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I have Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS on my laptop. Got a new USB Stick (Samsung) for storing extra files and I am unable to access it.

When I insert it, the folder shows up but when I click on it, it says:

Unable to access Samsung USB 
- Error mounting ... Samsung USB: Unknown file system Type 'Exfat'

What do I need to do to be able to access it? Please give advice that an absolute IT beginner can handle :)

Melebius
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LisaK
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  • I would get a windows or mac computer and reformat the USB into ext4 – Budget Tech May 29 '19 at 00:42
  • https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install-mate-desktop-on-ubuntu-18-04-bionic-beaver-linux this should do it – Budget Tech May 29 '19 at 01:00
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    @BudgetTech: A windows/mac PC is not needed for this and might only complicate things. For future ref: it is policy to try not to link to outside sources as they can get redirected, moved, or outdated. Also ext4 is only Linux compatible so OP would have the reverse issue if it were to be used with a Mac or Win PC. – Nmath May 29 '19 at 01:03

1 Answers1

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The USB drive was pre-formatted with the exFAT file system. You have two options: You can either format the disk to use a different file system, or you can install the packages that Ubuntu needs to read and write to the exFAT file system.

To format the disk:

  • Open the "Disks" utility (gnome-disk-utility)

  • Select your USB device.

  • In the top right corner, open the options menu and select Format Disk...

    (Choose a quick format for speed and MBR for compatibility.)

  • Now that the disk is formatted, select "create a partition in allocated space" below the map under "Volumes".

  • Set the partition size to max.

  • Name the volume and select a file system. Note the compatibility descriptions with each choice. FAT/FAT16/FAT32 have the most compatibility and will work on Linux, Mac, & Windows.

To add exFAT capability to your system:

  • Open a terminal

    sudo apt update
sudo apt install exfat-fuse exfat-utils

  • reboot your system

Nmath
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    Also note that FAT32 has some limitations, most notably it cannot deal with files of size larger than 4GB. If you have the option, Exfat is the most convenient choice. – Federico Poloni May 29 '19 at 09:09
  • If only Linux/Windows cross-compatibility is needed, NTFS is a valid choice. macOS can read NTFS and with some tinkering can also write to it. As demonstarted, exFAT needs (admin-level) tinkering on a Linux system to be accessed, so "most convenient choice" is debatable. – Xan May 29 '19 at 09:27
  • @Xan Doesn't Exfat work out-of-the-box on Ubuntu if you run the two commands in this answer? – Federico Poloni May 29 '19 at 09:51
  • If you run the two above commands, it changes the system configuration. It requires admin access and is by definition not "out-of-the-box" - though arguably, it's not hard to do. – Xan May 29 '19 at 09:52
  • @Xan There was a time the same was need for NTFS support. I agree with this answer, installing the 2 small packages needed for exFAT support is easy to do, you have to do it only once, and is IMO the best option. –  May 29 '19 at 16:15
  • There's always a scenario when it is not the best option; specifically, "not your Linux machine". I don't disagree with this answer, it's just an important point to keep in mind. There's no one "optimal" solution. – Xan May 29 '19 at 16:19