Problems copy/paste to a USB Drive

[#1]

LInux Mint 20.2 Mate  ( up to date ) . Both machines same install and level of updates

Trying to copy a few files across from my 12 inch laptop, to my main machine... copy and pasting to a usb stick..

Everything I try to paste results in a "dimmed out" paste command... on checking the "properties"  and then "permissions"... it says I am not the owner, and cannot change the permissions... however.. if I put same usb stick in my main laptop.. it shows that I can change permissions..

another weird thing,... Again, on the 12 inch laptop.. I format a USB stick,... and give it a title... such as RED USB  then format it using Disks  and it then says  Cannot Mount SDC1 ...  and when I put that same usb stick in the main machine, it does not appear in the Computer listings under Devices...

What is happening , and how can I resolve it please  ? ? 

[#2]

Perhaps run REVO UNINSTALLER on the USB to thoroughly wipe?

[#3]

As these are both Linux machines you don't need to bother with a USB stick to copy files, there are various options open to you but here's one of the most popular.

[#4]

@Gel  Never heard of that.  (Like most things with Linux ! ! ! ) ..  Just googled it, and it seems like a WINDOWS program... not sure if it would run on Linux Mint.... 

Apart from that... the big problem is, the when I plug in the TWO usb sticks... on either machine... they do not appear in the Devices listings.

[#5]

FileZilla is a FTP GUI based program which may suit. Available via software manager.

It is possible using File Manager to open a folder with root permissions, right click the folder you should see

Have you tried Gparted for format the USB drives?

Dan.

[#6]

@Mook  I bow to your experience of Linux ! .. but... I am not running servers... and the two machines are not connected to each other... so I don`t understand how you can transfer anything between them....

Note also... I cannot COPY and PASTE to ANY USB memory sticks that I have, from the Toshiba Satellite Pro 12 inch laptop, Even one`s that have already got stuff on them, it will not Copy and Paste from the HDD to the USB in that machine.

Nor...as mentioned to Gel, do either of the recently formatted USB memory sticks show up on either machine in the Devices listings. when inserted in a USB slot.

Because I cannot "copy and paste" to ANY  USB memory stick, it means that I cannot save files for backup to a memory stick, or for transfer to any other machine. in another location ( say) a friends house or the like.

And also... Why does the "12inch" machine say that I am not the owner of the usb stick so cannot change the permissions, yet the Asus ROG says I can ...( on the same working usb stick )

Which I think is the source of the problem of not being able to copy and paste to ANY stick...

[#7]

Right-0h... a bit of confusion caused by my wrong use of terminology..

the two USB sticks do not "MOUNT" when inserted   ( my term was the do not "show" }  as can be seen by this pic

Other USB sticks DO "show" in Devices... ( i.e. "Mount " )... but still cannot copy and paste to them... due to the "permissions" business reported in my previous postings... saying I am not the owner.... etc...

However.. the two in question,  DO SHOW in other aspects... such as when using lsusb... as shown in the highlighted line on this pic,

and again on the "Disks"  option of the menu ..   here...

BUT on that section... "actions" are "dimmed" out and unusable.  as shown in the next two pics.

[#8]

There's no filesystem on those drives, so they dont automount and appear in devices. You need to create a partition on them and format it.

[#9]

@MisterW  Thanks for your input... but how do I do that  ?   the third pic of my previous posting, all the menu items on there, Including Edit Partition..... Edit Filesystem ... Edit Mount Options... are all " Dimmed out"  so not available.

If using anything like  Gparted....or another way,...... can you give me some step by step instrs to follow please.

Thanks.

[#10]

Click on the + to the left of the cog wheels

[#11]

@Dan_the_Van    Yeee haaaaagh ! .. now I see it "mounted" under Devices .

Then I went to USB stick Formatter... and made it FAT32 format

However... I still can`t copy and paste to it from the HDD.

"Properties"    is still showing  "Owner           root "   and a note at the bottom saying I am not the owner   so cannot change the permissions.

[#12]

@shutter 

A thought, do you by chance still have a windows PC, I'd try formatting the USB drive on it.

I  am confused, I have not encountered this issue before. 

Dan

[#13]

@Dan_the_Van No, I don`t have windows pc,   I do have windows 7 pro running in a Virtual Box on my main machine.  so could try it there.

Here`s another "weirdo"... I`m messing about with a 4gb usb stick at the moment trying to sort out what is, or what isn`t happening.. so I`m also doing a bit of googling about stuff, and managed to find out how to change the permission from Root to gerry...        Sudo ( name of file manager )     for Mate it is CAJA..  so      sudo caja     enter password..... 

this then shows  a list of devices ... select the 4gb device then go to the top of the window where it shows as sdc1.. click on permissions and then you can change the permission from root,.. from a drop down menu  ( my name appeared in that ) so I chose it... but then....... You cannot change the permissions message appears.

OK... bear that in mind.. still in "root" as permission  so I am not the "owner" of this 4gb stick

Remove the stick from the small laptop.. and put it in the main one... select the device and then sdc1 again, then permissions... and   lo and behold.... gerry has all the permissions  !..

dong a file system check on the Disks  section of the main menu.. shows that the file system is good.. and  when it tried to repair it .. it reported it did not need repairing

Another weirdo.... I can copy and paste TO the 4gb usb from my main laptop.. and it appears in the file listings on the usb stick

BUT... cannot copy FROM the usb stick to the small laptop.. ( checking the permissions, again.. it shows  "root" as the owner.

[#14]

Can't you just 'Network' the two computers @shutter ?

Then you could forget messing about with the USB sticks and transfer the files across your LAN - less time consuming and hassle.

[#15]

@RobPN  yeah... easy to do.... if you know how to, and what you are doing, to start with... me ?  ain`t got a clue,......

meanwhile.... stumbling about... I put the 4gb in the main laptop... then went to "DISKS"  and reformatted it to NTFS ... put it in the small laptop... and.... YAY !   i can write to it and read from it....  and it shows as "mounted" on the Devices listing

It also works the same in my main laptop....   

Tried to reverse that,... by formatting again... to FAT32   and it did... revert back to not being able to copy and paste to it.on the small laptop... so did another formatting as NTFS  and all seems to be working fine...

Will leave it at that...then... ! ! ! ...  however... it does look as though my other usb sticks will have to be reformatted to NTFS because they are not accepting copy and paste .... 

AH well... as the saying goes....