant was the reformatting of the os. he can just reformat the usb drive. i'm a sleepy dum dum. simple solution.
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #9
  10. Nebelwand

    Nebelwand Notebook Consultant

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    No, it isn't. A FAT32-formatted OS partition doesn't magically remove Windows' NTFS driver. You can copy files from NTFS to FAT32 partitions all day long if you don't have anything better to do.
     
    Nebelwand, May 31, 2008
    #10
  11. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    i said read. not transfer files.
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #11
  12. Nebelwand

    Nebelwand Notebook Consultant

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    Then please elaborate on how the latter works without the former :p
     
    Nebelwand, May 31, 2008
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  13. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    i see things have changed. i haven't used fat32 in awhile. used to have problems when running 2000 and 98/me back in the day. i just looked around and stand corrected. :eek:
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #13
  14. TeeJay 44

    TeeJay 44 Notebook Deity

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    Reformatted the Flash drive back to FAT 32. All is back to normal and working again. Weird huh?

    Cheers,
    Theo
     
    TeeJay 44, May 31, 2008
    #14
  15. Wirelessman

    Wirelessman Monkeymod

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    Some flash drives are defected, they will keep having that problem (experience), just returned it or buy another one.
     
    Wirelessman, May 31, 2008
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  16. jimc

    jimc Notebook Consultant

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    and ntfs is not really designed for removable media. so it's better to use fat32, unless there's good reason not to.
     
    jimc, May 31, 2008
    #16
  17. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    Yep, I use Fat32 on all my 3 USB flash drives, never had any issues.
    I sugest you leave NTFS for OS from now on ;)
     
    eleron911, May 31, 2008
    #17
  18. Wirelessman

    Wirelessman Monkeymod

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    Nice car eleron, is it a real Porche?
     
    Wirelessman, May 31, 2008
    #18
  19. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    it looks like a boxster.
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #19
  20. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    It`s a Carrera S , 355 HP.
     
    eleron911, May 31, 2008
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  21. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    can i get one in yellow?
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #21
  22. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    If you have the money, sure.
    Since we`re at this topic, what`s the hugest flash drive you guys have?
     
    eleron911, May 31, 2008
    #22
  23. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    1 gigabyte
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #23
  24. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    seriousely? wow. I thought my 8GB is small.
     
    eleron911, May 31, 2008
    #24
  25. Anomaly10

    Anomaly10 Notebook Evangelist

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    8GB small for a flash drive? We're talking the little thing that you carry around in your pocket right, and not the WD Passport or something? I personally have a 2GB as my largest, but I have friends with a 4GB. Unless you're carrying around huge video files all the time, I really don't see the need for such a huge flash drive.
     
    Anomaly10, May 31, 2008
    #25
  26. pukemon

    pukemon are you unplugged?

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    maybe you're the flash drive eleron. you drive a different porsche every week. :D
     
    pukemon, May 31, 2008
    #26
  27. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    The reason all flash drives come formatted as FAT32 is because this is currently the best file system ALL operating systems can read.
     
    surfasb, Jun 2, 2008
    #27